Utrecht, Netherlands — The biggest attraction at the Elektrotechniek exhibition running this week in Utrecht, Netherlands may turn out to be one of the smallest and simplest products: an electrical contact fashioned from a spring.
The BalContact™, an electrically conductive component that employs precision-engineered canted-coil™ spring technology, is being showcased at Elektrotechniek 2009 by U.S-based manufacturer Bal Seal Engineering, Inc. And according to the company, interest in the simple, versatile Bal Contact is expected to be high among engineers and manufacturers who are seeking a simple, flexible solution to high, mid and low current conducting challenges.
“When we demonstrate how the Bal Contact performs, people immediately recognize it as a solution they can apply quickly and easily,” said Josien Suntjens, a Bal Seal Territory Manager working at Elektrotechniek this week. “They’re consistently impressed with its elegance and simplicity, and they like the fact that it can help them lower manufacturing costs and simplify maintenance.”
According to Suntjens, the Bal Contact is available in a wide variety of wire sizes, coil heights and materials. Its spring is designed to maintain a nearly constant force over a
broad range of working deflections, compensating for large mating tolerances and
temperature changes without significant deviation from its initial force. Each coil in the Bal
Contact works independently, maintaining contact with the mating surface and ensuring
maximum conductivity, Suntjens said.
According to Bal Seal, typical applications for the Bal Contact include busbar connections, gas-insulated switchgear contacts, circuit breakers and industrial fuse boxes. In some environments, the Bal Contact can also be used for EMI shielding/grounding purposes.
Elektrotechniek attendees can learn more about the Bal Contact and other conducting, connecting, sealing and shielding solutions by visiting Bal Seal Engineering’s exhibit in Hall 09BV, Stand B060. A photorealistic animation of the Bal Contact at work in three different gas-insulated switchgear applications can be viewed at http://mediaroom.balseal.com/vod2
Bal Seal Engineering, Inc.
www.balseal.com
Elektrotechniek
www.elektrotechniek-online.nl
::Design World::
Filed Under: ASSEMBLY, AUTOMATION, Seals • gaskets • O rings, Connectors (electrical) • crimp technologies, ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL