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Contact resistance of the copper alloys used in automotive connectors was studied in the literature, but no study has been undertaken in order to optimize this resistance for the new high-copper alloys intended for power automotive connectors.This study was carried out in order to determine the changes in resistance for different loadings and contact geometries. A new generation of high-performance copper alloys was analysed. The used samples were U shaped with a segment containing a sphere and were subjected to insertion (sliding contact) and indentation (static contact) tests. A finite element simulation using the ANSYS code gave contact modellings with or without roughness; this roughness was measured with a profilometer. Numerical modelling of the contact surfaces when the roughness of the materials was taken into account led to results close to the experimental results especially in the case of the lower forces during the indentation test. On the other hand, a relation between the contact resistance and the contact force was established.These results could help in the choice of a material to provide a good compromise concerning both the electrical and the mechanical aspects for a power connector used for automotive industry.

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International audienceA connector is designed to allow the passage of a current across different electrical systems. A connector subjected to car vibrations and a high temperature can suffer damage. This damage leads to a rapid degradation in the electrical performance, which results in a considerable increase in the electrical contact resistance. This work aims to address the influences of a variety of factors such as the fretting amplitude, the frequency, the temperature and the current on the performance of tin-plated automotive connectors. The changes due to the degradation in the electric conduction of the connectors under mechanical vibrations and temperature cycles are analysed. A detailed analysis of the contact surface is made using a profilometer, an optical microscope and a scanning electron microscope