Buyer guide
Contact Assembly Welding vs Riveting
Choose a joining route by looking at the contact, support and finished joint together.
For buyers and engineers comparing ways to manufacture an electrical contact assembly.
Start with the joint the assembly needs
A contact assembly has to keep the contact at the required position and provide the intended mechanical and electrical connection. Material, support thickness, available joining area and final geometry all influence how that joint is made.
Comparing joining methods is most useful when those features are understood. A method name on its own says little about the finished assembly.
Swipe the table horizontally to see all columns.
| Method | Connection | Geometry to define | Inspection focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riveting | Shank end formed to retain the carrier | Support hole, shank fit, forming access and finished rivet end | Position, retention, deformation and specified joint checks |
| Resistance spot welding | Localized welded joint between contact and carrier | Joint area, contact position and electrode access | Joint appearance, position and specified shear or section checks |
| Brazing | Filler metal forms the joint between solid base materials | Mating area, joint gap, contact position and heat access | Filler distribution, joint appearance and specified bonding or section checks |
Riveting: form a mechanical connection
Riveting secures a contact rivet to a stamped or formed conductive support by mechanical forming. The shank, support hole and forming arrangement need to work together.
Rivet position, alignment, support deformation and finished joint condition are practical points to examine. The available access for tooling can also shape the assembly sequence.
Read the contact face and the formed end
Contact side
- Working contact
- Conductive support
Locate the working contact and the conductive support.
Reverse side
- Conductive support
- Formed rivet end
Locate the end formed during riveting.
Mechanical joint · section
- Contact head
- Conductive support
- Formed rivet end
The rivet passes through the support; its end is formed to retain the assembly.
The front view shows the working contact; the reverse view shows the formed rivet end.
Forming the shank end retains the conductive support between the contact head and the formed end.
Welding and brazing: connect through a defined joining area
Fusion welding involves joining through local melting of the base materials; brazing uses a filler metal while the base materials remain solid. Welding also includes solid-state processes, so the specific route matters.
Material combination, joint area, heat input and support geometry guide the choice. Our assembly manufacturing includes resistance welding and resistance, induction or furnace brazing where suited to the part.
Look beneath the contact
Contact assembly
- Contact
- Conductive support
- Joint beneath the contact
Review the contact position and the supporting part together.
Fusion welding · example
- Contact
- Conductive support
- Local fused region
A local fused region joins the contact and conductive support.
Brazing · principle
- Contact
- Conductive support
- Brazing filler metal
Filler metal melts to form the joint while the base materials remain solid.
The photograph identifies the contact and support. The cutaway illustrations compare a fusion-welded example with a brazed joint.
Choose the joining route to suit the contact material, carrier and joint requirements. Welding options also include solid-state processes.
Compare what changes on the finished part
Bring the discussion back to the features that matter in the installed assembly:
- Contact location and orientation
- Support material, thickness, holes and bends
- Access for the joining tooling
- Surface condition and the effect of forming or heat
- Dimensional, visual and specified joint-strength checks
From sample review to production
A sample review can check both the finished geometry and the proposed manufacturing route. The agreed inspection plan may include dimensional and visual checks, along with bonding, shear or cross-section checks when specified.
With sufficient drawings or specifications, we can prepare a quotation before sampling. Any sample or process validation required for the project is agreed and completed before mass production.