Micro-contact profiles have opened up new design possibilities for miniaturized relays and switches which have to meet the following requirements:
- Low moveable mass
- High contact reliability with the smallest contact forces and
- Long operating life achieved by intrinsic metal bonding with the contact carrier.
Several individual materials, which are combined to a functional, defined sequence of material layers, form the technological structure of micro-contact profiles.
By means of special forming processes the micro-contact profiles can be optimally adapted to a variety of further manufacturing steps and to the required application.
- Individual welding: Micro contact profiles are welded as cut-off profile sections onto carrier strips by individual welding. Optimum processing results can be achieved by matching the profile shape to the welding electrodes.
- Continuous spot welding: Micro-contact profiles are welded as endless profiles onto carrier strips by continuous spot welding. Continuous spot welding is a well tried process for fixing micro-contact profiles, wires or foils. This process allows the manufacture of strips with varying materials and thicknesses (step strips) and, in particular, precision stamped parts with a narrow contact area which cannot be made by individual welding.
- Multiple welding: At this process, developed by Heraeus, up to 28 wires can be welded together on one part
