METEO: An Operational Translation System

Contact pieces for vacuum switchgear comprise a base material with additives of readily vaporizable components to produce a sufficiently conductive switch path in the switch-off process. It is desired to have an overvoltage-free switching behavior for the vacuum switchgear. The additives are concentrated in a firmly adhering layer covering the switching surface of the contact piece. Such contact pieces can be manufactured in particular by direct fusing of the additives on the surface, by fusing a separate application of the additives in powder form, in granulate form or as foil or sheet on the surface or alternatively by vapor deposition of the additives on the switching surface of a given contact piece body of base material. Advantageously, a CuCr contact piece base material is used.