How to Choose the Right Contacts for Your Connector?
Contacts are the pins and sockets at the ends of a connector which pass an electrical current when they come into contact with each other. Contacts may come preloaded in a connector or come separately to be added by machine or by hand. It is important to know what contacts you may need and understand how best to install them. In this guide, we will review the different types of contacts and key things to consider when choosing the right one for any application.
The Two Types of Electrical Contacts: Signal and Power
We use electrical signals to transfer information from a source to a destination. When there is a lot of information to be transferred, it is usually called data. In contrast, a signal usually refers to basic information that can be communicated in binary form. Since there is only a small amount of current or voltage to be passed, signal contacts are typically small and are usually found in stuff like sensors or buttons.
Power contacts are used to transfer a current or voltage in order to operate mechanical parts and equipment. Though they may be as small as signal contacts for applications that use only a small amount of voltage, power contacts can be much larger for transferring large voltage to heavy-duty machinery. Industrial power contacts may deliver up to a few dozen amps of current.
How to Pick the Right One
There are several important criteria to consider when choosing the right contact(s) for a task including connector and layout, wire size, contact type, delivery options, plating, and termination type.
Your first step should be to look at the specs associated with the machinery with which you are working. It is important to consider what amperage or voltage will be running through the circuit and determine what current carrying capacity your connector and contact(s) will need to have. When current passes through a contact, it generates heat. Therefore, the more contacts you have on a connector, the more heat it will generate. This means that if your machinery has a max operating temperature of 35° and a connector which generates 30°, the contacts may create enough heat to exceed the limit and damage your machinery.
Next, you will want to determine the size of the wires you plan to use and identify which contacts are available to use with that size. For information about which contacts are suitable for your wire size, you may contact our team of experts from our website at aogpurchasing.com.
After determining the available contacts for your wire size, you will need to decide on a contact type. Contacts can be either stamped & formed or machined. This choice will depend on personal choice and the equipment you have available. Machined contacts are usually used to fulfill power applications or low volume orders. They are generally more suitable for heavy-duty applications which involve high voltage. Stamped & formed contacts can be fed into an automated crimping machine and may be more appropriate for high volume production.
Contacts can come in two delivery options: either packaged loose in a bag or loaded onto a reel. Stamped & formed contacts are generally delivered preloaded on a reel. These contacts are designed to be fed into a crimping machine. Machined contacts are more often packaged loose in bulk. These are the delivery types that come by default, but both options are possible for either contact type. Be aware however, that stamped and formed contacts mounted on a reel are designed to be fed into a crimping machine and can be damaged if crimped by hand.
The final factor to consider when choosing a contact are plating options. The plating on contacts affects the conductivity of connection and their durability. Smaller contacts under 1A and 5mV (#20 and #16) are typically gold plated. Gold is well suited for intensive use because of its excellent conductivity and good lubricity properties however it is usually high cost. In an effort to reduce cost for most larger contacts, tin is used because it performs almost as well for static and low-vibration environments. For applications where there is a higher vibration and more numerous mating cycles (100+), gold flash plating is preferred. For size #12 and #8 contacts, silver is generally preferred for its high reliability at a lower cost than gold plating.
There are several factors to consider when choosing contacts for a circuit. You can follow these steps to get a better understanding before you start the purchasing process:
- Determine the current carrying capacity of your circuit to avoid overheating
- Identify your wire size to find which contacts are available
- Find out which connector and layout you will be using
- Decide on whether you prefer stamped & formed or machined contacts dependent on your performance needs and crimping setup
- Determine whether you want your contacts packaged in bulk or loaded on a reel
- Choose the best plating option based on your performance needs
Are you in search of durable and top tier electrical connectors? AOG Purchasing, owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, is a leading supplier of generator parts including an extensive inventory of electronic connector parts. For an instant quote, contact us now and see how quickly our team members can help you.
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