2011 Third International Conference on Measuring Technology and Mechatronics Automation

Failure Analysis of Alternating Current Contactor

Haitao Wang1,2, Jingqin Wang1, Qishu Bao2, Zhizhou Bao2

1, Electrical Apparatus Institute Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, China
2, People Electrical Appliance Group China, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
E-mail:wanght@hebut.edu.cn
Abstract-Alternating current contactor is one of the important
elements widely used in the automatic control system. So its
reliability level is very important. This paper mainly concerns
failure analysis of the failure contactors after the reliability
trial of AC contactor. Firstly, the test device and the test
parameters are introduced in brief. Secondly, test plan is given.
According to the test plan, sixteen samples are chosen to test.
Lastly, the failure reason is analyzed for each failure sample in
detail from different way. Subsequently the real failure reason
has been found for each failure sample. Based on the failure
reason, the improve method is put forward to increase the
reliability level of products.

Design

Manufacture

Reliability filter

Reliability test
Failure analysis
Locale use

Keywords- Alternating Current Contacor; Reliability test;

Failure analysis; Failure reason; improving method

I.

Figure 1 Basic content block diagram of the reliability technology

INTRODUCTION

Alternating current contactor is used to control

electromotor. It is widely used in the automatic control
system. So its reliability level influences the reliability of the
control system. Reliability technology is a method which is
related to the reliability. To make the product reliability
index, to study, to design, to manufacture, to test, to appraise
and to use are all related to the reliability. Also the failure
analysis of the failure product is related to the reliability. The
basic content of the reliability technology is shown in figure
1. From the figure, it can be seen that the reliability test and
failure analysis are the main parts of the reliability
technology. According to the data from the reliability test,
the failure mechanism, controlling the products quality,
appraising the products reliability and improving the
reliability level of a product to meet the reliability index can
be analyzed. This paper mainly introduces the reliability test
and analyze the failure samples.
II.

TEST DEVICE AND TEST PARAMETERS

The test equipment is FRP-2 contactor and relay

equipment manufactured by Electrical Apparatus Institute of
Hebei university of technology. The photo of the test
equipment is shown in figure 2. The equipment can inspect
voltage of 16 contactors with 32 pair normally closed
contacts and 32 pair normal opened contacts. The equipment
can type the failure number and failure mode automatically
when the sample is fault. The equipment can remove the
failure samples and can record the times. The operating
frequency can be adjusted between 300 and 7200 times per
hour. The parameters are shown in table 1.

978-0-7695-4296-6/11 $26.00 2011 IEEE

DOI 10.1109/ICMTMA.2011.328

Figure 2 Photo of the re liabi li ty test device for con tact or and
rela y

163

TABLE I

PARAMETER VALUE OF THE EQUIPMENT

0.10
0.10
3
3600

9.5mm

3
21
3
17mm

The Terminal Value Of Contact Voltage (V)

The Terminal Voltage Of Open Contact (V)
The Permitted Times Of Inaccuracy Open And Closing
(times)
The Terminal Time Of Attracting (s)
The Terminal Time Of Releasing (s)
The Permitted Times Of Exceeding Attracting Time And
Releasing Time (Times)
Operating FrequencyTimes Per Hour

check the crazed part, about two thirds crazed parts is old.

3.8mm

Crazed part

III. TEST PLANE

A.
x
x
x
x

Figure 3 Sketch drawing of the board part

Test Requirements
The test requirements are as follows:
The test circumstance condition is the same as the
circumstance condition in use.
The gradient with the vertical plane is coincidence
with the technical requirement of the test samples.
The test voltage is 380V which is the nominal
controlling voltage of the samples operating coil.
The load factor of the samples is 0.4.
The AC source wave form is sine wave, and the
wave distortion is not more than 5 percent. The AC
source frequency is 50r2.5Hz. The inaccuracy of
the source is r5%.
The load source is DC source. The load is resistance.
The open-circuit voltage of the auxiliary contact is
24V. The load current of the auxiliary circuit is 1A.

