Construction Options

Technical Comments

Economic Comments

Rivets, general

alloy must have formability, bond not as good as a weld for high current

low cost construction

Rivets, solid, rivets, composite headed

material must bond with copper, bond quality important

low cost fabrication and low material cost, wastes material, low cost fab.

Buttons

must have a backing that can be welded

in general more expensive than rivet

Button with silver backing

excellent for small contacts, direct welding, good bond

medium cost

Button composite, Ni or CuNi back

bimetal or trimetal easier to weld than silver

cost high due to blanking scrap

Button with braze alloy

good for larger sizes to aid in attachment, good bonding

cost medium high

Tape welding, Ni or Cu Ni Backing

must be formable alloy, rail projection design best, better bond that riveting

slightly higher cost than riveting

Tape staking type, Cu backing

need formablity, process is sophisticated & needs good tools

high tooling , process must be efficient

Pre-welded or staked strip

good bond quality, ready for blanking, no individual handling

staking cheaper than welding