Long Term Reliability of Spring Pin Pressure Contacts in an Industrial Environment

The connection between a power module substrate and printed circuit board can be established by spring pin pressure contacts. This type of contact allows easy assembly without additional soldering. Spring pins are used for a variety of current ranges, from sensor currents of a few milliamps to load currents of several amps. Environmental stresses by mechanical wear, rapid temperature changes and corrosive atmosphere were deemed significant for the application. The experimental results of various harsh environment test conditions are presented.