At 05:18 AM 2/6/2004, Ande_3 wrote:
>All,
>
>I'm trying to track down a PCB prototyping item and need some help.
>
>What I'm looking for are small copper tubes which are intended to be
>used for PCB vias instead of electroplating through holes. I've used
>them before and think they're great but cannot remember the name of
>the company who sells them.
We use two different products for this: "Trak Pins" from Harwin and
"CopperSet" from Multi-core.
The Harwin trak pins are used for vias - it is a stick of little tapered
pins that fit tightly into a #66 drill hole. Push it it, bend it to snap
that pin from the stick, then solder both sides. I think that each stick
has around 50 pins in it.
The Multi-core CopperSet system is really neat: I use it when a component
lead has to go through the hole. It consists of sticks of solder that have
been electroplated with copper & tin, then scored. You put the board on a
hard steel plate, push the stick (they call it a "bail") into the hole,
then snap it off. You then use a little impact punch to mash down the
protruding part of the pin - this causes it to expand radially and tightly
grip the hole. Do all the holes that need it, then solder all those holes
on both sides. Now use a desoldering tool to clean the excess solder from
inside the holes.
Works like a darn! But it is time consuming and the replacement bails are
expensive.
In summary: the Harwin trak pins fill the holes and thus are good for vias
only. The Multi-core Copperset system gives you the equivalent of plated
through holes.
dwayne
PS - if anyone knows of a less expensive place to purchase replacement
bails for the Copperset system, could you please post the information.
Thanks!
dwayne
--
Dwayne Reid <
dwayner@...>
Trinity Electronics Systems Ltd Edmonton, AB, CANADA
(780) 489-3199 voice (780) 487-6397 fax
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