Miniaturization of soldered contacts

Due to the need for miniaturization in a growing number of electronics systems, more and more designers need to overcome the lack of space with their connecting solutions. In those reduced spaces, they also need to integrate more complex functionalities. For example, some RF (radio-frequency) functionalities need to adapt to cables with reduced diameters, typically 1.2mm called microwave.

Nicomatic provides solutions for this type of need with male and female HF contacts to be soldered, that can adapt to very small diameters, provide good retention and ensure a reliable signal transmission with reduced loss.

Those HF contacts 22-1312-ZZ / 22-2312-ZZ (50 Ohm version) and 22-1312-ZZ-75 / 22-2312-ZZ-75 (75 Ohm version) are soldered on small diameter cables and ensure high reliability in harsh environments. For example, Nicomatic has solved a customer constraint in a military environment where the crimped contact retention was not enough and the process difficult to repeat at the assembly stage. Another example is in a satellite application where it was required to increase the retention performance but also to ease the assembly at the workshop where the competency needed to be developed.

Those projects gave the opportunity to identify real needs and to implement solutions such as instructions available now online, an adapted contact technology, and the required tooling. Most designers/assemblers use bigger contacts in current equipment such as RG316 cables and, so, diameters bigger to solder (2.7mm) and are more used to dealing with sizes matching these standards.

Applications are wide but can be found especially in miniature equipment, satellites, medical equipment, and military electronics sub-assemblies. We have developed a dedicated CMM series for these markets called CMM 340.

Our know-how enables as well to support our customers by doing ourselves the soldering of contact on small diameter cables.