What is Brick Nogging on Component Parts?

[Phrazemaster]

Hi, I'm trying to get parts for a PCB, and some of the parts come up as "brick nogging."

The parts look like they just have a cap over them - but I'm nervous. I don't want or need the cap, but if it's just removable it's no big deal.

Anyone have any experience with this?

I'm attaching 2 pix; one is a "normal" part and the other has same specs but is called "brick nogging." I don't want to order the PCB to be made and discover I got some weirdo part that ruins the whole board.

TIA,

Mike

 

[Khron]

Those provide flat surfaces that enable the little rubber vacuum-head of pick-and-place machines to, well, pick and place them, from the reels they come in, to the boards they belong on/in. They are, of course, removable (and they should be; otherwise, the mating connector is unlikely to fit).

Kinda hard to get a good airtight seal with a flat suction-cup onto the tips of pins, I'm sure you'll agree..? And infinitely faster (and cheaper) than to have them manually placed from a bag.

 

[Phrazemaster]

Makes total sense! Thank you so much Khron!

I’m not clear why they would advertise them with pix like this however. You can’t really see the part!

Thanks again, I feel better ordering the brick nogging version since the normal looking one is out of stock.

 

[Khron]

I’m not clear why they would advertise them with pix like this however. You can’t really see the part!

No datasheets on the item pages?

 

[Phrazemaster]

Datasheet didn't show the cap - it's true. But the physical pic threw me. Ta.

 

[ccaudle]

some of the parts come up as "brick nogging."

That is a strange term, I think I have usually seen them labeled as pickup cap. Some parts come with a strip of thick Kapton tape covering openings for a similar reason.
I just checked the first similar header I could find pictured with a cover at Digikey, and it was just noted as "pick and place" in the part attributes.

 

[cyrano]

Learned something! Thanks, Khron!

 

[JohnRoberts]

The kapton tape sounds much more practical...

I have never seen anything like that plastic clip(?), Is it reusable?

[edit- the labor savings from machine pick and place vs manual placement is huge, so even discarding the plastic bit is probably still economic. /edit]

JR

 

[ccaudle]

Is it reusable?

Technically yes, but I have never run across a factory and/or component supplier who was willing to go to the effort required, so in practice it all goes into the trash.