I am looking to buy TO-3 package. Any help??

[Enea]

Dear all,
for a propotype I am working on my customer asked me to use a TO-3 package.

I am having trouble to find where to buy those old faschion package (for my optoelectronic application).

Does aneybody has any hint, suggestion, advice on where I can buy 100 of those packages?

Many thanks in advance

[jpanhalt]

If it's a transistor, Digikey has seems to have plenty: https://www.digikey.com/en/products/filter/transistors-bipolar-bjt-single/276?s=N4IgjCBcpgTAnBaIDGUBmBDANgZwKYA0IA9lANogAsYAzAKzy0gC6xADgC5QgDKnAJwCWAOwDmIAL6TisCiEGYRuIZxIDcrSUA

Of course, the prices may be quite high, but if your "customer" insists, presumably it is willing to pay.

[bob91343]

You can cannibalize an old transistor.

[Gyro]

If you search for 'Hermetic Packages' on the web, you will get more hits, eg.  http://www.platronics-seals.com/product/to-3-header/

Hopefully you can find a company that is a bit more local.

[gnuarm]

Dear all,
for a propotype I am working on my customer asked me to use a TO-3 package.

I am having trouble to find where to buy those old faschion package (for my optoelectronic application).

Does aneybody has any hint, suggestion, advice on where I can buy 100 of those packages?

Many thanks in advance

It's ok to push back when a customer makes an unreasonable request.  Explain to them the TO3 package is long ago obsolete and is very inefficient anyway. 

Do you have any idea why they like a TO3 package?  Why would they care?  Are you building an entire circuit in this package because the customer has a design with a TO3 package in it and your design will replace the existing part?

[free_electron]

o3 is not obsolete.many power transistors still come in that package.

[gnuarm]

o3 is not obsolete.many power transistors still come in that package.

Yeah?  I can still buy buggy whips and even buggies.  I don't think anyone says they aren't obsolete, in fact "making buggy whips" is the way to say a business is out of touch with the market and itself obsolete. 

TO3 is obsolete.  Yeah, you can buy transistors in that package because people still need to maintain old systems.  Any new parts announced in TO3 packages lately?  Digikey returns 1,400 hits to TO3.  Remove the military items and you get 27, 24 active (not obsolete).  Four of those are not TO3 leaving 20 parts.  Of these only 9 are stocked, only 1 in quantities over 500.  Why?  Because they don't sell very many. 

At least Digikey doesn't return any hits on "buggy whip". 

[mazurov]

for a propotype I am working on my customer asked me to use a TO-3 package.

I am having trouble to find where to buy those old faschion package (for my optoelectronic application).

Does aneybody has any hint, suggestion, advice on where I can buy 100 of those packages?

Look for the places selling supplies for semiconductor labs, scientific supplies, etc. Such places often don't have a web presence,  you may need to go to the university that is offering courses, labs, etc. on semiconductor manufacturing, microfabrication, etc. and ask for the name of their supplier.

TO-3 are very expensive.  Last time I checked they were asking north of $50 for a piece, in qty. If your client pays expenses you may want to tell them the price beforehand.

[Pineapple Dan]

o3 is not obsolete.many power transistors still come in that package.

Yeah?  I can still buy buggy whips and even buggies.  I don't think anyone says they aren't obsolete, in fact "making buggy whips" is the way to say a business is out of touch with the market and itself obsolete. 

TO3 is obsolete.  Yeah, you can buy transistors in that package because people still need to maintain old systems.  Any new parts announced in TO3 packages lately?  Digikey returns 1,400 hits to TO3.  Remove the military items and you get 27, 24 active (not obsolete).  Four of those are not TO3 leaving 20 parts.  Of these only 9 are stocked, only 1 in quantities over 500.  Why?  Because they don't sell very many. 

At least Digikey doesn't return any hits on "buggy whip". 

Buggy whips where never that popular even back in the day. I reckon only a handful were sold before people realised they were better off whipping the horse

[free_electron]

At least Digikey doesn't return any hits on "buggy whip". 

time to delete your browser or get new glasses. i did the same search on digikey : 369 non military , stocked, active parts.

https://www.digikey.com/en/products/filter/transistors-bipolar-bjt-single/276?s=N4IgjCBcpgnAHLKoDGUBmBDANgZwKYA0IA9lANogAMIAusQA4AuUIAykwE4CWAdgOYgAvsQC0AJmQg0kLgFcipCiACsdESFEAWKTKx5FZSJVjitANjXEw5rSsnEAzOdjn4IYlq0B2Gx%2Br%2B8GDutEIaksYgACoA8qKO6kA

[gnuarm]

At least Digikey doesn't return any hits on "buggy whip". 

time to delete your browser or get new glasses. i did the same search on digikey : 369 non military , stocked, active parts.

https://www.digikey.com/en/products/filter/transistors-bipolar-bjt-single/276?s=N4IgjCBcpgnAHLKoDGUBmBDANgZwKYA0IA9lANogAMIAusQA4AuUIAykwE4CWAdgOYgAvsQC0AJmQg0kLgFcipCiACsdESFEAWKTKx5FZSJVjitANjXEw5rSsnEAzOdjn4IYlq0B2Gx%2Br%2B8GDutEIaksYgACoA8qKO6kA

I stand corrected.