fusesthermal
I speculate this is just barely an EE question, but I'll risk it anyway:
I'm replacing a set of 175C 10A thermal fuses (with 172C 10A actually). At this temperature / current range, do we need special high-temp crimps or will any ol' ebay copper crimps do?
EDIT: Good comments, some clarifications:
Short: No. Thermal fuses are not polarised.
Longer :-) :
No thermal fuse I have ever seen was polarised (based on decades of experience but ...).
I cannot think why a thermal fuse would be polarised.
This seems to be extremely unlikely but I mention it for completeness:
If a device that was called a thermal fuse WAS polarised then it would be more than a fuse - it would be very special in some unusual manner.
If so then it would need to be replaced by an identical unit if it was going to do the same job.
A photo would be a good idea.
Does it have a part number on it?
Any similar 216°C thermal fuse with a 10A or better current rating and an appropriate voltage rating should be fine.
For example, a CANTHERM SDF DF216S, which is approved for use at 250V 10A or 15A depending on the safety agency.
If it's held in a clip or something like that, make sure the diameter is close enough that it will behave similarly thermally.
Best Answer
Copper being soft metal, may or may not be poor crimp material for this application. Some are silver plated brass, , stainless steel, some copper. It depends on the mating materials , ruggedness, operating conditions and tooling.
It MUST be capable of a 5 pound pull test without fatique on resistance or strength. It must be a gas tight fitting, so that the mating surfaces do not oxidize and must be done with proper tooling for consistency.
Commercial equipment may use a spot welder but a high quality gas-tight crimp machine is cheaper. There are many material types depending on other specs which were not given in the question, such as budget,qty. & reliability.