Page 58 - ConnectorSupplier.com 2019 Mil/Aero eBook

Exposure to excessive and continued vibration is a challenge for connectors in general, but can be surmounted using advanced design techniques, which can include stepping away from conventional stamped or turned pin designs and, instead, adopting a profile that comprises a miniature spring of sorts, manufactured with extreme precision, rather than just a single metal contact. Contacts made using a twisted wire construction with a welded tip design provide multiple points of contact within the mating socket, even under extreme vibration or sudden shock. This design maintains reliable contact via a helix of seven individual wires that are twisted together and welded at their tip, while its precise recess cavity further ensures reliable contact under all conditions.
The Cinch CIN::APSE® line employs these unique multi-point contacts and is qualified to MIL-DTL-83513, which makes it suitable for use in a wide range of military and aerospace applications, including fire control systems, smart munitions, phased-array and other radar, and detection equipment. It is also suitable for use in harsh industrial environments, such as down-hole drilling, and in other applications where reliability is critical, including medical and telecommunications.
Cinch Connectivity Solutions’ Dura-ConTM twist pin contacts are comprised of seven wires wrapped around a three-wire core, compressed to increase the diameter and achieve seven points of socket contact, and built to maintain electrical conduction between pins and machined sockets in high-shock and -vibration environments.
Withstanding Exposure to Harsh Chemicals
In addition to mechanical stress, electronic systems and their enabling components are increasingly at risk of exposure to an array of chemical substances that are often in gaseous forms. Several solutions, ranging from conventional fired glass and ceramic materials to a proprietary two-part epoxy potting compound from Cinch, can achieve hermetically sealed interconnects proven to withstand gas ingress and intrusion by passing helium leakage tests to 1x10-9cc per second at one atmosphere (1atm). In addition, the epoxy solution can deliver said protection at a lower cost than conventional hermetic seal materials and without the cost of expensive tooling.
In a bid to provide greater signal density, more manufacturers are adopting optical interconnect technology. While the use of this technology has been slow to penetrate the military sector, there is mounting evidence of a pending change.
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