Flotron: Extractors




	DIAGRAM FORM

FLOTRON'S four decades of continued success has made it the standard by which all other manufacturers of hand tools and fixtures are judged. FLOTRON'S standard off-the-shelf and custom built extraction hand tools are designed to pull out even the most complex of today's circuit boards from high extraction force connectors.

Time and again FLOTRON has worked with customers such as Raytheon, Hughes, Loral, Northrop-Grumman, Honeywell, TRW, Boeing, and Motorola. We pride ourselves on meeting our customers most exacting demands in time sensitive windows of opportunity while providing the most cost effective solution for each and every application. Our range of product is limited only by your imagination. We have designed and built extractors to pull everything from the Pentium Xeon™ processor in servers/workstations to custom electronic boards on the International Space Station.

Flotron's time proven design and quality means that with our internally guided extractors you pull the boards straight out, virtually eliminating breakage or damage that is typically associated with lesser quality products. The high load attainable with a "hand grip" action and the elimination of the tendency to jam yields an ergonomic design with much lower chance of creating musculoskeletal disorders. It also reduces the task time to a few seconds while reducing the risk of injury to the employee and to the board. Additionally, FLOTRON extractor tools can be ordered with an ESD handle made of "electrostatic dissipative" plastic. This handle allows an ESD path from the metal extractor components (that interface with the sensitive electronic boards) to the operator's hand (which should be grounded with an ESD wrist strap).

Technical Section

Whether you need to safely pull boards with high extraction force or you are designing flight hardware where weight and space are at an absolute premium, FLOTRON has the proven solution. Week in and week out our design team is working with several of the major aerospace accounts in the nation to develop separate and specific extraction tools that are used during assembly or maintenance, a must for this industry. The vast majority of our customers are either repeat customers or referrals and our flexibility, solution orientation and ease of doing business are the key factors behind their return.

The cost of extractors can vary widely depending on a number of factors. The driving forces behind most high cost solutions are the complexity of the tool, design and engineering, tooling, materials and small quantity requirements. Conversely standard off-the-shelf extractors purchased in large quantities offer the most cost-effective solution. The majority of our tools range in price from $150.00 to $200.00 with the additional "set-up" charges varying with the amount of customization required by the customer.

FLOTRON'S industry standard extractors use the company's mass produced Delrin handle, keeping what is normally the most complicated and expensive element of the tool well below its traditional high cost. To customize the extractor to your specific application FLOTRON adds pick-up bars (pulling device) and brackets (back-up frames) most commonly manufactured out of sheet steel or stainless steel. These components are designed around your requirements from the information supplied by you on the FLOTRON Extractor Design Form.

Frequently requested standard construction options from customers like yourselves:

Standard Delrin or ESD Handle
Standard or Extended Travel Handle
Double Handled Construction
Electro-polished stainless steel bracket & pick-up bar
Black oxide coated steel bracket & pick-up bar
Trigger lock lever
Handle covers to minimize pinch points
Handle mounted pusher for inserting board
Low force return spring

Other custom construction options which have been requested from customers like yourselves:

Multiple application extractor
Integral machined pick-up bar, bracket, handle or other parts
Levers to increase mechanical pull in extremely high extraction force applications
Inserter for assembly of board into connectors (force is reversed from an extractor)
Special metal finishes such as:
Anodize on aluminum (corrosion and abrasion resistance)
Chem-film on aluminum (corrosion resistance with conductivity for ESD applications
Paint on steel (corrosion resistance)

Click here to view pictures of typical extractors page.

With our 40-year history of helping customers design and build extractors, you can be assured that your requirements will most likely be centered around one of our existing standard or custom fabricated tools. The use of preexisting designs allows us to keep the cost of tooling and fabrication at an absolute minimum. Regardless of the application or its complexity, FLOTRON can provide you with the best support, fastest turn around and highest quality extractors available today. FLOTRON welcomes the opportunity of working with you and meeting your needs. Here are a few things the industry has to say about FLOTRON's extractors and inserters:

For clarification of terms or phrases, please see the Extractors and Inserters Definitions page.




			Extractor Definitions