Aging Of Terminal Blocks? These Maintenance Techniques Need To Be Mastered

Maintenance tips for aging of terminal blocks: extending service life and ensuring electrical safety

Terminal blocks are the core components of electrical connections, and after long-term use, they are prone to aging due to oxidation, corrosion, overheating, or mechanical stress, leading to poor contact, short circuits, and even fires. Mastering the following maintenance techniques can effectively delay aging and ensure stable operation of equipment.

1、 Regular inspection: Identify signs of aging

VISUAL INSPECTION

Observe whether there is discoloration (such as blackening or greening), cracks, or insulation layer damage on the surface of the terminal. For example, copper terminals will appear dark green after oxidation and need to be cleaned or replaced in a timely manner. A factory experienced equipment shutdown due to poor contact caused by failure to detect terminal cracks in a timely manner.

temperature monitoring

Use an infrared thermometer to detect terminal temperature. If it exceeds the ambient temperature by more than 20 ℃, there may be an increase in contact resistance or overload issues. A certain data center discovered the hidden danger of terminal overheating in advance through regular temperature measurement, avoiding server downtime.

Tightening force test

Use a torque wrench to check the tightness of screws. Loose terminals can exacerbate oxidation and heat generation. A certain substation experienced a surge in contact resistance due to loose terminal screws, ultimately leading to a fire.

2、 Cleaning and maintenance: remove oxidation and dirt

Physical cleaning

Use a dust-free cloth or soft bristled brush to remove dust from the surface of the terminal. For the oxide layer, gently polish it with fine sandpaper, but avoid damaging the metal surface. A certain automated production line reduced the contact failure rate by 70% by regularly cleaning the terminals.

chemical treatment

For severely oxidized terminals, specialized conductive paste (such as silver containing conductive paste) can be applied to form a protective film and reduce contact resistance. After using conductive paste in a certain wind farm, the terminal life was extended by three times.

3、 Environmental control: reduce the causes of aging

Moisture and dust prevention

Install protective covers or use sealed terminal blocks for terminals in damp or dusty environments. A certain chemical plant has reduced failures caused by corrosion by 85% by improving terminal sealing.

Avoid overload

Select the wire specifications based on the rated current of the terminal, and overloading is strictly prohibited. A construction site experienced a short circuit due to the melting of the insulation layer caused by terminal overload.

4、 Timely replacement: eliminate safety hazards

Terminals with severe aging (such as cracks, deformation, insulation failure) must be replaced immediately. A hospital almost caused a medical accident due to a power outage in the operating room caused by the failure to replace aging terminals.

Conclusion: Although aging of terminal blocks is difficult to completely avoid, their service life can be significantly extended through regular inspection, cleaning and maintenance, environmental control, and timely replacement. It is recommended to establish a terminal maintenance file to record inspection time, problems, and handling measures, forming a closed-loop management system to ensure the safe operation of equipment.