Mill-Max Target Pins & Connectors

MILL-MAX SPRING-LOADED CONNECTORS

Mill-Max Spring-loaded pins are comprised of separate, precision-machined components assembled with a coil spring. Spring-loaded pins allow “travel” to overcome many design obstacles and provide both signal and power in a wide range of applications. These pins are inserted into high-temperature thermoplastic insulators to form a complete connector solution.

Key Features & Advantages:

1. Precision-machined; gold-plated components provide optimal electrical & mechanical performance
2. Current rating availability from 2A to 9A
3. Typical contact resistance of <20mΩ at working travel
4. 100,000 to 1,000,000 typical mating cycle life
5. Eliminate wired connections
6. The need for a wired solution can be eliminated, creating
7. modular assemblies and reducing final assembly and labor costs.
8. Blind mating – Ideal for connections with restricted visibility due to alignment forgiveness when mating. Zero insertion requirement greatly reduces potential damage to components.
9. Sliding action
10. Sliding and rotational mating action is possible, allowing numerous mating possibilities.
11. Mis-alignment compensation – Errors in alignment, flatness, and parallelism are no longer problematic.
12. Mill-Max spring-loaded (pin) connectors provide reliable electrical connections in the most rigorous environments.
13. Tolerance stack-up – Positional and assembly tolerances can be overcome due to the range of allowable movement.
14. Numerous mating options – can be mated with a wide range of surfaces including PCB pads, battery contacts, and dedicated Mill-Max target connectors.
15. High Cycle life and Low profile & high-density design are achievable.

Mill-Max offers numerous discrete pin designs for individual spring-loaded pin requirements.

• The current ratings from 2A to 9A at a low 10°C temperature rise
• A range of standard off-the-board heights, starting from .100” (2.54mm)
• Spring travel options from .024” (0.6mm) to .118” (3mm)
• Low, standard, and high spring force options
• Very low profile and small diameter contacts for applications with limited space
• Rugged contacts for the most demanding environments
• Solder cup and crimp terminal features for wire termination
• Insulated contacts for electrical isolation from surrounding components

In addition to connectors that mate directly with a PCB, battery contact, or any conductive metal surface, Mill-Max has a dedicated line of “target” connectors. These are purpose-made components, designed to mate with our spring-loaded connectors. They include through-hole connectors and “nail-head” style pins, SMT connectors, and individual target discs for low profile, space-saving applications, concave-face availability to maximize surface contact, and increase alignment capability. Also, Target pins and connectors ensure the spring compression is optimized for sustained mechanical and electrical performance.

Spring-loaded interconnects provide a ‘drop-in’ conductivity solution without impacting the overall design. A leading anti-condensate and defogger solutions provider was sought by a pharmaceutical company to retrofit a solution into its existing systems to eliminate barcode-read errors due to condensation on scanner lenses.

An anti-condensate controller was developed on a 0.6mm-thin circuit board assembly (PCBA). A unique shape and thinness allowed the PCBA to be retrofitted into the customer’s original design without significant displacement of existing internal parts—saving a costly redesign. Mill-Max interconnects bridged the connection between the controller and custom conductive glass lenses located on the opposing half of the customer’s clamshell enclosure design.

The novel design, along with the compact size of the interconnects, provided an anti-condensate solution without the need for any retooling of the customer’s enclosure—and maintained the ingress protection of the sealed enclosure. Thanks to quick assistance from Mill-Max, progress was able to move quickly from initial

customer contact to custom engineering and production manufacturing in only six weeks. To date, thousands of units have been deployed with a 100% reliability rate.

The Mill-Max approach to press-fit pins and receptacles is unique, applying specialized precision-machined pin technology, offering multiple advantages over stamped-and-formed connectors:

1. Seamless construction prevents contact contamination from wave or reflow soldering.
2. Specialized press-fit feature geometries (triangle, square, hexagon, octagon) to meet the hole size requirements of specific applications.
3. Lead-in countersinks on pin receptacles to facilitate pin alignment.
4. Pin and receptacle shells are machined from brass alloy, for strength, conductive and thermal properties.
5. Multi-finger beryllium copper contact clip scores the mating device lead for gas-tight electrical connection and provides best power and force distribution.
6. Two-piece receptacle construction (shell and contact clip) allows for cost-efficient plating combinations for best solderability and conductivity

Refer:  https://www.mill-max.com/products/new.

