ABSTRACT
Sliding wear and fretting are key determinants of the performance of connectors, printed circuit boards with edge contacts, switches, instrument slip rings, and other electrical components. Unlike relays and circuit breakers, which are designed for current make and break and where the physics of the arc and erosion are the focus of contact research, with connectors it is metal transfer, removal, friction, and electrical noise that control contact behavior. Product life, cost, and especially reliability are determined by sliding wear and fretting phenomena.
