A custom crimp terminal is not one component—it is a base alloy plus a surface system. At Gleamco (Dongguan Yaotai Metal & Electronics Co., Ltd., 《IATF 16949》 / 《ISO 9001》 certified), the same stamped shape can behave completely differently in the field depending on what it is made of and how its contact face is plated.

Base metal = elasticity, conductivity, spring force

Brass (C2680) – best cost/conductivity balance, used in general-purpose ring/spade/Faston terminals.

Phosphor bronze – high elastic recovery, ideal for female disconnects and springy contact beams that must hold normal force for 15 years.

Beryllium copper (BeCu) – premium spring + fatigue resistance, for high-cycle automotive sensor pins.

Copper / stainless steel – copper for max current carry; SUS for corrosion-heavy or non-magnetic builds.

Gleamco stamps these from 0.1–5.0 mm thick strip on high-speed progressive dies at ±0.01 mm, then validates elasticity, salt spray, and bend performance before mass run.

Plating = the real contact interface

Bare copper alloy oxidizes in weeks. The plating is what actually touches the mating terminal.

Tin – cheapest, solderable, adequate to ~125 °C. Weak point: fretting corrosion under vibration unless normal force is high or grease is used.

Nickel – heat resistant to 260 °C, hard barrier under gold/silver, common in engine-bay and powertrain zones.

Silver – highest conductivity, first choice for EV battery busbars, DC fast-charge lugs, high-current splices; needs anti-tarnish care in sulfur/humid air.

Gold (flash or hard gold) – inert, stable contact resistance for low-voltage ECU/signal pins; selective gold on contact area + tin on barrel cuts cost.

Zinc – occasional cost-sensitive alternative for non-mating structural tabs.

Gleamco supports reflow tinning, selective gold, silver, nickel underplate to suppress whisker growth and copper diffusion.

Rule engineers forget

Never mate gold with tin—galvanic corrosion wins. Match plating families, specify nickel underlayer for gold/silver, and let the stamping tolerance (±0.01 mm) protect your crimp height so the plating is not cracked during termination.

Specifying a Gleamco terminal starts with duty cycle, not catalog number: current, temperature, vibration, mating cycles, then base metal + plating stack.

📧 inquiry@gleamco.com · https://gleamco.com/crimp-terminals/