Now, the detail failure reason is analyzed from different

aspects.
x The raw material of the board part is analyzed. As
we know, the lowest bended times of the hot rolling
silicon-steel plate is not less than 1 time. So, the raw
material is carried through bended test. The test
result is that the bended time of the raw material is 2
times. The raw material is qualification. At the same
time, the chemical elements of the raw material are
analyzed. It is qualification too. So, the quality of
the raw material has no problem.
x The pressing industrial arts is analyzed. The
machine of the pressing industrial arts is
double-press machine of two hydraulic cylinders.
The required technical diameter of the rivet head is
4.5f0.375 after pressed. At the crazed part, the
diameter of the rivet head is5.02 which is bigger
than the required value. The reason is that the length
of the rivet is longer or the pressure force is bigger
than the required value. From the analysis of the
above, the pressing industrial arts is the main reason
which resultd in the board part crazed.
x The size structure is analyzed. The size structure is
shown in figure 3. From the figure we can see the
distance between the hole and the hemline is 2mm
which is too small. This is another main reason
causing the board part crazed.
According to the analysis, the improved method is put
forward. First, the cold rolling non-tropism silicon-steel
plate replaces the hot rolling silicon-steel plate. Not only the
magnetic capability but also the rigidity of the cold rolling
non-tropism silicon-steel plate is higher than those of the hot
rolling silicon-steel plate. Also, we can enhance the
pole-face intensity by adding fluid oil, nitration and shot
blast. Second, the silicon-steel plate is annealed. When the
iron core closes, the silicon-steel plate receives the
stretching force and the shear force. So it crazes after repeat
impacts. This problem can be solved if the silicon-steel plate
is annealed. Third, the pressing industrial arts is improved.

B Samples Preparation
The samples are the products which are produced in
steady industrial arts condition and which are chosen in the
qualification products. According to the test plan, 16
contactors are chosen to test.
IV. ANALYSIS THE RESULT OF RELIABILITY TEST
After a period of test, there are four failure contactors
which are the thirteenth, the fourteenth, the fourth and the
fifth. Test times and failure mode of each failure contactor
are shown in table 2.
TABLE II
No
13
14
5
4

TEST TIMES AND FAILURE MODE

Test Times(u104 times)

124.2
252.8
750
826.7

Failure Mode
Closing and Opening inaccurate
Closing inaccurate
Noise
Contact Inaccurate

A. Failure Analysis Of The Thirteenth Contactor

The failure mode of the thirteenth contactor is the
contacts cant close and open correctly. After checking this
contactor, the failure reason is that a piece of the board part
of the upper iron core crazes at the rivet. The failure reason
is that a piece of about 3*5 square mm falls from the board
part and blocks the iron which affects the irons moving.
The sketch drawing of the board part is shown in figure 3.
The material of the board part is hot rolling silicon-steel
plate, the thick is 1mm, and the trademark is DR360-50. To

B. Failure Analysis Of The Fourteenth And The Fifth

Contactors
The failure mode of the fourteenth contactor is the
contacts cant close correctly. The failure reason is the

164

keeper of the holder contact and the armature crazed. The

failure mode of the fifth contactor is noise. The failure
reason of the fifth contactor is the same as the fourteenth
contactor. The material of the keeper is 65M spring steel
whose thick is 1.5mm. The breaking point is new. The
sketch drawing of the keeper is shown in figure 4.

Figure 6 Scanning pattern of the fifth contactor

Figure 4

Sketch drawing of the keeper

According to the analysis, the improved method is put

forward. We can increase the thick of the keeper then carry
through reliability validate trail.

Now, the detail failure reason is analyzed from different

aspects.
x The raw material quality of the board part is
analyzed. The chemical elements criterion
requirement of the 65M steel and the assay result of
the breaking part are shown in table 3. From the
table, the chemical elements are qualification.

C.

