Electrical contacts consist of soft, high-conductivity, oxidation-resistant materials used as the makeup of electrical components. They are the materials in a system through which an electrical current flows; such as:
Electrical contact rivets come in a variety of sizes. You can find options both small to extremely large, depending on your voltage requirements and usage.
Electrical contacts are typically made from any metal with high electrical conductivity. However, in applications such as high-power equipment where mechanical wear is expected, a conductive metal may be used.
Common electrical contact materials include:
When choosing the best electrical contact for your application, it is important to keep in mind the six most important properties:
Conductivity refers to the measure of a material’s ability to conduct or carry an electric current. You will see this as a percent of a copper standard (ex: 100% International Annealed Copper Standard or IACS) Silver, which has the highest conductivity, has an IACS of 105.
Corrosion resistance of electrical contacts refers to a material’s ability to resist chemical decay. Any material with little corrosion resistance will decay faster than ones with high resistance.
This measures how resistant materials are to various kinds of permanent deformations from an applied force. It is dependent on five factors:
This property refers to the maximum recommended current load that the material is capable of handling.
As the name suggests, it refers to the shape an electrical material must fit in order to carry out its operation.
The size relates to the thickness, length, and width or outer diameter of the form a material takes.
Norstan, Premier Electrical Contact Manufacturer
Norstan uses a variety of precious metals and metal alloys for our cold-formed parts and electrical contacts. Our team works with each and every customer to sure that you’re kept in the loop on project status, schedule, and deliverables are clearly defined, and all your technical and business requirements are met.
The cold heading and cold forming process have numerous advantages :
Precision electrical contacts and rivets from silver, gold, palladium, copper, brass, and many other materials – with less waste than screw-machined parts.
Contact us today to learn how we can help your electrical contact assembles!