Conductive Magnetic Snap Selection & Validation Guide

Do you need a detachable connection?

For a detachable wearable lead or controller, a magnetic interface may help with repeated connection and removal. A permanent electrode may need neither a mating snap nor a magnet. Confirm this first: it changes the structure, electrical path and test plan.

Textile and flexible assemblies can start with prong or tubular-rivet mounting. Rigid housings and embedded assemblies may call for no-prong, embedded or machined contact concepts. “No-prong” describes the mounting feature; “flat contact” describes the contact geometry. They are not interchangeable specifications.

Platform and mounting selection

This is a selection starting point, not a catalogue of every available combination. SS430 male components are confirmed for 10 mm tubular/stem, 10 mm prong and 18 mm prong structures. Confirm other materials against the selected drawing.

Specify substrate thickness, reinforcement, hole or slot layout, rear clearance and access for assembly tools. Validate the actual mating pair rather than assuming that parts with the same nominal diameter are compatible.

• Conductive magnetic snap, no prong
• 10 mm electric magnetic snap, 180° prong
• Magnetic snap button with adjustable prong
• Magnetic snap with L-shaped prong
• Magnetic connector with four ear lugs
• Stem electrical snap connectors

See all models in the magnetic electrical connector category.

Select materials by their function

A magnetically responsive mating component and a skin-contact electrode may have different requirements. SS430 is a ferritic stainless steel used in the confirmed male-component options above. It should not be treated as interchangeable with a requested 316L electrode.

If a project requests 316L for a nonmagnetic skin-contact electrode, review the geometry, electrical interface and manufacturing requirements first. This is a development assessment, not a claim that every platform is stocked in 316L.

Finish selection must account for soldering, contact behaviour and exposure. Ask for evidence applicable to the selected model and process. A report for one sample or a shared plating process does not certify every finished assembly, establish medical-device suitability or guarantee freedom from skin reactions.

Map the current path before choosing protection

A wired assembly may follow this path:

Device → wire → solder joint → metal contact → mating surface → mating contact → receiving circuit.

A conductive-textile design may instead carry current through textile, a rear metal interface and the snap body. Identify each interface in your drawing. Coating or encapsulating a current-carrying interface can interrupt the intended path even when it improves environmental coverage elsewhere.

For wash-exposed assemblies, review exposed metal, drainage, the rear connection and the textile interface together. Do not treat a protective coating as a complete corrosion solution until the assembled design has been tested.

Rear wiring and soldering

Project assemblies have used solder joints at tubular rivets, prongs and rear metal areas. Richarms can evaluate solderability and tinning with the selected part and wire. Agree on the soldering method, joint location and sample acceptance criteria before production.

Support the wire so that movement is not concentrated at the solder joint. Evaluate the actual joint after installation, including pulling and bending where relevant. Heating can affect the assembly; process settings must be established for the selected components rather than copied from a different snap.

For further detail, see solderable magnetic snap connectors e electrode cable strain relief.

Magnetic or mechanical snap?

Neither approach is automatically better for every application. Magnetic force is not guaranteed to remain unchanged indefinitely. Compare samples in the same mounting arrangement and environment. Read the magnetic versus snap electrode connector comparison.

Build a project-specific validation plan

Contact-resistance testing is available according to project requirements. We can agree a sample validation scope covering magnetic pull, contact resistance, tinning and solderability, wire or joint strength, corrosion exposure and cycling. Depending on the agreed scope, results can be documented as measurement records, setup photographs, inspection observations and sample feedback. Ask us for available reports relevant to your selected model and finish; report applicability is reviewed for the project. Test limits and sample quantities should be agreed for the application; this guide does not prescribe a universal current rating, resistance, pull force or cycle life.

Review contact reliability e mounting options. Component testing supports development; it does not replace final-device validation.

Three project situations

Detachable wearable stimulation lead

The engineering questions include retention, solder-joint loading, corrosion exposure and repeated mating. Start with the intended connection and cable routing, then compare sample assemblies. This is a validation workflow, not a claim of clinical performance.

Conductive glove exposed to washing

A project reported rust in a previous supplier’s assembly. Covering the rear metal interface could also obstruct the textile-to-snap current path. The useful first step is to map that path and define the wash conditions before evaluating protection. No completed corrosion remedy is claimed here.

Compact multi-contact sensing electrode

An early concept requested several contacts within a compact space, a smooth surface and a particular stainless-steel grade. The first decision is whether the electrode should be permanent or detachable. Existing 14 mm rivet or prong concepts can inform an initial review; a flat female capsule without a centre hole or a machined flat male contact may require development. Material selection follows that structural review.

From brief to samples

State whether you need a single contact, a mating pair or an assembled unit. This determines the drawing and quotation scope. For skin-contact applications, a nickel-free plating option does not mean every material in the complete part is nickel-free; confirm the selected construction and evidence.

Send your drawing or assembly sketch with the electrical path marked. Richarms can then review a suitable platform, mounting method and rear connection. Confirm the sample drawing, materials, finish and agreed checks before placing the sample order.

Use sample feedback to settle the design and acceptance criteria before discussing production. Availability, quantities and lead times depend on the confirmed configuration. See custom conductive magnetic snap development.

Frequently asked questions

Does every diameter offer every mounting structure?

No. The available platforms are 8, 10, 12, 14 and 18 mm, but each size and structure combination needs confirmation against a drawing.

Can I choose a replacement by diameter alone?

No. Check the mating geometry, gap, retention, mounting and electrical interfaces. Equal nominal diameters do not establish compatibility.

Can a wire be soldered directly to the snap?

Some assemblies use tubular rivets, prongs or rear metal areas as solder locations. Evaluate the selected part, finish, wire and process together, including strain relief.

Does a permanent electrode need a magnetic mating pair?

Not necessarily. A permanent electrode may use a direct electrical connection without a detachable snap or magnet.

Can a coating protect a washable textile connection?

Protection must preserve the intended electrical path. Define the wash conditions and evaluate the complete assembly before accepting a coating approach.

Is one nickel-release report valid for all configurations?

No. Confirm the report’s sample, method, date and relationship to the selected configuration. Sharing a plating process does not mean every product was tested.