Spring pins

Spring locating pins hold small parts in tight spots while maintaining constant pressure. When parts are inserted into a fixture, the pins temporarily deflect, allowing the part to snap into place. Versions are available with and without seals and with either a plastic or steel pin and an aluminum body.

Jergens, 15700 S. Waterloo Rd., Cleveland, OH 44110; FAX (216) 481-6193; www.jergensinc.com .

Enclosures

Fiberglass junction enclosures come in two sizes: 7 x 4 x 3 and 9 x 4 x 3 inches. Features include captive stainless-steel cover screws, tongue-and-groove gaskets, reinforced corners, and mounting inserts for an optional aluminum back panel. The enclosures are UL listed and CSA certified, and meet NEMA Type 1, 2, 3, 3R, 4, 4X, 12, and 13 specifications.

Allied Moulded Products, Box 587, Bryan, OH 43506; FAX (419) 636-2450; www.enclosures.alliedmoulded.com .

Pin feeder

Designed to mount to a flexible placement system, the Surf-Shooter SMT(TM)can feed loose SMT pins at 1 pin/sec. Less than 4 inches wide, the feeder is self contained, requiring no electronic control interface to the placement machine. The unit's programmable controller dictates pin movement from the vibratory feeder to the placement system's vacuum nozzle.

Zierick Manufacturing Corp., Radio Circle, Mt. Kisco, NY 10549; FAX (914) 666-0216; www.zierick.com .

Nuts

Available in both inch and metric sizes, CFL Series stainless-steel flush nuts provide load-bearing threads in materials as thin as 0.060 inch. A hexagonal head design provides a tenacious grip against rotational and pull-out forces.

Captive Fastener Corp., 19 Thornton Rd., Oakland, NJ 07436; FAX (201) 337-1012; www.captive-fastener.com .

Vacuum device

Shaped like a pen, the VTB Air Pincette vacuum pad/valve lets users pick up tiny components, easing manual assembly of miniature parts. Service pressure ranges from 21.3 to 100 psi, supply pressure is 71.1 psi, and final vacuum is -25.6 inches Hg. Accessories include 2, 4, 6, and 8 mm-diameter silicon pads with adapters and coiled tubing.

Pisco U.S.A., 2228 Landmeier Rd., Elk Grove Village, IL 60007; FAX (847) 427-1317; www.pisco.com .

Screwdriver

The E-Driv electric screwdriver offers precise torque control and an external-brush, low-voltage, heavy-duty motor. When fasteners are fully seated and the preset torque is reached, the automatic shut-off feature prevents overtorquing and reduces user fatigue. The driver plugs into 110V wall outlets via a 9-ft cord.

Mountz Inc., 1080 North 11th St., San Jose, CA 95112; FAX (408) 292-2733; www.Etorque.com .

Bracket

Slot nuts let this face-mounted "L" bracket provide high strength at the corners. The anodized aluminum-alloy bracket allows full coverage for a lexan or wire-mesh enclosure around the "T" slot without having to notch the material.

FlexLink Systems, 1530 Valley Center Pkwy Suite 200, Bethlehem, PA 18017; FAX (610) 954-7045; www.flexlink.com .

Adhesive

SUPERTHERM 816H01 two-component epoxy bonds to itself and to metals, silica, alumina, sapphire, ceramics, glass, plastics, and other materials. The adhesive forms durable, high-impact bonds, and has passed NASA's outgassing specifications for space and cryogenic applications.

Tra-Con Inc., 45 Wiggins Ave., Bedford, MA 01730; FAX (781) 275-9249; www.tra-con.com .

Tape

Designed for bonding to low-energy surfaces such as foam and rubber, #4295 is a 0.5 mil polyester film double coated with a synthetic adhesive. The tape withstands continuous-use temperatures of 40 to 212F. Standard widths are 39.37, 54, 60, 72, and 78.74 inches.

Venture Tape Corp., Box 384, Rockland, MA 02370; FAX (781) 871-0065; www.venturetape.com .

Adhesive

A clear, low-viscosity epoxy, AngstromBond(R)AB9104 adhesive cures at room temperature with very low shrinkage. The material bonds to glass, ceramics, metals, and most plastic substrates. Features include low outgassing, chemical and solvent resistance, and ability to act as an electrical insulator.

Fiber Optic Center Inc., 23 Centre St., New Bedford, MA 02740-6322; FAX (508) 991-8876; www.focenter.com .

Plunger

The Push-Fit Ball plunger comprises a spring, ball, and nonthreaded body. It installs into soft materials such as wood, plastic, and aluminum without tools, and features a shoulder for easy location. The body is available in steel and stainless steel; the ball comes in stainless steel or nylon.

