BLF Interest List: EX3 High Current Beryllium Copper Silver Plated springs - Still selling my springs :)

Nah, not a pure copper one.

It’s not the magical BeCu C17550 60% IACS, or the slightly more conductive 45% ICAS BeCu C17500/C17510.

It’s a different spring design altogether.

You see, close to my job, there is a spring manufacturer.
I decided to pay them a visit, ask some questions, and tell them about my springs.

To say the least, they were impressed that I made such advanced springs as power contacts, and suggested me some ideas+recommendations.

1. Make the copper plating thicker on the large spring, as it can be made a bit thicker than the current thickness without impacting mechanical properties.

2. Keep the inner coil for the top of the spring for the large one. Helps with contact resistance and denting contacts/cells.

3. Use a different design that was genius that I will not be speaking about for now.

4. Use tin plating for the phosphor bronze springs. Lower price, same performance.

5. Gold plating isn’t all that much better than silver due to the rather large surface area of the spring wire, but is still a non-negligible improvement.

6. Finally, the copper spring+steel spring combination is a bad idea. The copper spring will gradually lose height, and become ineffective.

I’m looking forward to seeing what the Gen 4 springs are like!

I didn't mean a pure copper one, I meant a pure copper block. You may want to improve the pure copper block with silver or gold plating :-D

Concerning 2, you mean the @#$% stuff with gets in the way of inserting a wire inside? At times I've wished for it to cease to exist.

:-)

loneoceans has some new driver and build where he mention that he now use solid copper contact to the driver, and for the spring, he use regular spring with copper foil bypass, even all the way to the driver! Has anyone use copper foil for bypass?

I think CRX has used it to retrofit a light from mechanical rear switch to rear e-switch (which IMO is a more interesting use of it)

Thanks a lot for the support guys.

My goal is to get my springs down to 5mOhms without sacrificing any mechanical properties at all, or changing the BeCu wire thickness.
We are currently down to about 7,3mOhm, so shouldn’t be too hard, yes?

Starting from now however, I will have to be less explicit in terms of specifications for the more advanced stuff.
I’m getting into real R&D for the springs, which is getting pretty hard.

I want to make the best springs possible, and move on to drivers after this, as I am getting more comfortable and more experience in electrical engineering.

I think you mean you've been prompted to keep “the recipe” in secrecy by some collaborating party. I may not like it even if this is understandable.

As they are the springs fit my needs quite well anyway, and if you are going to start asking even more money for the “next gen” stuff (particularly) I think that can decrease their appeal for everyone but picky modders. Just an opinion, of course.

Thanks and looking forward from 'em.

@Barkuti, unfortunately, that’s not the case. That would be much more problematic if that were the case. :slight_smile:

The 4th Gen spring design isn’t confidential of course. I’m just going to be increasing the copper plating by a nice margin up to the limit that my contact at the Canadian spring company recommended.
Should be slightly more expensive, but no price point yet.

The 5th Gen spring however? Oh boy. Until I’ve finalized the design, I’ll see what I’ll be doing at that point. Should be quite a bit more expensive than a single spring, but less than a dual spring setup with better conductivity.

Even when both are soldered together at the top?

Some pics of the copper-silver plated springs.

That's neat BlueSwordM. Did you receive some samples of the current batch?

:-)

No, these are pictures from the manufacturer.

I cannot find any information about C17550. Is C17550 a secret/new UNS designation that has not yet been registered?

Yes, a completely new alloy I shouldn’t have talked about.

Guess that involves some patent. It's a shame humanity is still choosing to deal with the patent :-P shitstem, really.

:-)

Well, it seems we’ve gotten to the critical point (years ago) where the patent system is like having nukes. In both cases, those who don’t have are regularly run over by those who do. Mutual assured destruction is the only thing that provides a modicum of peace. So, everybody that wants to be able to make a profit “must” play the same game. There can never be an end to it, because nobody wants to be the first to lay theirs down.

Shameful unconsciousness. Predatory mind patterns. Fear based behaviour…

The patent shitstem is rotten to the root. Everyone can have ideas. Our minds are more connected than what some may believe. What gives someone or something the right to seize or hijack knowledge which could be used for overall benefit?

Many stuff has been patented way after it was already common knowledge. And let me say on top of this time actually is simultaneous…

As it is know I can only concur with those who use their patent rights and benefits to serve others besides themselves with equanimity (STO polarity, true goodness). Many (pharmaceutical companies, for example) are gaming the patent shitstem for their own benefit (STS or service to self polarity; badness). That is bad and I'm sorry for them, they're just stacking up bad karma.

The patent shitstem needs a good fix, a very good one based in unity consciousness.

This time however, it’s not a patent.

It’s more of a trade secret. :slight_smile:

How much until those springs are ready? Maybe a tad aflutter already, I apologize. Hope one more week or week O:) and half tops.

Cheers :STAR:

They should start shipping this week.