ALLOY 174 AND BRUSH® 60 ALLOY FOR ELECTRONIC SPRING CONNECTORS
Industries that depend on electric or electronic devices need reliable connectors that ensure the right input is received by each component. As components become smaller and signal requirements become more stringent, selecting the right connector material is increasingly important. Total-cost solutions demand materials that provide design flexibility, ease of manufacturing and life cycle reliability in end-use applications.
Materion’s Alloy 174 (UNS C17410) and Brush® 60 alloys (UNS C17460) were originally designed for the automotive and telecommunications industries, but their unique property combinations have made them successful solutions across all industries that require electric connections—from oil and gas to aerospace to consumer electronics and more.
Alloy 174 and Brush 60 alloy upgrade component performance over those made of bronzes and brasses. Their yield strength, which is up to 125 ksi (862 MPa), is superior to traditional phosphor bronze, silicon bronze, aluminum, brass and copper nickel strip alloys. When compared to conventional alloys, advanced Alloy 174 and Brush 60 materials provide five times the electrical conductivity, superior resistance to stress relaxation and an excellent combination of elastic modulus, strength and formability. Both strip alloys are mill hardened—which means no heat treatment is required, while still retaining good formability.
When design applications require miniaturizing, Alloy 174 and Brush 60 alloys also ensure electrical connections perform well in high temperature environments while still handling highly repetitive cycle life.
ALLOY 174 OUTPERFORMS BRASS MATERIAL
Mill-hardened Alloy 174 copper beryllium strip material improves the performance of automotive, appliance, medical and telecom connector applications. Alloy 174 features twice the electrical conductivity of brass, has a high repetitive cycle life and is easily formed into complex shapes.
This alloy is available with tin coatings or with precious metal inlays and even when miniaturized, will maintain the spring force to provide a reliable contact. Alloy 174 is used for automotive terminals, spring contacts for switches and relays, and connectors for appliances and consumer electronics.
We work to ensure our materials are compliant with ASTM and UNS standards for easier integration with existing projects and specifications. CuBe Alloy 174 adheres to several ASTM International standards, including ASTM B 768, ASTM B 888 and UNS C17410.
Learn more about Alloy 174 in our brochure and for physical and mechanical properties, forms, sizes and tolerances, downloading our Alloy 174 data sheet.
BRUSH 60 ALLOY MEETS DEMANDING CONNECTOR REQUIREMENTS
Brush 60 alloy is a high conductivity, copper beryllium strip alloy specifically engineered to meet demanding electronic and mechanical connector requirements. It is formed with advanced processing techniques but remains a cost-efficient option for demanding designs.
Brush 60 alloy exhibits outstanding stress relaxation and can retain a higher normal force over the life of the connector. In strip form, Brush 60 creates stable electrical conductivity in telecommunications, consumer electronics, and computing applications.
CuBe Brush 60 meets ASTM International standards, including ASTM B 768, ASTM B 888 and UNS C17460.
View our Brush 60 data sheet for more details about the physical and mechanical properties, sizes and tolerances of this alloy.
TALK WITH OUR ENGINEERS
To learn more about how Alloy 174 and Brush 60 alloy can be used to create durable electronic connectors, talk with our strip alloy engineers.