Ticona Vectra LCP Enhances Precision of Rugged Samtec Tiger Eye
Ticona Vectra LCP Enhances Precision of Rugged Samtec Tiger Eye
The Tiger Eye SEM Series from Samtec is known in the industry as the standard for ruggedness and reliability thanks to the right combination of design, assembly, and materials, including Vectra liquid crystal polymer (LCP) from Ticona, the engineering polymers business of Celanese Corporation.
“Vectra E130i delivers the needed precision, dimensional stability, and mold flow characteristics that have helped make the Tiger Eye SEM Series contact one of the Samtec flagship brands,” said Doug McCartin, HUB engineering manager at Samtec. “This high performance engineering thermoplastic meets the need for our micro pitch interconnects that require lead-free solder at 0.3 millimeter wall sections.”
Well-suited for electrical and electronic (E/E) components, 30% glass fiber-reinforced Vectra E130i is a material of choice for Samtec because it offers high-temperature resistance, excellent dimensional stability, and high flow. It is part of the Vectra/Zenite family of halogen-free, high-performance LCPs that Ticona will showcase at Booth #523 during the DesignCon 2013 Expo on Jan. 29 and 30 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in California.
“The Tiger Eye SEM Series is a success because it is the right combination of high-performance engineering thermoplastics and base metals, along with pin design, geometry, and assembly process,” McCartin said.
The SEM Series, the next generation of the Tiger Eye contact family, incorporates the rugged, multi-finger contacts into a 0.8 mm-pitch connector system that provides reliability and ruggedness in a micro footprint. The interconnect uses Vectra E130i injected-molded insulators that precisely hold in place the contacts made from beryllium copper, which is preferred for micro pitch connectors where the contact beam is very short and normal force must be maximized. These contacts are used in a variety of applications, including industrial automation, process control, miniature/handheld devices, diagnostic equipment, communications, energy, security, and surveillance.
“Vectra E130i can fill complex flow paths and create thin-walled parts with outstanding dimensional accuracy, both of which are essential in creating high-precision parts like the Tiger Eye SEM Series contact, ” said Ruth Castillo, Vectra and Zenite LCP global business director — Ticona. “Vectra LCP provides excellent dimensional stability and a low coefficient of thermal expansion, which enables E/E manufacturers to repeatedly achieve dimensional accuracy with virtually flash-free parts at an economical cost. ”
Vectra E130i, part of a family of high-performance engineering thermoplastics including special polymers that meet challenging application requirements for higher temperature, mechanical strength, and flatness, has proven to be an excellent choice in a broad range of applications.
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