New Harwin Multi-Directional Spring Contacts Address Situations Where Board Connection Flexibility is Needed

Latest additions present a compact method for implementing both horizontal and vertical connections

Always providing highly inventive engineering solutions, Harwin has now expanded its range of spring contacts with the addition of two further versions. These new surface mount components are capable of supporting both horizontal and vertical connection orientations, but come in smaller size formats than were previously available. The S1961-46R has a 3.55mm height, while the S1971-46R has a height of 4.55mm.

Although there are a multitude of vertical-only spring contacts already on the market, components that can also support horizontal operation are less common. However, the demand for higher density electronic designs means that engineers need greater flexibility with regard to how boards are connected together – and this is why support for multi-directional operation is so attractive.

The S1961-46R and S1971-46R both have current ratings of 14 Amps. This enables them to be used in low level power delivery applications, as well as signal transfer and enclosure grounding tasks. They have a mating durability of more than 5,000 cycles. As connection is through touch rather than a wiping action, they have a greater operational life than horizontal tin-plated connectors.

“Our initial multi-directional spring contact offering proved very successful, as these components have been able to provide a much more flexible method for connecting PCBs to accommodate different arrangements,” explains Ryan Smart, NPI Product Manager at Harwin. “After their introduction, we received many requests from customers to develop more compact options, with smaller footprints and lower profiles. This has been the motivation behind our release of the S1961-46R and S1971-46R, as it means our customers can meet a broader spectrum of application criteria.”

These new items complement Harwin’s existing multi-directional spring contact products with larger form factors – the S1941-46R and S1941-42R, as well as the S1951-46R. As with all of Harwin’s spring contact products, the new units are supplied via tape-and-reel. Their surface mount design means they are suitable for automated assembly lines using pick-and-place machines.