New miniature spring-loaded pins and connectors for electronic devices

By Michelle Froese | December 20, 2023

Mill-Max Manufacturing has released a new line of miniature spring-loaded pins and connectors. These interconnects address the ever-shrinking requirements of electronic device packaging while providing exceptional electrical and mechanical performance.

These compact spring-loaded pins and connectors are designed for .050″ pitch applications.

Through extensive development and testing, Mill-Max has designed and produced spring-loaded pins with a 33% reduction in height from its pins in the .050″ pitch (1.27 mm) category. The new additions include discrete pins and connectors in single and double-row versions.

The pins: 0950-0-15-20-64-14-11-0 (SMT version) and 0984-0-15-20-64-14-11-0 (through-hole version) have an above-board height of just .166″ (4.2 mm), a full stroke capability of .040″ (1 mm), and provide 50 grams of force at the mid-stroke working travel of .020″ (.5 mm).

Electrically, the pins are characterized by a contact resistance of less than 20 milliohms and a maximum current rating of 7 amps at a 30⁰ C temperature rise. The pins also meet the shock and vibration requirements of IEC standards 60512-6-3 and 60512-6-4.

The new single and double-row connectors have .050″ (1.27 mm) pin-to-pin spacing are available in surface-mount and through-hole configurations, exhibiting the low above-board height of .166″ (4.2 mm). The single-row connectors, 854-22-0XX-10-004101 (through-hole) and 854-22-0XX-30-004101 (SMT) are offered in 2-20 positions while the double-row connectors, 855-22-0XX-10-004101 (through-hole) and 855-22-0XX-30-004101 (SMT) are offered in 4-40 positions.

The connector insulator material is high temperature, durable Nylon, suitable for all soldering processes. Paired with Mill-Max’s 856 or 857 series target connectors, board-to-board heights as low as .236″ (6 mm) can be achieved at mid-stroke compression. The company also offers target connectors in surface-mount, through-hole, right-angle, and wire-termination styles to provide solutions for nearly any interconnect application.

These new low profile spring-loaded pins are made with precision-machined components and stainless-steel springs. They’re gold-plated to ensure the highest conductivity, corrosion resistance, and endurance. They have a durability of 100,000 cycles minimum, at half stroke, while continuing to meet their electrical and mechanical specifications.