Modes of Failure of Electrical Connectors

This paper discusses techniques for evaluating and predicting a connector´s performance by appling the principles of stress analysis to individual sub-assemblies which ultimately make up a complete, functioning connector. The author discusses the relationship of environment to material and surmises that the resultant of environmental conditions is stress in materials which may ultimately cause a failure in connector performance. In other words, a connector may be evaluated on the basis of the materials used therein and the ability of these materials to withstand the environmental conditions imposed upon them.