Methods of Material and Surface Analysis for the Evaluation of Failure Modes for Electrical Connectors
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Overall this a well written paper that provides useful information to engineers and researchers in electrical contacts.
There are many grammatical errors in the writing. For instance, in the abstract, line 12: "...operation of a vehicle." this isa my suggested text.
line 18: "...the nature of the analyses results obtained..."
line 28: "In addition to these described facts..."
line 28: In most cases it seems like 'autonomous' is preferred to 'automated.'
Finally, another mode of failure that I did not see discussed significantly is dust or particle contamination. For instance, please consider this paper:
J. Gao, C. Chen, G. T. Flowers, R. L. Jackson and M. J. Bozack, "The Influence of Particulate Contaminants on Vibration-Induced Fretting Degradation in Electrical Connectors," 2010 Proceedings of the 56th IEEE Holm Conference on Electrical Contacts, 2010, pp. 1-5, doi: 10.1109/HOLM.2010.5619554.
Author Response
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Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
The paper is of great interest to experimenters, since it is not only an overview of the detection of detected defects, but also contains useful examples of their use. It is well written and should be published.
The only comment:
It would be helpful to highlight in the discussion which methods are specific and which could be used to study any surface damage.
The paper is about the technology of scientific research of surface phenomena using a full range of modern equipment.
The topic is very relevant. The fast development of research and diagnostic tools leads to the fact that scientists are not always aware of new opportunities.
The paper is very useful for experimenters because it contains a comprehensive overview of modern methods and approaches.
It would be useful to highlight methods specific to electrical connectors
The conclusions are completely correct.
References are relevant.
Author Response
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Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
This work is mainly a state-of-the-art paper, where different methodologies are listed and briefly analysed.
Please, consider removing some of the least important self-citations and add some other studies performed in material degradation, for example in European projects that might be relevant.
What is the main question addressed by the research? The different methods for electrical connectors degradation analysis.
Is it relevant and interesting? How original is the topic? The topic is not necessarily original, but it is indeed a well presented state-of-the-art work, where the description of several methods in electrical connectors degradation analysis is especially interesting and relevant for other people working in the same field.
What does it add to the subject area compared with other published material? The value added by this paper is having in one place the description of several methods available in the field
Is the paper well written? Is the text clear and easy to read? The paper is very clearly written
Are the conclusions consistent with the evidence and arguments presented? Do they address the main question posed? Yes
I recommended to publish the manuscript with minor changes.
Author Response
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Author Response File: Author Response.docx
