PSG coating for spring contacts and pogo pins

Economic alternative to gold

Rising raw material prices – especially for gold – are increasingly posing economic challenges for developers and buyers in the contact and connection technology sector. This is particularly true for... Spring contacts and pogo pinsIn applications where gold layer thicknesses of 10 µm or more are often required, these costs directly impact component prices. With the PSG coating A high-performance and economical alternative to classic Ni/Au coatings is now available.

Optimized surfaces for spring contacts / pogo pins

PSG is a nickel-free, gold-colored functional coating, which was specifically developed for electrical contacts, connectors, spring contacts and pogo pins. The aim is to achieve the technical properties of thick gold plating – while simultaneously reducing the amount of precious metal used.

Especially with pogo pins, which are characterized by high mating cycles, mechanical stress and reliable contact, the surface coating plays a crucial role in service life, contact resistance and process reliability.

Proven performance for demanding contact applications

Extensive tests have shown that the PSG coating... comparable durability to established Ni/Au systemsThese include, among other things:

• Humidity tests ≥ 96 h at 40 °C
• Salt spray tests according to EIA-362-26
• Temperature fluctuations from -40 °C to +105 °C
• Endurance stress tests with up to 10.000 mating cycles

PSG also meets the requirements of modern technology in terms of solderability, vibration resistance and mechanical holding force. Spring contacts and pogo pins for industrial applications.

Test criterion	Ni + Au 10 µ″	Ni + Au 20 µ″	PSG	Test specification
Color	gold colors	gold colors	gold colors	-
Moisture resistance	≥ 96 h	≥ 96 h	≥ 96 h	90–95% RH, 40 ± 2 °C
Temperature shock	≥ 5 cycles	≥ 5 cycles	≥ 5 cycles	-40 °C to +105 °C (5 h)
Temperature resistance	Files	Files	Files	105 ± 2 °C
cold resistance	Files	Files	Files	-40 ± 3 °C
salt spray test	≥ 48 h	≥ 96 h	≥ 96 h	EIA-362-26
Sweat test (hand sweat)	Files	Files	Files	ISO 3160
Lifespan	OK	OK	OK	10.000 mating cycles
Vibration	OK	OK	OK	10 – 500 Hz, 10 G
Solderability	OK	OK	OK	-
Welding holding power	≥ 5 kg	≥ 5 kg	≥ 5 kg	-
Costs	1 ×	1,85 ×	0,89 ×	-

Significant cost advantages with the same function

A key advantage of PSG coating lies in its cost-effectiveness. Compared to a conventional Ni/Au coating with 20 µm of gold, the coating costs can be reduced by more than 50% reduce. Even compared to 10 µ″ gold, there is still a savings potential of around 10% – with comparable reliability and lifespan.

This makes PSG particularly suitable for cost-critical series applications, where no compromises in quality and function are accepted.

When is PSG the right choice?

The recommended coating strategy depends on the layer thickness and process requirements:

• < 10 µ″ Gold: classic gold or platinum plating
• ≥ 10 µ″ Gold: PSG as an economical alternative to thick gold layers
• Mandatory electrolytic processes: Use of the Super-AP coating

By the nickel-free layer structure PSG is also suitable for applications with increased requirements for environmental and material compatibility.

PSG as a special coating at N&H Technology

We offer the PSG coating as Special coating for spring contacts, Pogo Pins and connectors. The design is project-specific and closely coordinated with the technical requirements of the respective application.

Are you planning to use spring contacts or pogo pins with optimized coating?
Talk to us – We support you in the technical evaluation, design and implementation.

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