Electrical connectors in vehicles are subjected to continuous mechanical stress during operation. External vibrations stimulate the movement of the connected cables, which leads to micro-movements of the contact partners. These have a significant influence on wear and thus the long-term reliability of the connectors. Factors such as connector alignment, cable routing and cable stabilization play a decisive role in the intensity of the stress.

However, a laboratory test of every possible parameter combination would be extremely time-consuming and costly. Therefore, a simulation environment was developed that maps the relative movements of the contact partners in connectors under vibration. The model is validated through targeted experiments with a high-speed camera and laser distance sensor. Additional fretting wear and fretting corrosion tests make it possible to estimate the service life of electrical contacts under real conditions.

The results show that different types of micro-movements in the contact can lead to different levels of wear and, in some cases, cause surface fatigue and subsequent delamination of the protective layer. Both severe wear and delamination can ultimately lead to connector failure due to fretting corrosion.

This simulation environment enables a virtual evaluation of the structural design of connector cable systems with regard to the parameters mentioned above. It supports the early avoidance of critical types and amplitudes of movement in the design phase. As a result, it can make a significant contribution to accelerating development processes and avoiding design errors in connector cable systems.

The lecture by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jian Song, Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences, at 28 January 2025 as part of the trend outlook provides a detailed insight into this simulation method and its application for on-board network development.