Contact plating and what the ratings mean
The 68001-421HLF: Contacts carry tin plating on both the mating face and the solder tail at 100.0µin (2.54µm) thickness on mating surfaces. At that plating grade this is a signal-duty header — not a power connector regardless of the 3A per-contact headline. The tin finish also tells you mating cycle life is lower than a gold-plated counterpart; this header is specified for permanent or low-cycle board-level installation rather than field-replugging scenarios. The square pin shape provides rotational stability in the through-hole barrel during assembly.
Where it is used and the sourcing angle
The BERGSTIK II family is used in industrial automation and control applications as a board-to-board signal interconnect. The -65°C to 125°C operating range and UL94 V-0 housing rating cover the temperature envelope of enclosed industrial equipment. This part is currently Active — quoted to order against BOM quantity, no official successor listed. The 21-position count is the deciding fit parameter: confirm your board footprint accepts all 21 pins before committing the line.