The challenge
The lift clamp was originally used in ignition devices and was machined as a broached brass part. Brass had long been considered the standard material.
In use, it became apparent that the screw and clamp body could reach their load limits at high tightening torques. Unlike in the automotive sector, for example, there were hardly any detailed specifications in this product field. For mechanical strength, FJ therefore followed the relevant VDE specifications.
Our solution
FJ replaced the machined, broached brass part with a stamped and bent part made in-house from C45E cold-rolled strip. This resulted in a considerably more economical solution for series production.
The clamp body is first stamped, then hardened and electroplated. Finally, it is tempered to reduce the risk of hydrogen embrittlement. In combination with hardened screws, this created a connection with high mechanical strength.
For M3, the VDE specification is 0.5 Nm. The combination of hardened clamp body and hardened screw withstood almost 1 Nm in testing.
The result
The main application was initially ignition device terminals. Later, the clamp body was also used as a common part in other connection systems. A lift clamp with these clamp bodies is used as the connection system for contact tongues. The same clamp body was also used in the connection area of a 14-pole connector for France.
The volumes FJ mastered in this product field are shown by ignition device housings in various versions: at peak times, more than five million of them were sold per year.
“We turned the machined, broached brass part into our own stamped and bent part. It was considerably more cost-effective and highly robust at the same time.”