Vlier, 40 Guest St., Brighton, MA 02135-9105; FAX (617) 783-2436.

Sleeving

Capable of expanding up to three times its size, Protecto(TM)expandable plastic sleeving fits over cables, hoses, and tubing and their associated connectors or fittings to protect against abrasion. The flexible, self-fitting woven product comes in a variety of materials and IDs ranging from 1/8 to 21/2 inches.

Nelco Products Inc., 22 Riverside Dr., Pembroke, MA 02359; FAX (781) 826-7344; www.nelcoproducts.com .

Collar studs

Available in mild and stainless steel, collar studs deliver a durable, one-sided weld that prevents leakage and corrosion, typically providing greater structural strength than the base metal. Thread sizes range from 1/4 to 1/2 inch with a variety of standard base lengths. Metric sizes and custom-made parts are also available.

Image Industries Inc., 382 Balm Ct., Wood Dale, IL 60191; FAX (630)766-2402.

Nuts

Designed to protect NPT and NPS pipe threads as well as unified screw threads, nylon nuts and jam nuts are available in black or natural. LW Series wing nuts and LC Series cap nuts come in thread sizes from 4-40 to 1/2-13; LH Series hex nuts offer thread sizes from 4-40 to 1/2-20. TN Series nylon jam nuts are available in thread sizes 3/8-18 to 3/4-14, interior diameters of 0.25 to 0.38 inch, and widths of 1 to 1.5 inches.

Niagara Plastics Co., 7090 Edinboro Rd., Erie, PA 16509; FAX (800) 358-4391; www.niagaraplastics.com .

Rivet tool

The POP PowerLink 30 rivet tool kit packs the PowerLink 30 hand rivet tool and 200 POP(R)blind rivets and rivet washers in a molded plastic case. The ergonomic tool can set rivets up to 3/16 inch, and has other nose pieces for setting 3/32, 1/8, and 5/32 inch rivets.

Emhart Fastening Teknologies, Box 859, Shelton, CT 06484; FAX (203) 925-3109; www.emhart.com .

Ceramic-based adhesive

Ceramabond(TM)503 is a high temperature ceramic-based adhesive used in the production of heating modules in space vehicles and drop-tube vacuum furnaces. The product has a reported dielectric strength of 250V per mil, and after curing will not outgas in a vacuum. Other applications include bonding and coating temperature probes, strain gauges, and oxygen.

Aremco Products, Box 517 707-B Executive Blvd., Valley Cottage, NY 10989-0989; FAX (201) 337-1012; www.aremco.com .

Anti-seize paste

Molykote(R)P37 High Temperature paste is designed to prevent stress corrosion and cracking in high-temperature environments while delivering high lubricity and load-carrying capacity. The paste is said to work with stainless steel, ni-monic steel and other alloys, and protects metals from sulfur and halogens, including chlorine, fluorine, and bromine.

Dow Corning Corp., Box 0994, Midland, MI 48686-0994; FAX (517) 496-8026; www.dowcorning.com .

Heat-resistant epoxy

EP101HTAO is a two component epoxy compound for potting, casting encapsulation, and sealing up to 500F. The manufacturer says that the epoxy is made of heat-resistant liquid epoxy resin and a curing agent which presents minimal toxicological hazards. Epoxy can be cured at between -275 and 400F, and can be used in electronic applications where a high degree of heat dissipation is desirable.

Master Bond Inc., 154 Hobart St., Hackensack, NJ 07601; FAX (201) 343-2132; www.masterbond.com .

Fasteners

This company's line of miniature self-clinching fasteners is made of stainless steel and available with locking and non-locking threads for use in thin sheet metal applications. The self-locking versions provide a prevailing torque on the mating and a dry film lubricant finish to aid installation. The fasteners also feature an aggressive knurl designed to withstand a high torque-out resistance after installation.

Captive Fastener Corp., 19 Thornton Rd., Oakland, NJ 07436; FAX (201) 337-1012; www.captive-fastener.com .

Toolholders

This company's line of specialized toolholders is designed for the accuracy and close tolerances required for aerospace component machining. The Thermolock(TM)Shrink Fit toolholders are said to eliminate centrifugal and vibration problems inherent to high speed machining, allowing optimal material removal. Other products available include Extra Extended-Length and mill holders, HSK shell mill holders, and NMTB style holders.

Command Tooling Systems, 13931 Sunfish Lake Blvd., Ramsey, MN 55303; FAX (800) 555-7694; www.commandtool.com .