Press-fit technology was originally introduced to allow makers of multilayer back-panels a way to interconnect multiple connectors without wavesoldering. Various designs have been developed to provide a reliable, gas-tight contact to work with large diameter tolerances on plated-through-holes (PTH).
Molex claims its C-pin design is widely recognised for its superior features. The C shape of the press-fit area allows great flexibility for the contacts during press-in and it also offers uniform contact forces over 300° (of the 360°) of the PTH.
This prevents the PCB warpage caused by other designs. The smooth contact interface means less hole damage during insertion. Many users have found that this means easy and reliable field replacement of C-pin contacts, says the manufacturer.
The company says the Molex C-pin contact has been proven to offer low contact resistance and high retention forces under severe environmental conditions. This has led to its wide acceptance by industry leaders worldwide since the 1970s.
Although PCBs today are often available with plated-through-holes offering extremely low tolerances, Molex says many prefer the C-pin contact for its PCB-friendly design. The Molex C-pin provides superior performance in PCB holes from 0,94 to 1,09 mm diameter, a range far greater than those offered by many of the competing products in the market.
In the 1980s it was found that C-pin provided reliable connection with copper plated-through-holes. The C-pin's broad surface area and PCB-friendly characteristics made it the design of choice for high-end users wishing to eliminate the additional costs and tolerance issues associated with plating their backplanes with tin as well as copper. Today many manufacturers of electronics equipment are choosing to specify bare copper boards or use gold flash plating to accommodate the need for fine-pitch SMT components. The PCB-friendly Molex C-pin design has proven to provide excellent performance under these conditions as well, says the company.
Molex C-pin technology is available on a wide range of products such as press-fit power tabs, single-in-line resistor arrays, dual-in-line sockets, coaxial connectors, special 0,63 mm2 diameter pins and a wide variety of connectors conforming to DIN 41612 and DIN 41462 (OmniGrid 2,5) specifications.
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