Novel Electrical Joints Using Deformation Machining Technology—Part II: Experimental Verification
This is the second part of the paper related to the exploration of deformation machining technology (DMT), originally developed at Bauman Moscow State Technical University, as it may apply to making electrical joints and comparing their performance to bolted and welded electrical joints. The DMT process is used to generate tooth-like profiles on two opposing surfaces that make the electrical joints which are later joined by applying a mechanical load. Part I contained a more detailed explanation of the DMT process and the description of the results of computer modeling of DMT joints in copper and aluminum. This paper provides the experimental results of the mechanical and electrical performance of copper and aluminum DMT joints which were compared to bolted and welded electrical joints of identical geometries. Measurements of tensile strength and electrical resistance, after thermal cycling and short-circuit testing, show equivalent or better performance of copper DMT joints compared with copper bolted and welded joints. In addition, it is observed that copper DMT joints have superior performance when compared with aluminum DMT joints, this was attributed to lesser gap filling and the springback effect that occurs after the mechanical load for making the joint is removed. The computer modeling results reported in Part I of this paper support these observations.
Novel Electrical Joints Using Deformation Machining Technology Part I: Computer Modeling
This paper explores the use of deformation machining technology (DMT), originally developed at Bauman Moscow State Technical University, to make electrical joints and compare their performance to bolted and welded electrical joints. The DMT process is used to generate tooth-like profiles on two opposing surfaces that make the electrical joint, which are later joined by applying a mechanical load. To optimize the interfacing surface tooth-like profiles, a computational finite element model is developed. The model is used to simulate the mechanical joining of both Cu and Al DMT joints. The model is able to predict the most important parameters that contribute to enhancing the teeth interlocking and increasing the contact surface area. The model is successfully used in optimizing Cu-DMT joints; however, for Al-DMT joints the model predicted an unreliable electrical joint attributed to a spring-back effect that occurs after the mechanical load for making the joint is removed.
The power of connections
The wiring ability of multilayer interconnects is examined. It is shown why the principal force driving interconnection technology has been the computer. Measuring the flexibility of a given technology by the number of ways it allows a designer to interconnect devices to realize a particular logical function is discussed. It is shown that the ability to construct very large systems with high-density wiring stems directly from digital representation and the preservation of a given digital representation through long series of operations. The future of interconnection technology is explored.<<ETX>>