A new way to assemble stamped terminals Here's a new twist to the process of inserting stamped terminals onto pc boards. Zierick Manufacturing Corp., a maker of electronic components in Mount Kisco, NY, has developed a series of surface-mountable terminals that are stamped in a continuous chain onto conventional tape reels. A special feeder, developed by Zierick, orients the terminals and feeds them to a standard pick-and-place machine. The patented feeder, called Surf-Shooter, twists the terminal into a vertical position, advances it, and then shears it. Because the feeder orients the terminals before feeding them, it eliminates the need to encapsulate the terminals in plastic packaging to properly orient them. Janos Legrady, research and development manager at Zierick, invented the terminal technology. He concedes that the family of terminal products (see photo)–which will eventually include jumpers, fuse clips, posts, test points, and insulation displacement connectors–initially costs more than competitive parts. He points out, however, that eliminating the plastic packaging will more than offset the higher initial cost. Surface mounting also reduces costs. All the terminal products are now surface mountable and thus can be fed and inserted in a single pick-and-place process. Previously, parts like the test points and insulation displacement connectors were unavailable in surface-mountable form, meaning the user had to employ an additional through-hole insertion process. A typical terminal has a 0.025-in.-square body with a perpendicular base. A small tab connects the terminals to one another and is broken off during shearing. Because the terminal's size is close to that of a typical pc-board solder pad, the terminal will adhere firmly to the pad during soldering and not float and misalign. Zierick will sell the terminals and custom-design the feeder to the user's requirements. For more information, contact Karl Neumuller of Zierick Manufacturing at 800-882-8020 (in NY, 914-666-2911) or . –Spencer Chin CAPTION: Surface-mount terminals from Zierick are formed in a continuous chain and mounted on conventional tape reels. A special feeder orients the terminals and feeds them to the user's pick-and-place machine.
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