An editorial guide available from Interconnection World covers several aspects of connectivity's role in automotive system design. One of the articles in the guide focuses on the use of gold and, specifically, lower-cost high-reliability alternatives to gold for automotive applications.
The gold-alternative article is entitled "A low-cost, high-reliability contact finish for automotive applications" and is authored by Philip W. Lees, principal technologist with Materion (formerly Technical Materials Inc.). It details research and experimentation that was conducted to determine the performance characteristics of contact materials other than gold in simulated automotive environments. The tests measured attributes including porosity, durability, temperature stability, Battelle flowing mixed gas exposure, temperature stability, temperature cycling with humidity, and random vibration.
The testing paid specific attention to a material known as WE#1, which comprises 69 percent gold, 25 percent Silver and 6 percent Platinum. In the experiment, a 10-micro-inch outer layer of WE#1 was combined with a 20-micro-inch layer of ASTM B-731 (60 percent Palladium/40 percent Silver), and a nickel diffusion barrier. In the article Leeds states that the testing indicated the WE#1/PdAg material "demonstrated stable behavior in the components under test. Cost information ... indicates that the clad inlay contact finish offers low cost material system with high reliability."
Another article in the guide is entitled "Small changes, big impacts: Managing variants in automotive and aerospace electrical design." In that article, Mentor Graphics' Simon Holdsworth describes how the challenges introduced by vehicle-system design complexity can be resolved by modern wiring-design toolsets. In the article, Holdsworth stated, "A full-featured suite of tools can capture best practices and rules to be used in the form of constraints. And automation can help designers manage complexity in a coherent, consistent and cost-effective manner." He adds that some of the design tools available today, "make it possible to create a virtual environment in which every harness component, bundle, and connection is defined and tested long before the first hardware prototype need be assembled."
The guide is entitled "Optimizing Efficiency and Performance in Automotive System Design," and is available for free download to anyone who provides contact information. You can download the guide here.
Separately, Materion addressed the issue of contact materials in an in-depth web seminar entitled "Cost-Effective Alternatives to Gold Electrical Contacts for Connectors." The seminar was not limited to automotive applications, but rather talked about a range of applications in which alternatives to gold may be used. The seminar is approximately one hour in duration and is available for viewing on demand. You can register for and view the seminar here.
