CIRCOR Aerospace, Inc., a CIRCOR International company, today announced the award of a U.S. patent to one of its engineers, Brent Salamone, for Miniature Surface Mount Housings for electronics packages.

The housing accepts any electronics package that is mounted on a circular substrate. With the increased use of robotics in handling electronics packages, and the size of electronics products continuing to shrink, the patented design of the miniature SMT housing offers several advantages. Specifically, the design increases structural integrity, decreases stress in the solder joints, provides additional protection and electrically isolates the assembled leads from one another.

Compact and lightweight, the miniature SMT housing is manufactured from high-strength, high-temperature-resistant engineering plastic. Designed for tape and reel packaging, the housing is compatible with standard pick and place machines, allowing for precise placement.

"CIRCOR is proud to bring this innovative design to market," said CIRCOR Aerospace Vice President Tony Najjar. "With the growing importance of robotics in the electronics manufacturing process, this invention further supports our customers' needs in the area of high-volume automated assembly."