STOCKO Contact, one of the leading European manufacturers of electro-mechanical components, and the first company in Europe to introduce a SMT RAST connector, has extended its product range with two new series of SMT pin connectors for use in domestic appliance engineering. Following trials of DSM’s new high performance polymer Stanyl® ForTii™, Stocko now plans to switch all their SMT connectors to Stanyl ForTii.

The two series of pin connectors are designed mainly for usage in unattended domestic appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, refrigerators and cookers, all falling into the IEC 60335-1 norm. They are ECO-FLEX M SMT: MS 9481, which meet RAST 5 standard and ECO-TRONIC SMT: MS 7246/7247 to RAST 2.5 standard. Both can be fully integrated into the latest printed circuit board manufacturing processes with all the advantages of the SMT technology. The connectors can be assembled by lead-free reflow soldering, making this the first RAST platform that can be reflow soldered. For this new application, Stocko Contact tested a flame retardant (UL94-V0) halogen free 30% glass filled grade of Stanyl ForTii from DSM Engineering Plastics.

Stanyl ForTii is an entirely new polymer family. It offers a unique balance of properties including excellent dimensional stability, full compatibility with lead free reflow soldering, high stiffness and mechanical strength at elevated temperatures, high melting and glass transition point as well as excellent processability in terms of flow and processing window.

Unique properties of Stanyl ForTii in this application include its reflow soldering ability, which is better than PPA, very high pin retention values which are better than LCPs, stable and fast processing, very good electrical properties (CTI 600V), low moisture uptake and proven lower corrosion on molding equipment compared with competitive products. In addition, the Halogen Free V-0 material was able to pass the Glow Wire Test on end products according to IEC 60335-1.

Dipl.-ing Michael Degenhardt, Design Engineer Connectors at Stocko Contact says: “Stocko is setting the pace with RAST connectors and we are the first company to introduce SMT RAST solutions with significant cost reduction compared to previous Through Hole solutions. This provides OEMs in the Whitegoods Industry with true value and competitive advantage by fulfilling their demanding requirements. Stocko Contact and DSM have been cooperating closely over the past years. In this way, Stocko benefits from new polymer developments and DSM can develop and optimize polymers aligned with their customers roadmaps.”

About Stanyl ForTii
New Stanyl ForTii meets market trends for miniaturization and convergence of electronic devices like cell phones and computers. It will assist automakers in continued weight reduction efforts for better fuel efficiency and lower costs. It is highly suitable for electronics applications such as memory card connectors, CPU sockets, high temperature bobbins, switches or notebook computer memory module connectors, based on its excellent compatibility in lead free surface mount technology and dimensional stability. In automotive markets, the material will be able to support new developments in under the hood applications for automotive electrical systems, air/fuel and powertrain components. In the lighting industry, customer trials have revealed an excellent fit for Light Emitting Diode packages and modules due to high reflectivity and excellent high temperature stability.

Patrick Duis, Application Development Engineer at DSM Engineering Plastics says: “Stanyl ForTii gives customers an opportunity to re-consider their designs and material choices. It expands the application range of DSM Engineering Plastics to applications with reflow surface mount technology and will help customers to achieve higher performance in their applications and meet current and upcoming requirements of original equipment manufacturer. With an entirely halogen free portfolio, this development will support customer demand in the Whitegoods Industry in the same way as we already successfully do in Computing, Consumer and Communication Industries.”