Description

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Silver Nickel (AgNi) contact chips combine silver's high electrical conductivity with nickel's resistance to arc erosion and contact welding. They offer low contact resistance and stable switching performance across low-to-medium electrical loads (typically up to 100A AC/DC, depending on contact geometry and switching conditions).

Material Selection

Grade	Ag / Ni Ratio	Electrical Conductivity	Hardness (HV)
AgNi10	90 / 10	50 – 54 MS/m	60 – 90
AgNi15	85 / 15	45 – 49 MS/m	70 – 100
AgNi20	80 / 20	41 – 45 MS/m	80 – 120
AgNi30	70 / 30	38 – 41 MS/m	90 – 140

Material Advantages

Low Contact Resistance: Minimizes localized resistive heating and voltage drop over extended electrical duty cycles.

Arc Erosion Control: Uniformly dispersed fine nickel particles reduce vaporization and arc movement during circuit opening.

Anti-Welding Protection: Helps prevent contact fusing caused by momentary current spikes and arcing.

Formability: Retains suitable ductility for high-speed stamping, fine-blanking, and direct cold-heading (particularly for AgNi10 and AgNi15 grades).

Dimensions & Structures

Parameter	Flat Rectangular Chips	Profiled / Domed Chips	Clad / Bimetal Strips
Length / Width	1.5mm – 12.0mm	1.5mm – 10.0mm	Continuous coils or cut-to-length
Thickness	0.2mm – 2.5mm	0.3mm – 3.0mm	Total thickness: 0.2mm – 2.0mm
Working Layer Ratio	100% AgNi alloy	100% AgNi alloy	10% – 50% AgNi on Cu / CuNi substrate
Special Options	Radiused / Chamfered edges	Curvature: R2.0mm – R15.0mm	Pre-applied brazing alloy (0.03mm – 0.08mm)

Technical Performance Indicators

Property	Engineering Specification	Testing Standard
Density	9.8 – 10.3 g/cm³	Hydrostatic weighing
Shear Strength (Clad Bond)	≥ 150 MPa	Tensile shear test
Dimensional Tolerance	Length/Width: ±0.02mm \| Thickness: ±0.01mm	Optical image measurement
Layer Thickness Tolerance	±0.005mm	Metallurgical cross-section SEM
Max Burr Height	≤ 0.01mm	Non-contact laser profile gauge
Continuous Operating Temp.	Up to 150°C	Thermal aging test

Typical Applications

Control Relays: Automotive PCB relays, signal switches, miniature control relays.

Circuit Breakers: Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCB) and Residual Current Devices (RCD).

Industrial Switching: AC contactors (typically up to 40A rated), motor starters, limit switches.

Appliance Controls: Thermostats, power tool triggers, wall switches, timers.

Custom Manufacturing Options

Bimetal Configurations: Single-sided cladding, double-sided cladding, top-lay, or inlaid strip geometries.

Surface Treatments: Passivated anti-tarnish finish, selective gold flash (0.1µm – 0.5µm), or silver plating.

Supply Formats: Loose bulk components, tape-and-reel packaging for automated SMT placement, or continuous coils.

Engineering Support: Custom tooling and shapes manufactured according to customer engineering drawings (STEP, DWG, PDF).

Quality Assurance Procedures

Bond Integrity: 100% ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT) on clad raw materials to ensure complete layer bonding.

Composition & Microstructure: Optical emission spectroscopy and SEM verifying nickel particle dispersion and silver purity (≥ 99.95%).

Automated Dimensional Inspection: Optical vision systems verifying 100% of critical dimensions and edge burr thresholds.

Batch Lot Testing: Micro-hardness, shear strength, and contact resistance verification per production run.

Protective Packaging & Logistics

Vacuum Barrier: Sealed in ESD-safe moisture-barrier bags containing active desiccants and humidity indicator cards.

Inert Gas Flushing: Secondary packaging purged with nitrogen gas to prevent tarnish during ocean transit.

Traceability: Barcoded outer cartons listing heat number, batch quantity, production date, and inspection certificates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How does AgNi compare to AgCdO in switching performance?

A: AgNi provides comparable arc erosion resistance and contact stability without using toxic cadmium, ensuring full compliance with RoHS and REACH regulations.

Q: How do I choose between AgNi10 and AgNi30 for my application?

A: Select AgNi10 for low-contact-force applications requiring high conductivity and low resistance; select AgNi30 for high-inductance switching loads where arc erosion and contact welding are primary concerns.

Q: What joining methods are suitable for attaching AgNi chips to copper terminals?

A: AgNi contact chips bond directly to copper, brass, or bronze substrates via resistance welding, laser welding, or induction brazing.

Q: What is the shelf life of passivated AgNi contact chips?

A: Stored in unopened original vacuum packaging under climate-controlled conditions (temperature below 25°C, humidity below 60%), passivated chips remain tarnish-free and ready for welding/brazing for up to 12 months. Once opened, chips should be processed promptly or repackaged under inert gas.

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