Liquid-crystal polymer keeps relays performing
A
DuPont (UK) product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Sep 21, 2000
For the non-metallic parts of its P1 and P2 miniature relays Tyco Electronics and its contract moulder EBK-Kruger use DuPont's temperature-resistant Zenite 7130 liquid-crystal polymer
For the non-metallic parts of its P1 and P2 miniature relays Tyco Electronics and its contract moulder EBK-Krger use DuPont's high-performance, temperature-resistant Zenite 7130 liquid-crystal polymer (LCP).
Infra-red soldering during manufacture exposes miniature relays of this kind to temperatures of up to 260C.
The P1 relays, made for Tyco Electronics by custom moulder EBK-Krger GmbH at Teltow, near Berlin, are one-changeover relays in pin-mounted and surface- mounted versions.
The P2 two-changeover type is made by Tyco in Trudnov, Czech Republic.
The individual parts inside these relays, such as coil cores, yokes and armatures, measure only a few millimetres across.
The coil form in the type P2, for example, weighs only 0.38 grammes, including the sprue.
In spite of their small size, however, these components fulfil many different functions.
This high degree of functionality within a small space calls for flash-free injection-moulded parts with thin walls.
At the same time the strength and stiffness of these tiny parts must be high enough to withstand mechanical loads during switching operations.
Angelo Polese, of Tyco Electronics's Advanced Engineering group, explains that the most important consideration for an application like this is the material's thermal resistance.
"That's because these parts are exposed to high temperatures during soldering, and they also heat up in operation," he says.
"However, to eliminate the possibility of malfunctions, we need a whole set of properties.
Apart from an ability to withstand high temperatures, the plastic must have high dimensional stability, a low coefficient of thermal expansion and low warpage.
Moreover, it must not have a tendency to outgas, because outgassing could cause corrosion and produce deposits on contact surfaces.
After testing several competitive resins, Tyco Electronics chose DuPont's Zenite 7130 for the injection-moulded plastics parts of both relay types.
"This 30 per cent glass-fibre-reinforced LCP is suitable for use with all SMD assembly techniques," Polese confirms.
"Zenite continues to meet all our requirements, even after 15 million switching cycles.
All versions of Tyco Electronics' P1 and P2 relays are suitable for a broad range of switching functions.
With a footprint of only about 1 cm2 they have been optimised for space-saving use on circuit boards.
Typical applications for these metal-and-plastic composite relays are in communications technology, measurement and control functions, as well as in automotive engineering and consumer electronics.
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