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Small, Stable and Reliable - Precision Metal Pins W. C. Heraeus produces precision pins, e.g. for technical equipment exposed to severe mechanical demands

Lamps, cardiac pace maker feed-throughs, plugging connectors and spark plugs have one thing in common – they would not function without precision metal pins. The corrosion resistant contact pins from W. C. Heraeus, which are sometimes only some tenths of a millimetres thick, are made of metals such as platinum, gold and niobium or special precious metal alloys. As plugging connectors or supporting devices they are a component of many types of (medical) technological equipment which are exposed, for instance, to severe mechanical loads (in chemical apparatus engineering) or to permanently aggressive media (in lamps). The company of the Hanau precious metal and technology Heraeus Group produces precision pins with diameters from 0.2 to 2.5 mm both in smallest quantities and in series of millions using a high degree of production integration.

W. C. Heraeus has at its disposal comprehensive expertise in the processing of precious and special metals. In principal, the entire range of precious metals, special metals and precious metal alloys can be melted, purified and drawn into wires to be finally fabricated to pins. Depending on design wishes and specifications, pins can be manufactured in various stamped forms. For instance, they can be stamped to a rectangular form with upset corners which are subsequently rounded, or stamped to give a square section in the central portion for anchoring in plastics. In addition, the surface properties - like corrosion resistance or electrical conductivity - of the metal pins can be improved by either electroplating or physical vapour deposition (PVD).

The metal pins pass through various quality controls on their way from the alloy melt through the individual processing steps to the final product. Heraeus has its own laboratories for metallurgical investigations.

Versatile applications:
Many Heraeus parts made out of niobium, tantalum or platinum alloys are used in lighting technology because of their temperature and corrosion resistivity, especially niobium–zirconium alloys for metal halide lamps, high pressure sodium lamps and CCFL backlight illumination in flat screens. Niobium pins are found in medical technology in cardiac pace makers, and an automobile whose spark plugs are without platinum alloy pins is almost unknown.