I have been in electronics materials for over 16 years and operations
for the last five and will have to agree that to a degree distributors
do make life difficult in autoinsertion applications by jamming the
keeper pins through those neat little packages.  Unfortunately, any
distributor following procedures will do this.  The best solution is to
order in tube quantities (full tubes) only.  Most Inventory/MRP systems
allow for package quantities to help materials personnel order in tube
quantities, this is very much standard.  Another way is to ask the
vendor partner/distributor to only sell in tube quantities when your
company calls.  The age old battle can also be won by doing as we have
always done, make sure all materials related personnel work on the
production lines for a couple of days. :')

Benjamin A Guthrie wrote:
> 
> I need some help with an old-tech problem.
> 
> We buy a variety of 0.300"-wide plastic DIPs packaged in tubes for automatic
> insertion on a Universal inserter.  Polarity is constant within each tube,
> and the tubes are loaded into the machine oriented to produce the polarity
> needed for the particular applications.  DIP tubes are prepunched near the
> ends with nice, smooth holes into which the DIP suppliers insert hard
> plastic pins to retain the parts in the tube.  However, when we buy a
> partial tube of parts, they punch a pin through the tube behind the last
> part, and the pin forces a deep plastic "burr" into the tube channel.
> Depending on the insertion application, (half the time) we must dispense the
> parts from the "burred" end of the tube, and they won't fall past the burr.
> Bummer.  The machine operator has to transfer the parts from the shipping
> tube to a smooth tube, keeping polarity uniform, before using the parts.  Up
> go cost, cycle time, and defects.
> 
> My IC buyer tells me I'm dealing with an industry norm, and woe unto me if I
> try to change anything.  Am I really?  Is the pin stuffed into the middle of
> a partial tube really necessary?  Are the parts that fragile?  Is there a
> bad experience back there somewhere for which I'm still suffering?  Some
> suppliers shove a piece of foam down to the last part, but try getting that
> thing out if application polarity requires it.  Hah!
> 
> I'd be particularly interested in hearing from somebody (still using DIPs)
> who buys them in tubes secured at the ends only, regardless how full the
> tube is; or somebody who gets them secured without damaging the tube; or
> somebody who sells DIPs that can tell me if I'm pushing a rope or not.
> 
> Thanks.
> --------------------------------------
> Hughes Defense Communications
> Benjamin A Guthrie                     Phone: (219)429-8324
> Mail Stop:25-31  Fax: (219)429-4688     Email: [log in to unmask]
> HDC, 1010 Production Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46808
> 
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