Circuit Board Pins | Precision Cold-Formed | Zero-Scrap Manufacturer

A circuit pin is a precision metal component that creates a reliable electrical or mechanical connection within a circuit assembly. Typically made from brass or stainless steel, circuit pins are formed to exacting tolerances and may include retention features such as stars, splines, or inscribed squares to ensure secure seating in PCBs, plastic housings, or metal substrates.

Common PCB pin types include through-hole connector pins, press-fit pins, solid contact pins, barbed pins, grooved pins, knurled pins, die-rolled pins, hinge pins, dowel pins, and gauge stop pins. Each type is designed for specific retention, mounting, and electrical performance requirements. Retention features such as star, spline, inscribed square, and flat designs further tailor the pin to the application.

Electropin manufactures circuit board pins from lead-free brass and stainless steel. Lead-free brass provides excellent conductivity and formability for most connector applications, while stainless steel offers higher strength and corrosion resistance. Both material options fully eliminate REACH and RoHS compliance concerns, making them suitable for automotive, medical, and electronics markets.

Electropin offers four retention feature types: Star (which can expand diameter up to 50% greater than the raw wire diameter), Tabs/Spline, Inscribed Square, and Flat. These features provide anti-rotation and high pull-out retention strength for press-fit into metal, through-hole PCB mounting, and post-insertion into molded plastic parts.

Electropin can begin manufacturing and deliver the first batch of cold-formed pins in as little as two weeks when raw materials are available. Subsequent batches are delivered on a customer-specified timeline. Production is also dramatically scalable, making it straightforward to increase order volumes as demand changes.

Cold-forming via automatic die rolling produces zero scrap — all raw material becomes finished pins with no cutting waste. Unlike machining, the forming tools never dull, so quality stays consistent from the first pin to the millionth. The process also eliminates the need for leaded brass, enables defect rates as low as 1 in 600,000,000, and delivers up to 5 pins per second.