Spring-loaded Contact Probes consist as a basis of 3 individual parts: Plunger, spring and barrel. Due to low tolerances and precision, the matched individual parts are suitable for use in electrical engineering.
Contact molds or also called tip styles ensure the correct contact to the test specimen (DUT). There is a variety of different tip styles to suit a wide range of applications. The main groups include: Inner & outer cones, inner & outer crowns, outer polygon, round, flat and waffle tip styles.
Different factors play a role in the assembly. The receptacles, the tools, the correct drilling, and of course different materials.
In addition to the design-related parameters, the life time of spring contact probes depends very much on the actual operating conditions. Our products are tested in the construction according to the 4-eyes principle. Both the individual parts and the finished product are subjected to various quality tests, e.g. tolerance testing, a service life test or a continuous current load.
The optimum behavior of a spring contact probe depends to a large extent on the selection of the materials and coatings used. The selection of the basic material for spring contact probes, meaning for the barrel, plunger, spring and receptacle, is made according to various criteria. In addition to the technical suitability of the material, processing properties and economic aspects also play a role.
Typical contact shapes in the PCB test are shown here and which tip styles are suitable for testing them.
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