What is it with Molex?

[John Robertson]

I'm seeing a number of EOLs on (for us) rather standard pins and plugs!

Digikey just sent me this:

Manufacturer MOLEX, LLC
Description CONN 22-30AWG CRIMP TIN
Manufacturer Part Number 0008500114
Digi-Key Part Number WM1114-ND
Customer Reference Number STOCK
Status End Of Life
Last Time Buy Date 06/21/2021

You'd think a 50 year old design would just keep going and going...we
use a lot of these in repairing arcade games!

John :-#(#
--
(Please post followups or tech inquiries to the USENET newsgroup)
John's Jukes Ltd.
MOVED to #7 - 3979 Marine Way, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5J 5E3
(604)872-5757 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
www.flippers.com
"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."

[peter...@gmail.com]

My guess is what is rather a lot for you is probably a few minutes of run for Molex. And tooling up for short runs is no longer economical for a 'just in time' era. Similarly resellers keeping items in stock. Look at your future, and order accordingly. Expect more of this. Manufacturers are learning 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 will be a surge in productivity per worker, but substantially fewer of them.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

[John Crane]

On 12/31/2020 12:25 PM, John Robertson wrote:
> I'm seeing a number of EOLs on (for us) rather standard pins and plugs!
>
> Digikey just sent me this:
>
> Manufacturer    MOLEX, LLC
> Description    CONN 22-30AWG CRIMP TIN
> Manufacturer Part Number    0008500114
> Digi-Key Part Number    WM1114-ND
> Customer Reference Number    STOCK
> Status    End Of Life
> Last Time Buy Date    06/21/2021
>
> You'd think a 50 year old design would just keep going and going...we
> use a lot of these in repairing arcade games!
>
> John :-#(#

3D printing to the rescue. It's perfect for limited runs.

-J

[Ralph Mowery]

In article <pRqIH.125$dg1...@fx27.iad>, john_c...@yahoo.com says...

>
> > Digikey just sent me this:
> >
> > Manufacturer    MOLEX, LLC
> > Description    CONN 22-30AWG CRIMP TIN
> > Manufacturer Part Number    0008500114
> > Digi-Key Part Number    WM1114-ND
> > Customer Reference Number    STOCK
> > Status    End Of Life
> > Last Time Buy Date    06/21/2021
> >
> > You'd think a 50 year old design would just keep going and going...we
> > use a lot of these in repairing arcade games!
> >
> > John :-#(#
>
> 3D printing to the rescue. It's perfect for limited runs.
>
>

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.

[John Robertson]

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

John ;-#)#

[Jeff Liebermann]

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:
<https://www.google.com/search?q=xt60+connector&tbm=isch>
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.

--
Jeff Liebermann je...@cruzio.com
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

[Andy Burns]

John Crane wrote:

> John Robertson wrote:
>
>> Digikey just sent me this:
>>
>> Manufacturer    MOLEX, LLC
>> Description    CONN 22-30AWG CRIMP TIN
>> Manufacturer Part Number    0008500114
>> Digi-Key Part Number    WM1114-ND
>> Customer Reference Number    STOCK
>> Status    End Of Life
>> Last Time Buy Date    06/21/2021
>

> 3D printing to the rescue.  It's perfect for limited runs.

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

[legg]

On Thu, 31 Dec 2020 10:25:22 -0800, John Robertson <sp...@flippers.com>
wrote:

>I'm seeing a number of EOLs on (for us) rather standard pins and plugs!
>
>Digikey just sent me this:
>
>Manufacturer MOLEX, LLC
>Description CONN 22-30AWG CRIMP TIN
>Manufacturer Part Number 0008500114
>Digi-Key Part Number WM1114-ND
>Customer Reference Number STOCK
>Status End Of Life
>Last Time Buy Date 06/21/2021
>
>You'd think a 50 year old design would just keep going and going...we
>use a lot of these in repairing arcade games!
>
>John :-#(#

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

[John Robertson]

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.

[legg]

On Mon, 4 Jan 2021 21:43:00 -0800, John Robertson <sp...@flippers.com>

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

[John Robertson]

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 :-#)#

[tschw...@aol.com]

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

[legg]

On Tue, 5 Jan 2021 10:13:59 -0800, John Robertson <sp...@flippers.com>

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

[legg]

On Tue, 5 Jan 2021 16:29:38 -0800 (PST), "tschw...@aol.com"
<tschw...@aol.com> wrote:

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

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

[bruce bowser]

On Thursday, December 31, 2020 at 1:25:32 PM UTC-5, John Robertson wrote:
> I'm seeing a number of EOLs on (for us) rather standard pins and plugs!
>
> Digikey just sent me this:
>
> Manufacturer MOLEX, LLC
> Description CONN 22-30AWG CRIMP TIN
> Manufacturer Part Number 0008500114
> Digi-Key Part Number WM1114-ND
> Customer Reference Number STOCK
> Status End Of Life
> Last Time Buy Date 06/21/2021
>
> You'd think a 50 year old design would just keep going and going...we
> use a lot of these in repairing arcade games!

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).