Industry
Electrical Hardware and Contact Parts
Terminals, contacts, busbar supports and switchgear parts where plating adhesion and conductivity decide whether the part works.
Direct answer: we manufacture terminals, contacts, busbar supports, shields and switchgear parts in copper, brass and plated steel, with plating from 1 to 15 µm and contact features held to ±0.02 mm. Plating adhesion, thickness and conductivity are inspected per batch, and RoHS declarations are supplied with the order.
Parts we make
- Crimp and screw terminals, ring and fork lugs in copper and brass
- Contact plates, spring contacts and contact rivets
- Busbar supports, insulating mounting plates and standoffs
- Switchgear and breaker parts: arc shields, moving arms, mounting brackets
- Shielding covers and grounding hardware in plated steel and copper
- Precision pins and sockets in brass and copper alloys
Plating options for contact parts
| Finish | Thickness | Typical use | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zinc plating | 5 – 15 µm | Steel brackets and hardware | Clear, blue, yellow or black trivalent passivation; 48 – 96 hours salt spray |
| Nickel plating | 3 – 10 µm | Wear surfaces, barrier layer under silver | Bright or matte; good solderability and corrosion resistance |
| Silver plating | 1 – 5 µm | Contact faces, busbar joints | Lowest contact resistance; tarnish protection where required |
| Tin plating | 1 – 10 µm | Solderable terminals and PCBA parts | Matte or bright; watch whisker risk in fine pitch applications |
| Gold flash | 0.05 – 0.3 µm | Low-level signal contacts | Quoted on request; nickel barrier layer required |
What we control on these parts
- Plating thickness and adhesion on the contact area, measured per batch
- Contact face flatness and burr height, because they change contact resistance
- Spring properties after forming – the part must still hold its force after plating and bending
- Thread and press-fit dimensions after plating, with masking where needed
- Conductivity-critical dimensions: cross section, hole position and mating geometry
- RoHS and REACH declarations for the material and finish combination used
Design notes
- State which surface must stay conductive; masking is cheaper than plating everything and then removing material.
- Do not rely on a general tolerance for contact faces – give flatness and surface finish explicitly.
- For spring contacts, state the required contact force and the cycles, so the material temper and bend radius are chosen to suit.
- Plating adds 1 to 15 µm; press-fit and threaded features need allowance or masking.
- Mark the part number in a place that stays legible after plating and cleaning.
Frequently asked questions
Which plating should I specify for a copper terminal?
Tin plating is the usual choice for solderable terminals, silver for low-resistance contact faces, and nickel where wear resistance or a barrier layer is needed. If the terminal must pass a salt spray test, say so – the plating system and thickness are chosen from the test requirement, not the other way round.
Can you make spring contacts?
Yes, spring contacts and clips are made from spring temper copper alloys and stainless steel, with the required contact force and cycle life agreed at quotation so the material and bend radius are selected to suit.
Do you supply RoHS declarations?
Yes. A RoHS and REACH declaration for the material and finish combination is supplied with the order, and material certificates are available for the actual heat used.
Send the drawing and the conductivity requirement
Tell us the plating, the contact force or resistance limit and the annual volume. The quotation states the plating system and the inspection plan.