Industrial M12 d coded connectors play a crucial role in ensuring reliable electrical connections in the aerospace industry. They are used for various environmental and operational challenges, which can lead to issues like corrosion and plating problems. In this blog, we will explore the causes of these challenges and discuss innovative solutions to address them.
Understanding Corrosion and Plating
Corrosion is a common problem in Industrial connectors due to the harsh conditions they operate in. These connectors often face temperature fluctuations, humidity changes, extended exposure to dry environments, and even gas corrosion. One of the key factors that contribute to corrosion is the choice of plating materials.
Traditionally, Industrial connectors were plated with noble metals like gold or silver, as these materials are less prone to oxidation. The plating thickness typically ranged from 0.5μm to 1.27μm. However, using gold or silver for plating can be expensive, which led to a search for cost-effective alternatives. As a result, many connectors started using materials like tin or tin-lead for plating, primarily in automotive electrical harness applications. While this reduced costs, it introduced new challenges.
Innovative Solutions: Plating Options
To tackle the issues of corrosion and plating, new plating materials and techniques have been developed:
Pure Tin Plating: Pure tin plating has emerged as a new plating material. It offers a smooth and uniform surface while significantly reducing the thickness of the gold plating, sometimes by up to 80%. In safety-critical applications, it can support very low signal currents.
Tin-PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) Plating: This plating technique involves selectively electroplating Teflon micro-particles within a conventional tin bath. It reduces insertion forces by up to 40% and enhances the stability of Industrial connectors. These innovative plating methods improve the connectors’ resistance to friction and corrosion, making them more reliable and durable.
Innovative Solutions: Press-Fit Technology
Press-fit terminal technology has gained popularity in the telecommunications market. It offers cost-effective benefits by reducing the manufacturing process complexity. While introducing press-fit technology to automotive systems has proven challenging, it has great potential.
In the Industrial industry, using press-fit terminal technology with Industrial connectors ensures a controlled insertion force when plugging into printed circuit boards (PCBs). This minimizes resistance and deformation, guaranteeing a stable connection. The process is highly automated, preserving component integrity and compatibility with Surface Mount Technology (SMT). Moreover, it eliminates the risk of thermal shock and solder bridges on PCBs, resulting in improved process quality.
Overcoming Challenges
Despite the advantages of these innovative solutions, there are still challenges to overcome, especially as connector pin counts increase. More pins require greater force when inserting the Industrial connectors into their sockets. This presents a contradiction as high electrical performance demands high contact pressure, while low insertion forces are required.
To strike a balance between these requirements, new contact surfaces with a combination of tin and PTFE (Teflon) micro-particles have been introduced. These surfaces are created by selectively plating Teflon micro-particles within a conventional tin bath. This innovative approach effectively reduces insertion forces by 40%, and it doesn’t require additional auxiliary devices.
Conclusion
Corrosion and plating problems in Industrial connectors are common challenges in the aerospace industry. While traditional plating materials like gold and silver offer resistance to oxidation, they can be expensive. As a result, innovative plating materials and techniques such as pure tin plating and tin-PTFE plating have been developed to improve corrosion resistance and reduce insertion forces. Additionally, press-fit terminal technology has been introduced to streamline manufacturing processes while maintaining connector stability.
These innovations demonstrate the commitment of the Industrial industry to address issues and enhance the reliability of Industrial connectors. As technology continues to advance, Industrial connectors will play a vital role in ensuring seamless electrical connections in aircraft and other aerospace applications.
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