Coil on Plug Testing
R&D has been working on a Lab fixture that will trigger Coil On Plug type coils. It will use this tool to compare industry standard coil to plug connections (typically a spring) with each other, and with prototype ideas, seeking to offer a better connection. We hope to show an improved terminal design can eliminate the micro arcing that causes; noise, voltage spikes and silicone boot degradation, leading to a short. We are also building a vibration unit the Coil fixture will mount on. This will allow us to shake fixture for periods of time and evaluate effects on connections. In addition to vibration effects, we will testing for voltage drop, and resistance, between the coil and the plug.
Link to the White Paper: Under The Boot
Retention Testing
The R&D facility recently conducted a retention test of ETCO Spark Plug Terminals. These terminals were crimped to 8 and 8.5 mm silicone jacketed ignition wire using ETCO tooling and ETCO recommended crimp heights. The results yielded retention forces more than doubling SAE requirements. Specifically, ETCO¹s average terminal pull off was 224.86 Newtons vs. SAE required 100 Newtons. All tests were conducted per SAE J2032/3.3.1a.
Utilizing our Spark Plug Terminals, ETCO's GTO flew down the quarter mile in just 11.1 seconds at 122 mph. We've got the slip to prove it! Drag Times
Heat Degradation
ETCO has performed many Heat Degradation Tests using insulator boots made of different rubber compounds. These tests exposed boots made of EPDM and Silicone to temperatures of 550° F for 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours. At 24 hours, the boots made of EPDM had hardened and deformed to the point of dielectric failure. The Silicone boots remained pliable and retained their dielectric value as insulators. The temperatures of today’s engines in both daily drivers and High Performance vehicles can easily exceed 500° in some spots, making Silicone the obvious choice for a longer lasting boot.
ETCO has also tested the performance of ignition terminals made of these materials; Brass, Stainless Steel, and Zinc Plated Steel. The results in these test categories; Corrosion, Bend to Break, showed Stainless Steel out performed the other materials. In the; Insertion and Withdrawal, Heat Deformation, and Terminal Retention to Wire, tests, Stainless Steel performed equal to the Brass and Zinc Plated Steel. In the Electrical Resistance Tests ( Ohms ), Stainless Steel terminals, measured equal to the Brass terminals using instruments measuring down to .01 ohm. Stainless Steel is the recommended material of choice for consumers requiring a higher standard in ignition terminals.