AgW Contact Tip

The AgW contact tip is the standard form for low-voltage electrical apparatus — a small machined or sintered silver-tungsten element brazed or pressed onto a copper alloy carrier in the contactor or relay's fixed and moving contact assemblies. The tip handles arc duty during making and breaking; the carrier handles continuous current and mechanical support.

We supply AgW contact tips across the GB/T 8320-2025 grade range (AgW30 through AgW80), in standard tip geometries and custom shapes machined from drawing. For riveted-button contact forms, see AgW Contact Rivet. For motor starter heavy-duty AgW70, see AgW70 Heavy-Duty Contact.

Specifications

Property	Value
Material Grade	AgW30 / 40 / 50 / 55 / 60 / 65 / 70 / 75 / 80
Silver Content	20 to 70 wt% depending on grade
Tungsten Content	Balance
Form	Tip (machined or sintered, to drawing)
Dimensions	Per drawing
Tolerance	Per drawing
Electrical Conductivity	≥37 (AgW80) to ≥75 (AgW30) % IACS per GB/T 8320-2025
Density	≥11.75 (AgW30) to ≥16.10 (AgW80) g/cm³
Hardness (HB)	≥80 (AgW30) to ≥185 (AgW80)
Surface Treatment	As machined; bright contact face
Mounting Interface	Brazed onto copper alloy carrier per drawing

Exact certified properties for your lot are available with material documentation on request.

Applications

• Contact tips for LV AC contactors at standard distribution current ratings
• Relay and control switch contacts in industrial control panels
• LV circuit breaker contact tips at lower current ratings
• Replacement contact tips for installed LV apparatus fleets

Technical Notes

For LV contactor and relay applications, AgW tip grade selection is primarily about duty cycle and contact resistance. Lower-tungsten grades (AgW30, AgW40) give the highest conductivity and lowest contact resistance, suitable for general-purpose distribution duty. Higher-tungsten grades (AgW70, AgW80) handle more arc cycles before erosion becomes the limiting factor but at higher contact resistance.

Tip geometry matters. For brazed-on-carrier assemblies, the tip's mating surface affects braze quality — a flat, dimensionally consistent mating surface gives better braze adhesion than a rough or off-square one. We supply tips with mating surfaces ground flat to your specified tolerance.

For high-volume LV apparatus production, riveted contact buttons (AgW Contact Rivet) are often more economical than brazed tips. Riveting eliminates the brazing step at assembly. Whether brazed or riveted is the right choice depends on your assembly volume and process — discuss with your apparatus designer.

Sourcing & OEM

Custom AgW contact tips to your drawing are routine. Specify the AgW grade, dimensions, surface finish, and mating surface specifications; contact us for a project-specific quote.