PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT – Change to Profile of TOUGH GUN® TA3 MIG Gun Connector Housings

As part of our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement, we are making a change to the
TOUGH GUN® TA3 gun connector housing to accommodate an additional setscrew (see ‘Setscrew 2’
in Figure 2) which is designed to improve TCP repeatability when using long/extended length necks by providing additional support to help secure the neck firmly in place.

In order to make this change, extra thread engagement was required for the front setscrew which increased the profile of the front housing by 0.157” at the largest section (see Figure 3). And rather than the M6 x 1.0 setscrew currently used in our existing design, the new design uses two (2) M10 x 1.25 setscrews which have been tested and consistently achieved 340 in.-lbs. without causing any thread failures.

It is important to note that, like in our existing design, ‘Setscrew 1’ (see Figure 2) is responsible for the electrical (and mechanical) connection and must be installed and tightened properly, whereas ‘Setscrew 2’ is intended solely to achieve additional mechanical support. The sticker on the new gun connector housings has been revised to indicate a Step 1 / Step 2 approach (see Figure 4) to reflect this order of importance.

This incremental improvement will be rolled out as a running change as we work through current inventory, with full implementation targeted to be complete by the end of 2024.

If you have further questions or would like more information, please contact your local ITW representative.