Contact Physics

Contact physics comprises a myriad of considerations associated with electrical connectors. Matters such as normal force, contact wear, frictional forces, stress relaxation, thermal conductivity, surface topography, electrical conductivity, dielectric properties, and voltage breakdown all fall under the topic of contact physics.

APEX possesses experienced contact physicists specializing in electrical interconnections. These consultants are available to proactively review new designs and/or provide failure analysis.

WHY APEX:

• Achieve lower cost
• Avoid common design pitfalls
• Improve product reliability
• Employ years of knowledgeable experience
• Gain experience with industry test techniques and laboratories
• Accelerate evaluations

APEX CONTACTS PHYSICS ANALYSIS INCLUDES:

• Plating recommendations
• Fretting corrosion prevention
• Recommendations for minimum contact normal force
• Choosing the most appropriate metal plating
• Contact wipe recommendations
• Metal properties

EXAMPLES OF APEX CONTACT PHYSICS ANALYSIS:

• Designed wear experiments and conducted durability tests
• Solved a fretting corrosion problem in laptop computers
• Recommended a metal alloy to reduce the stress relaxation of an automotive contact
• Conducted an analysis of pogo pin failures