Mill-Max machined pin interconnects are the perfect solution for your specific LED application. Our horizontal mount headers and sockets can be used for making LED driver board connections, useful for creating a soldered daisy chain connection of two co-planar boards while minimizing any ‘shadow effect’. Additionally, we offer various receptacle assembly options that accept LED bulb leads conforming to the MR11 (G4 Style) & MR16 (G5.3 Style) base configurations.

A custom FR-4 connector also adds convenience to your PCB assembly process. It can overcome production difficulties by incorporating all required contacts into a ‘one-piece’ substrate for simple board placement. The substrate also holds the parts in place during the soldering process. This is especially important for surface mount components using pin-in-paste techniques. The risk of parts ‘floating’ on the board is greatly reduced when using a connector. for placement.

Mill-Max Organic Fibre Plug®  (OFP®) receptacles and sockets are interconnect sockets for through-hole soldering into printed circuit boards. These open bottom interconnects are fitted with paper plugs to prevent solder, paste or flux from contaminating the internal contact during the placing and soldering process. When the device/mating lead is plugged into the receptacle the OFP® is knocked out allowing the mating lead to pass through the fingers of the internal contact and make a reliable electrical connection.

Mill-Max development of new spring-loaded pins delivering high current carrying capacity in a small form factor. They are ideal for charging applications as well as for directly delivering power via cable or board to board interconnects. The reduced size makes them attractive for use in low profile and dense packaging designs.

This new product offering is available in three different termination styles: surface mount, through-hole, and solder cup.

Four new series offering additional diameter and height options. These low profile SMT disc shaped terminals are perfect for applications where vertical space is at a premium.

The expanded series include the 1593-X, 1618-X, 1625-X, 1656-X SMT discs, with diameters of .093″ (1,98 mm), .118” (3 mm), .125” (3.18 mm) and .156″ (3.964 mm) respectively. Each series is Precision-Machined from brass and comes standard with a 10 u” hard gold finish with a nickel under-plate and is available in four heights from .025″ (,64 mm) to .055″ (1,4 mm) in .010” (.254 mm) increments. Custom sizes are quickly and easily achievable via Mill-Max’s high-speed precision-machining processes. Other plating options, such as thicker gold or other materials, are also available.

With flat surfaces on both sides, target discs are ideal for surface mount soldering and as the conductive mating surface for spring-loaded pins and connectors as well as test probes. The discs are typically placed on solder pasted PCB pads and then subjected to reflow soldering. Once soldered, the terminals are ready to be used as reliable, durable contact points.

Zero profile receptacles have eliminated any above-board connector protrusion, enabling overall package height to be reduced. These receptacles have a precision machined, hexagon shaped flange which is pressed into the PCB Plated Through-Hole (PTH) until flush with the surface of the board.  No soldering is required as the press-fit forms a gas-tight connection with a properly specified plated through hole.  After installation, the zero profile PCB contacts enable a broad range of devices to be plugged in while minimizing overall interconnect height.  They may be used on both traditional and rigid backed flex PCB’s.

Combining target connectors with spring-loaded connectors on opposing boards can be a simple and convenient solution for making connections between stacked boards or docking stations and devices. These new connectors are ideally suited for low profile applications where multiple connections are required. To achieve an ultra-low profile mated pair using these target connectors, the Mill-Max series 815 and 817 (single and double row respectively) are the ideal choice. The 815/817 connectors, compressed to ½ stroke and used in combination with these new low-profile target connectors, provide a board to board spacing of just .175” (4,45mm). All the pins are precision-machined and gold-plated for environmental protection, durability, and good conductivity. The connector insulators are molded from high temperature plastic suitable for most soldering process including RoHS environments.

