Michael:

In a former life I worked for a company with a captive hybrid manufacturing facility.  The pins you mention are indeed supplied on a reel with a strip of metal connecting the pins.  One, possibly the most common, substrate for thick film hybrid circuits is alumina.  The pins are usually
attached to the substrate after it is assembled and separated into individual circuits.  (Yes, they panelize too - all the way up to 6" X 6", sometimes bigger!)

The pins are attached to the substrate by a proprietary machine (supplied by the pin manufacturer) and are soldered to the substrate by dip soldering (usual method).  I realize that this may sound somewhat primitive to those readers involved in high technology electronic assembly, but that
is the way it is done.  I was quite surprised to learn of the parallels and differences between thick film hybrids and printed boards.

After that digression, I have to admit that I am writing this from home and do not have access to the name of the manufacturer of the pins.  If you require that information, please contact me privately, and I will obtain the supplier information for you.  I don't know if your requirement
can be met, but the pins are available in a variety of styles for both width and substrate thickness.  Normally, I would expect your assembler (often the thick film hybrid manufacturer) would have the source and tooling for these parts.  If you require passive or active trim of the
resistors, your assembler should have pin assembly and laser trimming equipment.

Don Vischulis
[log in to unmask]

Michael Yarrow wrote:

> Hi everyone
>
> Has anyone out there had experience with hybrid circuits ?  If so, then I would like help concerning the obtaining of some pins for hybrid circuits.
>
> These pins are soldered along each side of the hybrid circuit's substrate material, (which is white - which I assume is some kind of alumina and/or ceramic-based material, and is extremely brittle).
>
> The "standard" pins we are using at the moment are broader at one end than the other, and measure about 11mm long.  They are 0.5mm wide at the narrow end, and about 1.4mm wide at the opposite end.  The length of the broader section is 2.6mm, (which is included in the 11mm total length).
>
> I imagine that they are manufactured by a stamping machine, and produced as one strip, with a continuous length of metal along one edge, to provide a break-off strip once the pins have been attached to the hybrid circuit.
>
> My question is: Does anyone know where I can obtain strips of hybrid pins (that I can supply to a hybrid circuit assembler as part of a kit of parts for manufacture) similar to that described, but with a wider section (1.4mm wide) that is 8mm to 8.5mm of the total length (11mm) ?
>
> Your help would be greatly appreciated !
>
> Thanks in anticipation
>
> Michael Yarrow
> Design Engineer
> Techniplan International Pty Ltd
> [log in to unmask]
>

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