GCT recently expanded its engineering team to maintain fast turnaround times. As an example of a recent design that was turned around in eight weeks, a customer approached GCT to provide an RJ45 modular jack with a very small width sidewalls, their application didn’t have the space to accept a standard size connector. After understanding the customers’ requirements and assessing the quality implications of molding very thin side walls GCT asked ’why use walls at all?’
GCT offered a modular jack connector without an outside wall, the key design challenge was to hold the eight contacts in place, as without a side wall they would be highly likely to move out of position upon mating. GCT proposed a snap fit comb to be fitted over the contacts of the SMT connector post reflow soldering. The fitted comb not only keeps the contacts in the correct position for the lifetime of the product but also holds the contacts upright for final assembly, securely fastened in place by the customer’s SFP die-cast hood.
To allow auto SMT assembly the main body of the connector was designed to be fitted on the underside of a cutout PCB with two locating pegs providing placement assistance and extra strength.
GCT also offered custom tape & reel packing, no special film was required as flat area was designed on the connector to allow vacuum suction, and commercially GCT delivered the solution for the same price as a standard SMT mod jack.
For more information, visit www.gtc.co.