Failure Analysis Of The Fourth Contactor

The failure form of the fourth contactor is the contact
cant contact correctly. Taking down the auxiliary contacts
of the upper and the lower, the contacts surface is abrasion
seriously. And there is so much oil dirt and dust on the
surface. The material of the upper contact is Ag2(Y) whose
thick is 1.3mm, and the material of the lower contact is
Ag2(Y) whose thick is 0.6mm. Each technical index of the
contact material is qualification.
Now, the detail failure reason is analyzed from different
aspects.
x The spring of the contact is analyzed. The contact
force ffects the contact, so the spring force of the
four contacts is measured. The results are shown in
table 4. P1 of the fourth contact spring is less than
the technical requirement. P2 of the third contact
spring is less than the technical requirement but the
others are coincidence with the technical
requirement. The third contact is just the failure
contact.

TABLE III
THE CHEMICAL ELMENTS CRITERION
REQUIREMENT OF 65 Mn STEEL AND THE ASSAY RESULT OF
THE BREAKING PART
Cr
C
Criterion
0.62
Requirement
0.70
Assay Result (14) 0.68
Assay Result (5) 0.66
x

Si

Mn

0.17
0.37
0.31
0.28

0.90
1.20
1.02
0.98

Ni

Cu

No more than
0.25

0.30

0.25

0.12
0.14

0.16
0.15

0.18
0.14

The heat treatment of the part is analyzed. To check

the keeper by scanning electron microscope, the
scanning pattern of the fourteenth contactor is
shown in figure 5. The scanning pattern of the fifth
contactor is shown in figure 6. Both of the
contactors are qualification. And the required
rigidity of the keeper is HRC3040 after heat
treatment. The keeper rigidity of the two contactors
are HRC43HRC39. The rigidity of the fourteenth
contactor is higher than the criterion requirement.
The reason is that the tempering temperature is low.

TABLE IV
Technical
Requirement
1
2
3
4

Figure 5 Scanning pattern of the fourteenth contactor

165

CONTACT SPRING NUMERICAL VALUE

P1=0.59f0.06

P2=0.98f0.1

0.47
0.46
0.46
0.46

0.92
0.89
0.86
0.90

The contact material is analyzed. The material of

this contact is pure Ag. The electrical conductivity
and the heat conductivity of Ag are the best in all
the metals. So Ag is widely used in electrical
apparatus contact. Ag has the capability of resisting
chemical erosion. In normal temperature Ag is not
oxidation and the Ag oxide skin is easy decomposed
to Ag in high temperature. So, the Ag contact
resistance is small and stable. The rigidity of Ag is
small, plastic capability is good, and the industrial
arts is good. Ag can be made of many shape
contacts. So it is suitable to use pure Ag as the
contact material.

At the end, the improved method is put forward. The

first method is to enhance the contact spring force to reduce
the contact resistance and to reduce the contact bouncing.
The second method is to enhance the quality of the contact
material.
V.

REFERENCES
[1]
[2]
[3]

CONCLUSION

[4]

This paper discusses the reliability study of ac

contactor and analyzes the result of the reliability test in
detail. Based on the analysis of four failure contactors, the
failure reason of each failure contactor is found. According
to the analysis,
improved method to increase the
reliability degree of the ac contactor is put forward.
Subsequently, more samples can be chosen to carry through
reliability test to improve the ac contactor.

[5]

166

Lu Jianguo. Reliability Theory and Applications of Electrical

Apparatus. Mechanical Industries Publishing Company. 1996
Su Deqing. Reliability Standards Handbook. Chinese Standard
Publishing Company. 1994
Lu Jianguo Reliability Theory of Low Voltage Electrical Apparatus.
Mechanical Industries Publishing Company. 1986
Yoshida. A Study of Contactor Failure Mechanism at Low Electrical
Load. Transactions of the Institute of Electronics Information and
Communication Engineering. 1987
W.H.Abbolt. Materials, Environment, Motion and Electrical
Contactor Failure Mechanisms. Proceedings of 35th IEEE Holm
Conference on Electrical Contactor, 1989