This section provides an overview for contact pins as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 16 contact pin manufacturers and their company rankings.
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A contact pin is a component for connecting electrical signals that consists of crimp terminals. A contact pin is often used in locations where soldering is difficult or when wiring cables need to be connected in the shortest possible distance for compactness. They are individually modularized, and each contact can be replaced or reused. There are various standards, and some types connect directly to the board.
Materials are generally brass, pure copper, and phosphor bronze, with gold-plated or tin-plated surfaces to prevent rust. Phosphor bronze provides greater flexibility. Pure copper is used for power supply.
Contact pins are used in a wide variety of forms, including connections between wire cables and pin-socket type connector terminal applications for factory automation equipment and electronic devices.
They are also used in a wide range of industrial applications, such as power connection terminals for evaluation boards for various ICs and modules, LAN boards for data communication, and control lines for equipment for the aerospace industry.
Note that the shape and size of the pins vary depending on the intended use, so care should be taken in the specifications of the contact pins to be selected.
Contact pins, also commonly referred to as contacts, come in male and female types. Pin contacts are male and socket contacts are female. Male contacts are also called posts and female contacts are also called housings.
When connecting to a circuit board, a connector that connects to the board, called a post with base, is used in pairs with the housing. The contact pins connected to the wire cable are electrically connected to the wiring on the board side via the connector.
Each contact pin is electrically connected to the cable through a crimp connection. The center part is the core wire part for crimping the core wire, and the outer part is the sheath part that is tightened together with the sheath to secure the cable. The center part is also called the core wire barrel and is tightened together with the cable. The sheathed part is also called the sheathed barrel.
A special crimping tool is used to crimp the contact pins to the cable, and the tool should be selected according to the size range of the pin.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Keystone Electronics Corp. has a 70 year history and is headquartered in New Hyde Park, New York. Keystone is a global manufacturer of precision electronic components and hardware. Keystone is ISO 9001:2015 certified. Keystone offers several types of products including battery & coin cell holders, contacts, && clips, fuse clips & fuse holders, handles for instrumentation, metal key-pad dome switches, multi-purpose hardware, PC board hardware, plugs, pins, jacks, sockets, quick-fit terminals, screw terminals, terminal blocks, screws, spacers, standoffs, terminals, terminal boards, test points, tips, probes, jumpers, and clips. Keystone also offers custom manufacturing capabilities including stamping, machining, assembly, tool room, and quality assurance.
Founded in San Clemente, California in 1997, NetSource Technology, Inc. is an independent stocking distributor of electronic components and global procurement services, providing comprehensive supply chain solutions to OEMs and contract manufacturers worldwide. NetSource Technology serves the aerospace, automotive, IoT, medical, mobile device, and telecommunications industries and related companies. NetSource Technology specializes in locating hard-to-find, obsolete, end-of-life and highly allocated components with long lead times, supporting customers throughout the complete supply chain lifecycle.
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