Tiny nuts suite PCB applications

Their hex-shaped barrel provides a larger solder area and on installation the steel fasteners become another board component. The fasteners can serve equally well as nuts or standoffs to space or stack PCBs. Their use can reduce the risk of damage to boards – and resulting scrap – that may occur when conventional fasteners are not correctly installed. They can also minimise the number of loose parts, reduce board handling, and promote quicker assembly by eliminating secondary operations. The fasteners are offered in thread sizes as small as M1 and lengths as short as 1mm. And they can be installed in boards as thin as 0.5mm Fasteners are packaged on recyclable reels measuring 16mm in width, which conform to EIA-481 standards and are compatible with existing SMT automated installation equipment. A supplied polyimide patch for the end of the fastener allows for vacuum pickup.