Development of the Fretting Corrosion Test Equipment for the Automotive Electrical Connector

Fretting corrosion results from microscopic abrasion of connector contacts and is influenced by environmental conditions in automotive applications. This study designed and fabricated test equipment capable of evaluating fretting corrosion characteristics at low temperatures. A temperature–humidity environmental chamber was used, and a compact test jig box was created to fit inside it. The specimen was positioned outside the box and fully exposed to low temperatures, while the driving components were enclosed inside the box. To ensure their reliable operation, warm air was supplied using vortex tubes, maintaining the internal box temperature above 0oC even when chamber conditions reached −40℃. A hemispherical-tip jig was also produced to enable consistent specimen preparation. Experiments conducted at −40℃ used a constant current–resistance method to measure output signals. The system successfully captured accurate and stable resistance changes corresponding to displacement cycles. These findings indicate that the developed equipment provides stable low-temperature operation and reliable measurement performance. Therefore, the system is expected to support fretting corrosion characterization across a wide range of environments, including low-temperature, high-temperature, and temperature-cycling conditions.