Temperature-resistant Zenite for miniature relays
A
Tyco Electronics - Identification Products 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-Kruger 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.
Not what you're looking for? Search the site.
Google Ads
Contact Tyco Electronics - Identification Products
Related Stories
- Asys ATS system suitable for office installation
- CSP2008 can process six input and output signals
- EMKA introduces low-cost Fort locks
- Laser-diode collimators accurately align beams
- Impulse presents Aaeon embedded PC
Articles by product category
- Consultancy and Services (903)
- Machine Building (4,525)
-
Engineering Design Software (6,185)
- Engineering Design Software (12)
- 2D CAD software (201)
- 3D CAD software (1,157)
- FEA and structural analysis software (370)
- Fluid, thermal, noise, vibration software (334)
- Simulation, modelling, validation software (916)
- Rendering, visualisation, styling software (196)
- Materials design and moulding design software (151)
- Process, instrumentation, automation software (258)
- Electrical design software (164)
- Publishing and documentation software (229)
- Maths, charting, statistics, QA software (317)
- Data, document management software (311)
- CAM, CNC, production management software (569)
- File conversion software, data capture (351)
- PLM and collaboration software (649)
-
Drives, Motors and Controls (3,367)
- Drives, Motors and Controls (1)
- Precision Motors and Gears (412)
- Industrial Drives/Controls (1,277)
- Linear Drives and Motors (114)
- Industrial Motors (498)
- Stepper and Servo Drives, Motors, Controls (1,063)
- Small Mechanical Components, Joining, Tools (1,975)
-
Control and Instrumentation (5,031)
- Plantwide control (1,325)
- Plant- and Machine-Wide Communications (1,175)
- Smaller-Sized PLCs (387)
- CNC and Motion Controllers (184)
- Mid-range and Large PLCs (201)
- Power Supplies, Uninterruptible Power (562)
- HMIs/Operator Interfaces (294)
- Logic Controllers, Timers and Relays (96)
- Cabling, Conduit, Signal Conditioning (807)
-
Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (5,462)
- Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (1)
- Data acquisition Software and Communications (494)
- Data Acquisition Hardware and PC I/O Boards (472)
- Electrical and Electronic Testing, PAT Equipment (630)
- Form/co-ordinate, optical, vision instruments (704)
- Gauges, Indicators and Instruments (441)
- Data loggers (422)
- Materials testing equipment (421)
- Telecomms/network test equipment, software etc (154)
- Testing and Calibration Services and Information (500)
- Testing, analysing and monitoring equipment (1,223)
-
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (4,169)
- Batteries, chargers and circuit protection (558)
- Connectors, Terminals, Busbars, Slip Rings (680)
- Enclosures and Equipment Cooling Fans (709)
- Knobs, Handles and Enclosure Hardware (422)
- PCs and Embedded Systems (800)
- Electrical and Electronic Subassemblies (370)
- Electrical and Electronic Components (630)
-
Materials and Processing (2,965)
- Materials and Processing (5)
- Materials and components (2,217)
- Rapid Prototyping (458)
- Materials processing and testing (285)
-
Engineering Industry News, Resources (6,094)
- Engineering Industry News, Resources (4)
- Engineering Business News, Views (388)
- Engineering Exhibitions, Events (562)
- Engineering Conferences (425)
- Engineering Seminars (400)
- Engineering Industry Developments, Awards (633)
- Engineering Guides, Newsletters (349)
- Engineering Recruitment, Employment (219)
- Engineering Training Courses (434)
- Engineering Education, Resources, Standards (838)
- Engineering Industry Reports, Surveys (597)
- Electronic Resources for Engineers (278)
- Health and Safety Legislation (402)
- Health and Safety Strategy, Risk Assessment (113)
- Health and Safety Consultancy, Software (175)
- Health and Safety Events, Training, News (277)
-
Powertrain Design (3,604)
- Powertrain Design (2)
- Bearings (942)
- Chains and belts (326)
- Gears, brakes, couplings and engines (1,441)
- Hydraulic Components (471)
- Lubricants (421)
-
Capital Equipment (3,389)
- Capital Equipment (1)
- Manufacturing Machinery and Plant Equipment (468)
- Production line blowers and fans (62)
- Compressors and Air Treatment (510)
- Electronics Manufacturing, Tools, Instruments (192)
- Electrical hardware (131)
- Machinery and Production Equipment (1,094)
- Robotics, Handling and Storage (931)
-
Sensors (7,091)
- Sensors (8)
- Accelerometers and Vibration Sensors (427)
- Loadcells, Force Sensors, Torque Sensors (703)
- Pressure sensors (621)
- Flowmeters and Flow Sensors (618)
- Level Sensors and Leak Detectors (527)
- Linear Position Sensors (400)
- Rotary Position, Tilt and Angular Sensors (546)
- Proximity Sensors (702)
- Gas, Chemical, Radiation, Magnetic Sensors (285)
- Humidity and Environmental Sensors (153)
- Temperature sensors (612)
- Vision and Colour Sensors (1,386)
- Barcode Sensors (103)
- Valves, Pumps, Process Hardware (3,627)
