Does a Thicker Pin Carry More Current?

Not necessarily. Current capacity depends on the cross-section of the whole conduction path, the contact area and the plating: pin diameter, barrel wall thickness, spring cross-section, contact point shape and plating thickness all matter. A thicker pin with a thin spring or a single-point contact can still show high resistance and heat up.

In practice we set the current rating by temperature rise and contact resistance measurement rather than by diameter alone, and we propose the current scheme together with compression, plating and mating structure.

For a project-specific evaluation, please contact Mr. Wan at 133-2018-8513.