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Overheating of plated aluminum to brass connection

Greetings,

I am writing to this group in order to find alternatives to the following problem. I work on a electrical distribution manufacturing company and we are experiencing an overheating problem on the connection of an aluminum tin plated part with a brass tin plated part. This problem is intermittent (i.e. It may happen randomly on different batches and not in all products) and creates such an intense heat that will literary burn everything around the connection.

My question to the group is if the plating of these parts maybe a contributor or it is less likely to be finishing related? Do the ambient conditions affect the tin plating? Is there any corrosion or chemical reaction between Al and Tin or Brass and Tin?

Any suggestion will be greatly appreciated.

Best Regards,

Luis Ramirez
- Vega Baja, Puerto Rico
2001

I would not have expected this problem. A product like No-Ox-Id (Sanchem) should help, but I am surprised that a joint with a proper current rating would give you any trouble. What voltage and current are you speaking of?

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2001