By James Creber · Tech Update
Mill-Max’s Omniball contact replaces the usual spring-loaded plunger tip with a gold-plated ball. As the mating surface engages, the ball compresses and rolls while spring pressure maintains the electrical connection.
The arrangement is designed for interfaces that slide or rotate during mating, rather than approaching solely along the pin’s axis. Mill-Max identifies twist-and-lock connectors, camera-lens connections, docking stations and blind-mating assemblies among the possible uses.
The original surface-mount contact has a maximum stroke of 0.762 mm. The manufacturer’s published product information reports testing to one million compression and rolling cycles at half stroke, with specified contact resistance, current and spring-force conditions.
The rolling surface addresses a specific mechanical problem: sideways movement can cause a conventional plunger-style contact to bind or wear. Omniball allows that movement to form part of the mating action.
Source: Mill-Max Omniball product documentation.
Mill-Max product information distributed through DigiKey.
Image: FRANKYDEE / Pexels. Illustrative camera lens; not a Mill-Max product or customer installation.
