Pins & Spacers
Board stacking, soldered threads and high-current terminals
Board-level hardware · Pins & Spacers Overview
A PCB stack is a mechanical assembly as much as an electrical one. The distance between boards decides whether connectors mate without stress, and the thread that a screw enters has to survive the assembly torque without pulling the copper off the board. Standoffs and board-level hardware exist to solve both problems at once.
Three product groups cover most of it. Threaded standoffs set the board pitch. Tin-plated copper nuts and small plates are soldered directly onto the board to form a threaded connection, and can also be used to set a height. High-current terminals conduct current while connecting boards and forming a reliable threaded connection. The solderable parts can be supplied in tape and reel for automatic placement, and internal or external threads can be pre-coated with adhesive for locking.
Product groups
Threaded standoffs, solderable nuts and plates, high-current terminals
Solderable material
Tin-plated copper
Packaging
Tape and reel available for solderable parts
Functions
Threaded connection, height spacing, current conduction
Locking
Internal and external threads can be pre-coated with adhesive
Standoff materials
Brass, stainless steel, aluminium
Design intent
Six engineering decisions that separate a micro fastener that works from one that merely fits the drawing.
Tin-plated copper nuts and small plates solder onto the board to create a threaded connection where the board itself has no room for a nut.
The same parts set the distance between boards, so one component provides both the thread and the stack height.
Solderable parts are available in tape and reel packaging for automatic placement, so they are treated as SMT components rather than loose hardware.
Terminals conduct current while connecting PCBs and forming a reliable threaded connection — power and earth paths through the stack.
Internal and external threads can be pre-coated with adhesive for locking, removing a dispensing step from the assembly line.
Standoffs, solderable nuts, terminals and the mating screws are specified together so thread depth and screw length match.
Technical data
Reference data for design and sourcing. For a specific part, the drawing governs — these tables are the starting point for a joint review.
| Product | Function | Attachment | Packaging | Typical position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threaded standoff | Sets board pitch, provides thread | Threaded or press-fit | Bulk / tray | Board-to-board, board-to-chassis |
| Solderable copper nut | Threaded connection on the board | Soldered | Tape and reel | Screw-down point on a PCB |
| Solderable plate | Threaded connection plus height | Soldered | Tape and reel | Reinforced screw position |
| High-current terminal | Current path plus threaded connection | Soldered | Tape and reel | Power and earth connection |
Values are typical for the stated material and finish. Actual performance depends on the mating material, engagement length and assembly torque. Confirm with a sample test before design freeze.
Options
Mix these within one part number family. Where a combination is not manufacturable at your tolerance, we will say so at quotation rather than after the first lot.
Where it is used
Representative positions rather than an exhaustive list. Many of our parts are designed for one specific assembly and never appear in a catalogue.
| Assembly | Typical use |
|---|---|
| Multi-board stack | Standoffs fixing the pitch between boards in an enclosure |
| PCB screw-down point | Solderable copper nut giving a thread where the board has no space for a nut |
| Power connection | High-current terminals carrying current and providing a threaded joint |
| Board-to-chassis mounting | Standoffs with a thread at both ends |
| Automated SMT line | Tape-and-reel solderable hardware placed like any other component |
| Earth path through a stack | Conductive standoffs bonding boards to the chassis |
Quality control
Inspection is not a final gate. It is a set of checks placed where a process can actually drift, with the result recorded against the lot code.
01
Thread gauge, GO / NO-GO
02
Length and face squareness against drawing
03
Solderability of tin-plated parts
04
Plating thickness, X-ray fluorescence
05
Tape and reel dimensions and placement orientation
06
Contact resistance where current path is specified
07
Visual inspection of plating and solderable surfaces
Questions
The questions our engineers answer most often on this product family.
Related products
These families are frequently used in the same assembly, or as an alternative when the joint requirement changes.
Thread & Panel · Light alloy & plastic
Thread inserts give a lightweight structure a thread that survives repeated assembly — wire thread inserts, self-tapping inserts and key-locking inserts for plastic, aluminium and magnesium.
Micro Screws · M0.6 – M2
Micro machine screws that engage a pre-formed thread — a tapped hole, a brass insert or a heat-set nut — and hold their clamp load through repeated disassembly.
Pins & Spacers · Pivot & locating duties
Shoulder screws and precision pins for joints and motion structures — a ground shank that acts as a pivot or locating shaft while the thread clamps the assembly together.
Thread & Panel · Sheet metal panels
Clinching nuts, studs and grounding terminals are pressed into sheet metal with a press, giving a permanent load-bearing thread in a panel that is often thinner than the thread itself.
Send a drawing or 3D model with the mating material and finish requirement. The reply is a process route, a tolerance review and a price — with the assumptions stated.
