Component Management
Online generator provides PCB assembly quote in minutes
Asian Circuits has released an instant online quote generator for estimating the cost of turnkey PCB assembly, aiming to dramatically reduce time taken to estimate the cost of a turnkey PCB assembly job. The company manufactures final PCBs from a client's circuit design, aiming to provide low cost and speedy turnover.
UV curable adhesive has a refractive index of 1.51
A one part UV curable adhesive, sealant, coating and potting compound, suitable for bonding dissimilar substrates, has been released by Master Bond. The UV15X-2 combines a high performance physical profile with low shrinkage. The adhesive is particularly suitable for fibre-optic, optical, electronic, microelectronic, semiconductor and laser applications.
Ultrasound provides cleaner, more efficient degassing
Scientists at Brunel University have confirmed that treating molten metal with ultrasound is a cleaner, greener, more efficient route to producing high quality castings. At 700°C, molten aluminium alloys naturally contain a high percentage of dissolved hydrogen, leaving a highly porous result if unaddressed. The most widely-used method of hydrogen removal, argon rotary degassing, is energy intensive and requires costly components.
SMT printer supports frequent product changeovers
The easy-to-use MANTIS SMT stencil printer, available for Windows 7, is designed for production environments requiring frequent product changeovers during the day. Compact, yet capable of using 29" stencils and handling board sizes up to 650x580mm, the Mantis offers best in class results with respect to footprint as well as functionality.
Adhesive cures in under 1 second
Designed for rapid bonding of a wide variety of plastic and metal substrates, including PC and ABS applications, the Dymax 3401 dual cure (UV and moisture) adhesive has been released by Intertronics. The adhesive works fast, with under 1 second UV/visible light cure using broad spectrum UV or narrow spectrum 385nm LED light.
Dry electrodes remove discomfort from EEG & ECG procedures
Holst Centre, imec and Datwyler Sealing Solutions are set to jointly present a novel polymer dry electrode. Soft, flexible, and optimised for skin-impedance noise, polymer dry electrodes are a promising alternative to conventionally used gel electrodes in biopotential signal recording, as well as for uncomfortable and painful dry electrodes with rigid metal pins.
LED UV curing lab system cures at 18W/cm²
To support the research and development effort of UV LED ink manufacturers, GEW has released a faster version of its LED UV curing lab system. The company’s ‘Magic Carpet’ LED lab system makes the task of developing and testing UV LED ink formulations easy, accurate and ergonomic.
Wearable circuit materials can survive 100 wash cycles
DuPont Microcircuit Materials has introduced a suite of stretchable electronic ink materials for use in smart clothing applications and other wearable electronics. The materials provide an elegant, manufacturing-ready alternative to many traditional methods of embedding electronics in clothing.
3D technology combines moulding with laser structuring
3D technology, which combines the versatility of the two-shot MID moulding process with the speed and precision of LDS, has been introduced by Molex. While meeting stringent medical grade guidelines, the MediSpec Moulded Interconnect Device/Laser Direct Structuring (MID/LDS) technology delivers integrated fine-pitch 3D circuitry in a single moulded package suitable for high density medical devices.
Laser pretreatment enables versatile stainless steel bonding
It is well known that stainless steel is difficult to bond, and durable bonded connections are often only enabled through pretreatment. DELO Industrial Adhesives and the Ulm University of Applied Sciences have recently discovered that laser-pretreated stainless steel bondings are nearly as durable as after Sandblasting And COating (SACO) pretreatment.