Board Spacers and Standoffs

Harwin spacers, also known as standoffs or pillars, offer a robust method of holding a PCB away from a chassis or another PCB. Harwin offers a broad range of spacers to give customers the design flexibility needed for many different equipment styles and environments. These spacers are available in a variety of materials and styles, such as hex and round, threaded and unthreaded, and male and female.

Threaded spacers come in a variety of styles and sizes. The female/female threaded spacers are often through-threaded on the smaller body lengths. These body lengths can vary from 4 mm to 25 mm as standard. The brass spacers are nickel-plated to avoid corrosion. The brass hexagonal spacers come in M2.5, M3, M4, and 4-40 UNC threads, while the brass circular spacers come in M3 thread with Ø4.76 mm external diameter, useful in confined spaces. The plastic hexagonal spacers are available with an M3 thread and a 5.5 mm A/F hexagonal body. They are useful when weight is a factor.

Spacers with male threads are supplied in brass for thread strength, with nickel plating to avoid corrosion. The hexagonal profile body allows these spacers to be held firm with a wrench or spanner when tightening the nut or bolt fixing. The male/female versions have M3 and M4 threads, with typical body sizes from 4 mm to 40 mm (depending on the range). The male/male version has M3 threads with a 5 mm A/F hexagonal body.

Clearance spacers are circular tubes that allow a bolt to pass through the center. The bolt head traps the chassis or PCB at one end of the spacer, a nut at the opposite end traps the other PCB, and the spacer holds them apart. Clearance spacers are available for M3 and M4 threaded bolts. They are available in brass (with nickel plate), aluminum (with chromate protective finish), and nylon.