The closed-end housing prevents the ribbon cable from stubbing against the back wall during insertion, which keeps the contacts aligned and reduces the chance of an open circuit in the field.
Termination and Field Repair
IDC termination means you don't strip wire — the contact blades pierce the insulation as the cable is pressed into the housing. That makes this plug fast to build on a bench and re-pinable in the field with a basic IDC hand tool. The 22-26 AWG range covers the common ribbon cable sizes used in control cabinets and peripheral interconnects.