How to Press Diodes into Housings...

[mliptack]

Hello everyone, I've been removing a few Aixiz diodes from their housings to replace with better diodes like the 405nm diodes!

I can get the diodes out just fine, getting the new diode in is what is troubling me. I have made a jig and used a crappy drill press with the best results, I have tried heating the housing (350 deg c) and cooling the diode (5 deg c) with no better results than using a couple pairs of pliers and a hammer!

I recently purchased a $20 digital caliper online so I decided to put it to the test. The diodes I measured were a PERFECT 5.60mm the Aixiz housings (I tested 3 of them) had a median of 5.51, mean of 5.5067 (5.49, 5.51, and 5.52mm). I heated the 5.52mm one to about 350c and re measured it to be 5.54mm, so I figured to heat fit the diode, I would need quite a bit more heat, which would probably ruin the diode.

How do you guys do it? Any tips or tricks?

Thanks,
Max

[carmangary]

Don't you need to cool the diode and heat the housing??

But, I think most of us just press them in. You can rig up a press by drilling a hole in a cylinder so that it fits over the terminals and use a press or vice.

Edit: nevermind heating and cooling part- i misread your post.

[drlava]

hmm, I use a vice and a tube that goes around the pins, slow and steady pressure. The violet diodes are harder to get in there than the rohms. Make sure all of the glue is scraped off the edges.

[mixedgas]

harbour freight sells a small press for about 35$

then you make a jig for the press tip.

at least thats how I do press fit power semis.

not that I'm a big HF fan, but their 7x10 lathes
after about 40 hours of scraping the ways and fine tuning are pretty good.
ie its a lathe kit.


mixedgas

[chad]

I have been thinking about machining up a small screw press just for inserting and removing diodes in collimators.

Would any one be interested? Say ~$30. I have cnc equip and they would be well made..

Just a thought.

Chad

[mliptack]

Thanks for all the responses! My press is really similar to what a lot of you mentioned. I use a piece of scrap metal tube that perfectly fits over the pins and it works but it still presses in one side more than the other, I will have to work something out with a vice, I am sure that would work much better than the cheap press I have.

I forgot about Harbor Freight, there is one like 15 minutes from my house... I'll have to check out their stuff sometime again soon.

The 405nm diode was really clean when I pulled it, thats one of the reasons why I measured it with the caliper, I wanted to see how much residual glue-if any-was present.

Thanks again everyone,
Max

[mliptack]

Sorry Chad, I missed your post. I would be interested if you could give us a few pictures of what the end product would be. Also, if you could make it so that the piece that accepts the diode actually has holes for the pins (maybe even replaceable dies which would include 3-pin and 5-pin dies) I think that would be really helpful when setting diodes so that you dont bend the pins (one of my biggest problems!)

-Max

[allthatwhichis]

I have been thinking about machining up a small screw press just for inserting and removing diodes in collimators.

Would any one be interested? Say ~$30. I have cnc equip and they would be well made..

Just a thought.

Chad

You might be able to start a buisness mentioning that over on CPF or LPF...

[chad]

I will design one up some time next week.

I have been super busy, i need some me time.

chad