Different Materials and Finishes Help Achieve a Variety of Effects in High-Performance Connectors

According to application environments and performance requirements, Sunkye recommends connectors with different materials and finish options

Connector material and finish selection play a critical role in ensuring that connectors deliver reliability and performance over the service life. The harsh and extreme conditions exposed by interconnection systems make it important for manufacturers to consider many factors to specify the suitable solutions.

The choice of material impacts the reliability, weight, and cost of the system. Sunkye connectors are available in aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or composite with several finish options such as nickel plating, gold plating, cadmium plating, passivated and anodizing, etc.

Sunkye micro-d and nano-d connector housings feature aluminum alloy shell with nickel, cadmium, and gold plating. The connector housing provides mechanical protection and support for the contacts, it also shields the contacts from the environment.

Aluminum alloy shell with nickel plating

Aluminum alloy demonstrates low permeability and resists the establishment of magnetism in the materials, and Electroless nickel plating is the preferred finish for microminiature and nano miniature metal shell connectors. Electroless Nickel Plating is uniformly coated into every recess of the connector shell, usually offering higher corrosion resistance and hardness, particularly true for coatings with a high phosphorus content. The nickel-plated aluminum alloy shell improves the corrosion resistance, greatly increases the wear resistance, and has excellent hardness, which also make connectors an aesthetic look.

Aluminum alloy shell with gold plating

Aluminum alloy features lightness and a good strength-to-weight ratio and is generally applied in the aerospace field. Gold plating is required and a stable coating should have good electrical conductivity or low infrared emissivity. Gold cannot be successfully electrodeposited onto aluminum directly; nickel is generally applied before gold plating in conventional processes. Gold is the most extensively used noble metal because of its excellent electrical, mechanical, and chemical inertness. Gold has electrical conductivity, which is comparable to silver and copper. It is immune to almost all environmental attacks and can be continuously used in high-temperature (above 100 °C) and high-humidity conditions.

Aluminum alloy shell with cadmium plating

Cadmium plating has the advantage of favorable galvanic coupling with aluminum alloy. Generally, Cadmium plating over aluminum alloys with “Electroless Nickel “as Undercoat. Cadmium offers great connectivity, resists salt spray and corrosion, and olive drab plating matches most military equipment, such as Sunkye military connectors micro-D R04A series, nano-d R06 series, D38999 series III, and customized connectors.

Aluminum alloy shell with anodizing

Anodizing ruggedly resists corrosion and wear, prevents galling, and improves heat dissipation. Anodized aluminum alloy housing improves the wear resistance, corrosion resistance, reflectivity of the connector case, and other functions such as enhancing the beauty of the appearance. Sunkye Arinc600 R042 series provides this case.

Stainless steel passivation

Stainless steel is a hard material that is extremely durable and is often used for connector housings, but not for contact parts because of its hardness and relatively low electrical conductivity. Passivation extends the life of the stainless-steel connectors and protects again rust. High stability, high durability, and good corrosion resistance of passivated stainless steel make connectors reliable and safe in different extreme operating environments. Sunkye 38999 series III offers a passivated stainless steel housing option.

Available in different product ranges, Sunkye connector is designed for: