A study on axial vibration-induced fretting corrosion in electrical connector pair

Abstract

In the field of electrical contacts, vibration-induced fretting corrosion is a major cause of connector failure. Considerable work has been done in this area, with the main focus being on the effects of transverse vibration on the connector and wire harness set. The present study focuses on fretting corrosion resulting from vibration parallel to the axis of a connector pair. A series of studies, which combined experimental work and parallel modeling/simulation/analysis of a single blade-receptacle pair were conducted to explore driving mechanisms and gain insight into the behavior of connectors exposed to such vibration environments. Experimental results that consider a variety of cable lengths, spring forces and finish type are presented. In addition, modeling results are presented that detail the relative motion at the contact interface resulting from the vibration input levels employed in the experimental testing and provide insight into the physical mechanisms driving the observed fretting.