Sacrificial part

A sacrificial part is a part of a machine or product that is intentionally engineered to fail under excess mechanical stress, electrical stress, or other unexpected and dangerous situations. The sacrificial part is engineered to fail first, thus breaking the serial connection and protecting other parts of the system downstream.

Examples

Examples of sacrificial parts include:

• Electrical fuses
• Over-pressure burst disks
• Mechanical shear pins
• Galvanic anodes
• Pyrotechnic fastener
• Fusible plug
• Some leader lines used in angling

See also

• Factor of safety – System strength beyond intended load
• Frangibility – Material that breaks up into parts instead of deforming as one
• Overengineering – Designing a product that is needlessly complicated