Highly durable spring-loaded and target connectors now offered with solder-cup terminations. The new 868 series connectors include solder-cups to accommodate wire and cable attachment along with flanged insulators and fastening options. They are ideal for mounting into product housings for docking stations, cable terminations, heavy duty quick connects and panel mount equipment.

Omniball contacts are for twist-and-lock cable connectors; smart lens camera connectors; rugged and IP rated connectors; docking stations; quick connects; and blind-mating applications.  Omniball spring-loaded contact features a rolling ball interface to mate components laterally, rotationally, and angularly while providing electrical, mechanical, and structural reliability. The high-reliability Omniball contact is a spring-loaded pin in which a gold-plated ball replaces the traditional plunger to simplify and improve connections between components mated together in a sliding or rotational motion rather than in an axial or vertical orientation.

Zero Profile Receptacle & Bottom Entry solderless press-fit receptacle  that sits flush with the PCB surface to achieve the lowest possible component height above board. The hexagon shaped head is designed to be press-fit into a .045″ (1,14mm) ø plated through-hole. Brass alloy with  press-fit into each receptacle shell forming a gas-tight connection.  Four finger contact beryllium copper strips  with  current rating of 3 amps (@10ºC temp. rise in free air).

For connectivity where it is not possible to use standard pin connector and have it serviceable Pogo Pin. A design concept was developed to electrically connect using spring loaded gold plated pogo pins from Mill-Max with contact pad. The proposed connector system solution consists of the following components:

1a. Spring Loaded Connector
1b. PCB Assembly
2. Pad Connector
3. Cable Assembly

New Solder Cup Connectors and Terminal Pins:

The solder cup also allows the solder to pool and form around the wire leading to better solder joints and more reliable, robust connections. Mill-Max has developed new manufacturing techniques and equipment to produce solder cup features for 2mm and .050” pitch connectors, right angle and low-profile interconnects and integrated into fine pitch spring loaded connectors. Mill-Max has a wide range of products with solder cup features including discrete receptacles, terminal pins and spring-loaded pins as well as standard .100” pitch headers, sockets and spring-loaded connectors.

CLICK https://www.mill-max.com/products/new/new-solder-cup-connectors-and-terminal-pins for more information.

Zero Profile Press-Fit Receptacles Keep Components Flush

With zero profile receptacles, Mill-Max has eliminated any above board connector protrusion, enabling overall package height to be reduced. These receptacles have a precision machined, hexagon shaped flange which is pressed into the PCB Plated Through-Hole (PTH) until flush with the surface of the board.  No soldering is required as the press-fit forms a gas-tight connection with a properly specified plated through hole.  After installation, the zero profile PCB contacts enable a broad range of devices to be plugged in while minimizing overall interconnect height.  The smallest of the receptacles has a lead acceptance range of just .008” – .013” (,2 – ,33 mm) diameter while the largest accepts .045” – .065” (1,14 – 1,65 mm).  All the receptacles have an open bottom to allow leads to pass through and are designed to have a minimal overall length; useful features for low profile board stacking applications.  The open bottom eliminates the need for precise lead trimming.

CLICK https://www.mill-max.com/products/new/zero-profile-press-fit-receptacles

Mill-Max introduced selection of new target connectors and pins.  These components are used in place of SMT pads on a PCB as the mating surface for spring-loaded pins.  The new series’ are offered in .100” (2,54 mm) and 2 mm grid connectors as well as new discrete pins for a wide range of applications.

Combining target connectors with spring-loaded connectors on opposing boards can be a simple and convenient solution for making connections between stacked boards or docking stations and devices.

New line of 2 mm pitch target connectors are designed to mate with their recently released 836 and 838 series single and double row 2 mm pitch spring-loaded connectors.  They are offering both through-hole and SMT terminations with the SMT products packaged on tape and reel.  This product family includes choices for connectors with flat or concave face contact surfaces. Concave face targets provide additional surface area for mating and can aid in centering/alignment of components and/or boards fitted with spring-loaded connectors.

All the pins are RoHS compliant precision-machined and gold-plated for environmental protection, durability and good conductivity.  The connector insulators are molded from high temperature plastic suitable for most soldering process including RoHS environments.

For more information go to https://www.mill-max.com/new_products