Contact Physics of Connectors
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 has experienced contact physicists on staff specializing in electrical interconnections. These consultants are available to proactively educate as well as 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 optimum contact normal force
- Selection of the most appropriate metal plating systems
- Contact wipe recommendations
- Metal properties and selection
EXAMPLES OF APEX CONTACT PHYSICS ANALYSIS:
- Designed wear experiments, conducted durability tests, and analyzed results
- Solved a fretting corrosion problem in laptop computers
- Recommended a metal alloy to reduce the stress relaxation of an automotive contact
- Analyzed, identified, and solved pogo pin failures
- Developed and presented multiple customized training sessions
- Expert witness for product litigation
- Integrated contact physics principles with practical design recommendations for diagnostic equipment