[Elecraft] Re: IC pins

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

At least one insertion machine I've seen that stuffs boards grabs the IC
from the outside of all the pins and automatically squeezes to make the pins
all exactly the right distance apart. It sets the I.C. into the pad holes in
the board, then a little ram in the center shoves the I.C. down against the
board. 

It's critical that the pins all be set a bit wide to be certain the pins all
press against the grips so no pin gets bent under the IC when it's inserted.
The machine only squeezes from the outside to start the insertion. If any
pin was slightly bent inward a tad too far, it'd be shoved against the board
and bent under the I.C. when the 'ram' pushed it down against the board. I
believe the automatic insertion machines used to put I.C.s in sockets do the
same.  

Ron AC7AC