| Electrolube have been the leading supplier of contact lubricants since their invention by the founder in the 1950’s. They increase the reliability and lifetime of all current carrying metal interfaces, including switches, connectors and busbars. |
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| Electrolube has earned an unsurpassed reputation for the manufacture and supply of specialist lubricants to the automotive, military, aerospace, industrial and domestic switch manufacturing sectors. The range has been developed over the years to accommodate many advances in such rapidly advancing industries; combining excellent electrical properties and lubricity, to improve movement and ‘feel’ characteristics, with plastics compatibility. |
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| Contact lubricants are specially formulated greases and oils that reduce friction and enhance the electrical performance of current carrying metal interfaces in switches and connectors. Electrolube products are electrically insulative in thick films, preventing tracking. In ultra thin films, i.e. between closed metal contacts, they allow the current flow, owing to the ‘Quantum Tunnelling Effect’. They also exhibit a neutral pH thereby avoiding surface corrosion. |
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| The effectiveness of even perfectly designed switches can be improved by contact lubricants and, when considered at design stage, significant production cost savings can be achieved by the use of less expensive plastics and contact metals. |
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| Tests have shown that contact lubrication can extend the lifetime of switches by more than 300%, producing excellent performance under all circumstances and preventing the need for expensive maintenance. |
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How contact lubricants work
Contact technology is constantly developing with new alloys, plastics and customer demands. However, it is still impossible to solve the main cause of switch malfunction i.e. the inability to produce a perfectly smooth metal contact surface. |
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| This leads to the following problems: |
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Heat generation
If there is insufficient surface contact, the current is only carried by a fraction of the ‘designed surface area’ and the heat generated will be concentrated at the contact points. This, in turn, causes the formation of high resistance oxide layers and ‘hot spots’ are observed. The overall efficiency of the switch will be reduced and can eventually lead to complete failure as the two surfaces weld together |
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Arcing (mini-lightening strikes)
This can also occur with un-lubricated contacts. Ionisation of the air and the associated rise in temperature causes metal transfer between the contacts, resulting in new ‘peaks and troughs’ on the surfaces. |
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Mechanical wear
Metal interfaces, whether static or moving, suffer from mechanical wear. In the case of static contacts, this is called ‘frettage’; the small movements of contacts caused by vibration, temperature changes, etc. As the surfaces fret, friction causes metal particles to be removed from the peaks breaking through plated surfaces. This exposes surface and underlying metal to effects of oxidation and wear. Additionally the detached metal particles can cause intermittent signal transmission and ultimately switch failure. |
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Silicone contaminationAs silicones can “creep” great distances, these products should not be used in switch assembly areas. When silicone is present between moving or vibrating contacts, they react under arcing conditions to form silicon carbide. These crystals abrade the contact surface and cause electrical breakdown. |
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| The use of a contact lubricant dramatically increases the effective surface area of the contacts and fills any air gaps, in turn, eliminating hot spots, reducing contact resistance and preventing arcing, friction and wear. Electrolube contact lubricants also eliminate the problems associated with silicone contamination, providing they are applied prior to the introduction of silicone. |
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| Finally, it is important to discuss options with Electrolube at the design stage to ensure that the correct product is selected and properly applied. Among the areas to be considered are; voltage, current, operating temperature range, contact metals, number of cycles and associated plastics. |
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| The way a switch ‘feels’ when operated has become an indicator of quality, particularly within the automotive industry. Contact lubricants, in addition to their technical benefits, can also determine the ‘feel’ of a switch, whether it be strong and decisive for the dashboard of a commercial vehicle, or smooth and quiet for a luxury car. |
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