In a moderate-shock environment like a control cabinet or test fixture, this lock keeps the harness seated without adding assembly steps. For a harness that mates once at build and stays connected, tin is the right call; for frequent field disconnect, gold would be the upgrade path.
Board-to-wire style and surface-mount termination
This is a board-to-cable/wire header — it mates with an MTA-100 receptacle that terminates discrete wires via IDC or crimp contacts. Surface-mount termination means the header sits on top of the PCB pads — no through-hole solder tails to occupy the opposite side. The insulation height of 0.347" (8.81 mm) and mating pin length of 0.290" (7.37 mm) define the z-height budget when the receptacle is mated.
How this 5-position header compares to a 10-position sibling
Within the same MTA-100 shrouded header family, the 5-position 3-647166-5 shares the same 0.100" pitch, friction lock, tin plating, and surface-mount termination as a 10-position version. The only difference is circuit count — 5 positions vs 10 — which changes the board footprint length proportionally. If your BOM calls for 10 positions, the 5-position header won't fit; but if you're consolidating SKUs, the same receptacle series covers both counts.