Connector takes the heat

Engineers at Tyco Electronics, Harrisburg, Pa., put an Amodel polyphthalamide (PPA) material in a power control module connector that mounts in an auto-engine bay. A key trait was the material's ability to withstand the heat encountered during assembly. The connector attaches to the module circuit board by an IR-reflow process. During this process, the 190 connector pins solder to a PCB at 250°C. The connector material must withstand this heat without charring or melting as well as resist any distortion that may cause stresses in the circuit board. The heat-deflection temperature for Amodel AS-4133 HS is 300°C at 264 psi. The material, from Solvay Advanced Polymers, Alpharetta, Ga. (www.solvay.com), costs less than polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), which also serves in this application. Moreover, the Amodel material crystallizes quickly using conventional hot water molding, said to result in faster cycle times compared to other resins.