What is it with Molex?

My guess is what is rather a lot for you is probably a few minutes of run f or Molex. And tooling up for short runs is no longer economical for a 'jus t in time' era. Similarly resellers keeping items in stock. Look at your fu ture, and order accordingly. Expect more of this. Manufacturers are learnin g just how lean they can be, and just how few people they need to survive - and very likely just how sloppy were their operations prior to this crisis . Those jobs are NOT coming back, guys and gals. My guess is that there wil l be a surge in productivity per worker, but substantially fewer of them.

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA

-J

What gets me is the price of the extraction tool. They want $ 42 for a piece of steel that probably cost less than a dime and maybe after tooling and design work a few bucks. I would think that $ 5 would be more than a fair price for those.

I don't think we are going to be printing 0.100" crimp style folded metal pins any time soon.

John ;-#)#

I beg to differ. A required characteristic of 3D printing is that the plastic material involved must melt when heated. That would be really bad for a connector body. That has already happened in the RC (radio control) XT-60 power connector area: Most of them are made from molded nylon, which doesn't melt when heated by soldering iron. However, some 3D printed ABS clones of these connectors melts when soldered.

If it was the shells they were discontinuing maybe, rather than the pins.

Molex has part numbers comming out of their ears.

Chack for similar parts with different mfring locations, finish, base metal, insulation diameter range or type of physical delivery (eg chain-feed).

digikey hasn't been particularly savvy when it comes to old part number discontinue notices, recently. Could even be a mfrs new catalog typo. Have seen same thing with Amphenol - complete bullshit if you're just looking for something that has form, fit and function.

RL

The only version that is stretching past the EOL is the chain version of the pin, and as I don't have an industrial cutter that is of little use to me. There are clones made, but they are much poorer quality...

I ended up ordering 2500 pins from Mouser who had a better price and also showed EOL ordering. That should last me a few years.

John :-#(#

At that volume, you could probably have ordered a chain reel.

I don't see an issue, as these parts are easily 'singulated' with cutters. Better resale value and lower shrinkage, if left on reel, in box etc.

I actually find chains easier to handle, count, kit and even install manually, one at a time. Cut out a short chain with right number of terminals, then cut each one as you apply it.

RL

The chains (perhaps I have the wrong name) are connected at the edge of each pin, not the pins hanging off the edge. So you have to use side cutters to try and evenly cut each pin's side edge so it still works. Try that for 2500 pins!

John :-#)#

Molex frequently replaces part numbers, sometimes it's as simple as a change of packaging. They rarely actually obsolete parts.

It's the edge of the crimping collar, not the pin, where flash is non-critical and contact surfaces cannot be damaged.

I hate wrestling clusters of pins apart. Like a bag of velcro fasteners - if they can hook each other, they will.

Anyways, I usually buy junk, so don't get the choice. Specifying part numbers for a harness drawing is another matter - I usually have at least three part numbers filed that describe exactly the same thing on different continents and delivery formats. Cuts cost of quotation considerably, and dodges purchasing/safety doc issues.

RL

Molex also has a completely different set of part numbers used in it's Asian catalog. The only difference is price and who's allowed to sell them.

RL

With so many college wizkids minted each year with nothing to do, its a wonder even a one-year old design continues to be a standard (let alone a 50 year old one).