Authors previously studied the degradation of electrical contacts under the condition of various external micro-oscillations. They also developed a micro-sliding mechanism (MSM2), which causes micro-sliding and is driven by a piezoelectric actuator and elastic hinges. Using the mechanism, experimental results were obtained on the minimal sliding amplitude (MSA) required to make the electrical resistance fluctuate under various conditions. In this paper, to develop a more realistic model of input waveform than the previous one, Ts/2 is set as the rising or falling time, Tc as the flat time, and τ/2 as the duration in a sliding period T (0.25 s) of the input waveform. Using the Duhamel's integral method and an optimization method, the physical parameters of natural angular frequency ω0 (12000 s-1), damping ratio ζ (0.05), and rising and falling time Ts (1.3 or 1.2 ms) are obtained. Using the parameters and the MSA, the total acceleration of the input TA (=f(t)) and the displacement of the output x(t) are also obtained using the Fourier series expansion method. The waveforms x(t) and the experimental results are similar to each other. If the effective mass m, which is defined as that of the movable parts in the MSM2, is 0.1 kg, each total force TF (=2mTA) is estimated from TA and m. By the TF, the cases for 0.3 N/pin as frictional force or in impulsive as input waveform are more serious than the others. It is essential for the safety and the confidence of electrical contacts to evaluate the input waveform and the frictional force. The ringing waveforms of the output displacements x(t) are calculated at smaller values of Ts (1.0, 0.5, and 0.0 ms) than the above values (1.3 or 1.2 ms). When Ts is slightly changed from 1.3 or 1.2 ms to 1.0 ms, the ringing amplitude is doubled. For the degradation of electrical contacts, it is essential that Ts is reduced in a rectangular and impulsive input. Finally, a very simple wear model comprising three stages (I, II, and III) is introduced in this paper. Because Ts is much shorter in a rectangular or impulsive input than in a sinusoidal input, it is considered that the former more easily causes wear than the latter owing to a larger frictional force. Taking the adhesive wear in Stages I and III into consideration, the wear is expected to be more severe in the case of small damped oscillations owing to the ringing phenomenon.

Authors have studied degradation phenomenon on electrical contacts under the influences of an external micro-oscillation. A new micro-sliding mechanism 2 (MSM2) has developed, which provides micro-sliding driven by a piezo-electric actuator and elastic hinges. The experimental results are obtained on “minimal sliding amplitudes” to make resistances fluctuate on electrical contacts under some conditions which are three types of inputwaveform (sinusoidal, rectangular, and impulsive) and three levels of frictional force (1.6, 1.0, and 0.3 N/pin) by using the MSM2. The dynamical characteristics are discussed under the conditions. The simple theoretical model on the input signal and the output of the mechanism is built and the theoretical expressions from the model are obtained. A natural angular frequency (ω0=12600[s-1]) and a damping ratio (ζ=0.03[-]) are evaluated using experimental dynamical responses. The waveforms of inputs and outputs are obtained and the characteristics between inputs and outputs are also obtained on the theoretical model using the above. The maximal gain between the input and the output in rectangular or impulsive (24.4) is much larger than that (0.0) in sinusoidal. The difference on the output-accelerations between in sinusoidal and in rectangular (impulsive) is discussed. It is shown that it is possible to cause the degradation phenomenon in sinusoidal only when the output displacement are enlarged. It is also shown that it is possible to cause the phenomenon in rectangular or in impulsive, in addition to the above, when the external force has sharper rising and falling waveforms even if the displacement and the frequency of the force is small. The difference on the output-amplitudes between in rectangular and in impulsive is discussed. It is not clear that there is the difference between the effect in rectangular and that in impulsive. It is indicated that it is necessary to discuss the other causes, for instance, another dynamical, thermal, and chemical process.