Bourns expands its innovative gas discharge tube FLAT GDT product line

     Bourns announced the expansion of the industry's lightest, space-saving FLAT gas discharge tube (GDT) product. Model 2018 FLAT GDT belongs to the 3-electrode series, with a flat and thin form suitable for high density and height limited printed circuit board processes. Compared to the standard 8 mm Bourns GDTs, this series is lighter in weight and significantly reduced to more than 50% in height. The new range of products is designed as a surface patch assembly with a large area of flat top surface, ideal for vacuum extraction and discharge in today's high-speed assembly extraction and placement machines.

     The Bourns Model 2018 FL AT GDT is an ITU K.12 Class II component with a 20 kA rating, 8/20 μs waveform and DC breakdown voltage range from 90V to 500 V. With an innovative flat design at the top, the Bourns GDT's height is reduced from the typical 8 mm to a flat, thin 3.5 mm.

     "In addition to saving valuable board space, the new 3-electrode FLAT GDT effectively reduces the number of components for space-constrained designs. The 2018 FLAT GDT provides' wireline to ground 'and' wireline to wire 'protection, rather than the two required in the past," said Kurt Wattelet, product line Manager at Bourns. "For 3-electrode GDT, performance that was previously limited by transverse voltage is greatly improved by the use of a common center electrode design, allowing both ends of the GDT to start quickly and symmetrically."