gordonl@microsoft.UUCP (Gordon Letwin) (04/05/89)
A couple of months ago I mentioned that I'd ordered a "pin insertion" tool for putting Z-wires (Z-pins, I guess) into circuit boards. I received some inquirys for email followup but somehow lost the addresses, so I'll post a followup. I ordered a tool made by OK Industrys from Sintek. The tool came promptly, but the pins were backordered until a week ago. The pins are connected point to tail like this: === | | | === | | | in a string of 50. The tool is plastic hand held jobbie with a small plastic tube going from the back to a metal nozzle. You feed the pin chain in the back until one starts to stick out the nozzle. You place the emerging tip of the pin into your PCB hole, push the feed button, and the tool feeds a pin. You then wiggle the tool to break the pin off the strip. I ordered the pins speced for .033" holes; I find that the pin is loose in a hole of this size and if you turn the board over, many of them will fall out. I plan on simply drilling the holes a bit smaller. The tool isn't intended for high force injecting of pins, but I believe I can find a compromise hole size that will hold the pin without requring too much insertion force. In all, it looks like a clean and convenient way to insert Z-wires. My only complaint is that the catalog said the pins were in packages of 1000, but I only got 500... Anyway, Sintec's address is Sintec Electronics 28 8th St. Box 410 Frenchtown, NJ 08825 1-800-526-5960 "Thru Pin Inserter 13362 (aprox $44.10 (!!)) .033 in pins, 1000 (!) for $18.70, #13363 gordon letwin