Exact™ - Precision 3D Circuit Board Metallized Plastic
EXACT™ provides engineers with an exciting new tool to design leading edge products. With EXACT™ precise metal patterns can be applied directly onto plastic housings and components in 2 and 3 dimensions. This technology can lead to significant improvements in:
- Size of the electronic device
- Performance
- Cost reduction by integrating multiple functions on a single plastic component
Additionally, EXACT™ can enable designs and applications not feasible with currently available technologies.
Cybershield has teamed with LPKF, leading supplier of laser systems, for the production of EXACT™ precise 3D metallize plastic.
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| Photo: Robert Bosch GmbH |
The LPKF laser direct structuring (LDS) process greatly simplifies process of depositing precise metal patterns on plastic, and also allows a significantly greater degree of precision. The plastic part is molded in a standard mold tool using one of several proprietary plastic resins. See material datasheets for available LDS plastic resins:
The required metallized pattern is directly written on the molded part with a laser, and the conductive paths are plated using standard electroless plating process. The plating adheres only where the plastic has been activated by the laser.
Process Capability
- Part Size up to 8” x 8” (200 mm x 200 mm)
- Line Width from 0.004” (0.10 mm)
- Line Spacing from 0.006” (0.15 mm)
- Vias can be metallized with minimum 0.008” (0.20 mm) diameter with minimum 30 ° draft angle
- Plating materials include copper (deposited first), nickel, gold and tin
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| Photo: Harting Mitronics AG |
This Additive Process deposits precise metal pattern directly onto a molded plastic part. There is no waste of materials or use of costly photoresist materials and processes to produce the precise metal patterns. The metal pattern can be modified by making changes to the laser programming, which is similar to changing CNC programming.
Solderable Circuits on Plastic can be achieved by utilizing plastic resins with heat deflection properties suitable for soldering including lead free soldering process. See Plastic Resins technical datasheets for more details.
The LDS Process and Cybershield Electroless and Electrolytic Plating Coating Processes are capable of supporting prototype and low volume projects as well as applications with volume requirements in the tens of millions of parts per year. Cybershield electroless plating and conductive coating capabilities include deposition of copper, nickel, tin and gold. Cybershield can also electroplate to higher metal deposition thickness where increased current carrying capacity, corrosion or wear resistance are required. In electroplating, copper thicknesses of >0.001” (0.025 mm) or more can be deposited, along with nickel. Other materials on request.
For more information about the 3D Circuit Boards and laser direct structuring process (LDS) and its capabilities, see the following links:
Technology Overview
Design Rules
Process Qualification
Applications
Embedded Antennas in Electronic Devices provide OEM’s with capability to incorporate one or more antennas into the stand-alone plastic part or the device housing. The precise 3D metal patterns required for antennas can be deposited directly onto the interior and/or exterior of the device housing. Widely used and reliable interconnection methods can be deployed to connect the antennas to the PC Board. For more details on LDS Process for Manufacturing Antenna.
 Tamper Resistant Cover to protect personal and customer account information from unauthorized access and use in such devices at ATM's, credit card terminals, point-of-sale equipment and medical devices just to name a few. The injection molded plastic cover that is placed over the critical PC Board inside the PIN Entry Device (PED). Precise 3D Circuits with spacing as narrow as 0.010" (0.25 mm) are applied to the interior surfaces mate with the PC Board connector or contacts. This system has demonstrated the capability to defeat attempts to remove the cover or drill through the cover to plant a listening device on the PC Board to capture customer account information.
Contact Cybershield for more information or to review your application. |
