DEVELOPMENT OF AN INSULATED ELECTROMECHANICAL ARC TEST BENCH FOR POLARITY-DEPENDENT INVESTIGATION OF ELECTRICAL CONTACTS
Keywords:
arc test bench, electrical contact erosion, polarity-dependent degradation, electro–thermal finite element analysis, additive manufacturing insulationAbstract
A major challenge in evaluating contactor reliability under arc erosion is the inability to observe contact surfaces during testing, as inspection typically requires disassembly of the device. To address this limitation, an insulated electromechanical arc test bench was developed to study polarity-dependent erosion in Cu–Al contacts under controlled DC switching conditions. The system uses dual-solenoid actuation to ensure stable vertical motion and repeatable arc initiation, while 3D-printed polymer components provide electrical insulation and confine the arc to the contact interface. Repeated switching cycles produced localized melting, shallow crater formation, and surface oxidation at the arc attachment region. Electro-thermal finite element simulations confirmed strong current density constriction and localized Joule heating. These results demonstrate that the proposed platform enables reliable and systematic investigation of arc-induced contact erosion.References
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