For years, contact material developers faced a stubborn engineering dilemma: how to achieve both high electrical conductivity and high mechanical strength simultaneously. Materials with excellent conductivity typically lacked the strength needed for demanding applications, while high-strength materials often sacrificed conductivity. This trade-off has long constrained the performance and lifespan of relays in high-voltage applications, particularly in the rapidly evolving new energy vehicle sector.alancing high conductivity and high strength, and provides more reliable material support for high-voltage electrical systems in new energy vehicles.
On January 30, 2026, a patented copper alloy sheet technology for high-voltage DC relays in new energy vehicles was officially published, marking a major breakthrough that finally resolves this industry challenge. Through microalloying design and a low-temperature rapid annealing process, the technology maintains electrical conductivity at or above 99.5% IACS while simultaneously achieving a tensile strength of 440–500 MPa and elongation of at least 10%. The result extends contact life to over 100,000 operations, providing more reliable material support for the high-voltage electrical systems that power today's electric vehicles.
This technological breakthrough does more than supply high-performance basic materials-it highlights the core trends shaping the contact industry: high reliability, long service life, and increasing customization. As the key component for current switching and signal transmission in relays, the material performance, structural precision, and compatibility of flat foot trimetal electrical contacts directly determine conduction stability and service life under high-voltage and high-frequency conditions. The new copper alloy material also provides an important direction for improving the performance of thick-layer bimetallic silver contacts.
The timing of this breakthrough aligns perfectly with market demands. With the rapid development of new energy vehicles, industrial automation, and smart grids, demand for customized and highly reliable relay contacts continues to grow. Contacts featuring special structural designs-such as short foot bimetal electronic contacts-better adapt to complex current paths, improving arc extinguishing efficiency and heat dissipation. These have become the preferred choice for high-end relays, with material selection and processing precision emerging as key focuses of industry technological iteration.
Against this industrial trend, Xiamen Apollo Electric Co., Ltd. has deeply rooted itself in the field of flat foot trimetal electrical contacts. Focusing on precision conductive requirements in scenarios such as new energy vehicle relays and industrial control relays, the company provides high-quality copper-based and silver-based thick head bimetal contacts. Relying on mature precision forming and CNC machining processes, the company can customize various complex-structured contacts according to customer needs, strictly controlling dimensional tolerances, material bonding strength, and surface quality to adapt to harsh working conditions including high voltage, high frequency, and high current.
To meet the requirements of long service life and high reliability in new energy vehicle applications, Xiamen Apollo Electric Co., Ltd. has carried out targeted optimizations across three dimensions. In material selection, the company offers compatibility with high-conductivity copper alloys as well as silver-nickel and silver-tin oxide composite silver-based materials, delivering excellent conductivity and arc ablation resistance to satisfy long-life operation demands. In structural design, the company supports customized development of special-shaped structures, optimizing current distribution and arc paths to enhance contact switching efficiency and heat dissipation. In process control, through high-precision forming and full-process inspection, dimensional tolerances are controlled within ±0.01 mm, ensuring batch consistency and installation compatibility.
At present, flat foot trimetal electrical contacts from Xiamen Apollo Electric Co., Ltd. are widely used in core equipment including new energy vehicle relays, industrial control contactors, and smart grid switches. By providing stable and efficient core conductive components for downstream equipment manufacturers, the company helps electrical equipment achieve performance and quality upgrades. Looking ahead, with continuous iteration of contact material technology-exemplified by breakthroughs like the new copper alloy patent-the company will further deepen technological innovation of shaped plum contacts, optimize product performance and delivery efficiency, and provide solid support for the high-quality development of new energy vehicles, industrial automation, and other fields.
For more information about product parameters, applicable working conditions and customized solutions of our Flat Foot Trimetal Electrical Contacts, please click the link below for professional consultation.
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