Agility is essential for customer-specific applications that require a variety of non-standard components for low-volume production runs. Customers often request custom carriers/pallets to hold printed wiring assemblies during the reflow process. These carriers must protect today’s micro-electronic components from electrostatic discharge and withstand multiple cycles of a high-temperature wave soldering process (245°C).
Using traditional manufacturing technologies for the fabrication of these components can slow down production and increase cost while using the traditional carbon fibre-filled materials in these components does not protect today’s electronics. The challenge is quickly fabricating custom Nano-Uniform ESD components that would withstand numerous thermal cycles.
In one recent case study, Mechnano, in partnership with Tethon3D, developed a new high-temperature, rigid ESD material to meet this challenge. The resin can be processed on a variety of vat photopolymerisation systems (SLA, DLP, LCD). The vat photopolymerisation process allows for quick-turn part fabrication with ultra-high accuracy, Nano-Uniform ESD and exceptional surface finish while taking advantage of custom 3D-printable design freedom.