P.J. Palmer

Technology Management—Structuring the Strategic Dialogue

Abstract: Successful innovation requires effective communication within and between technical and nontechnical communities, which can be challenging due to different educational backgrounds, experience, perceptions, and attitudes. Roadmapping has emerged as a method that can enable effective dialogue between these groups, and the way in which information is structured is a key feature that enables this communication. This is an area that has not received much attention in the literature, and this article seeks to address this gap by describing in detail the structures that have been successfully applied in roadmapping workshops and processes, from which key learning points and future research directions are identified.

Thermal and thermo‐mechanical modelling of polymer overmoulded electronics

Purpose – The encapsulation of electronic assemblies within thermoplastic polymers is an attractive technology for the protection of circuitry used in harsh environments, such as those experienced in automotive applications. However, the relatively low‐thermal conductivity of the encapsulating polymer will introduce a thermally insulating barrier, which will impact on the dissipation of heat from the components and may result in the build‐up of stresses in the structure. This paper therefore seeks to present the results from computational models used to investigate the thermal and thermo‐mechanical issues arising during the operation of such electronic modules. In particular, a two‐shot overmoulded structure comprising an inner layer of water soluble and an outer layer of conventional engineering thermoplastics was investigated, due to this type of structures potential to enable the easy separation of the electronics from the polymer at the end‐of‐life for recycling.Design/methodology/approach – Represen...

STATISTICAL OPTIMISATION OF THERMOPLASTIC INJECTION MOULDING PROCESS FOR THE ENCAPSULATION OF ELECTRONIC SUBASSEMBLY

This paper reports work from a major UK research project which seeks to develop a cost effective integrated production technology for the manufacture of plastic automotive components with embedded electronics and power distribution. The said electronics sub-systems are simultaneously packaged within the automotive structural thermoplastic (TP) component during the injection moulding process. Such innovative process and product integration represents an opportunity to significantly reduce component counts and wiring loom overhead for the vehicle. The assembly, weight and cost advantages envisaged from the proposed technology will satisfy the ever-increasing demand for automotive suppliers to manufacture complete, ready-to-assemble, reconfigurable component modules with superior reliability and as such may contribute to the increased incorporation of vehicle telematics. The paper addresses the technological and economic implications of the proposed overmoulding technology, presenting particular aspects of technological hurdles such as thermal, electrical and process requirements in the production of highly integrated polymer encapsulated electronics products. This paper highlights the findings derived from experiments undertaken to explore critical factors in the manufacture of such encapsulated electronics sub-systems, including such variables as electronics interconnection, materials selection and interactions and moulding process parameters.

Packaging of Microfluidic Devices for Fluid Interconnection Using Thermoplastics

A new packaging method for microfluidic devices is proposed of polymer over-molding to form a fluidic manifold integrated with the device in a single step. The anticipated advantages of the proposed method of packaging are ease of assembly and low part count, making it suitable for low cost and high volume manufacturing. This paper reports the results of a preliminary investigation into this concept. Glass and silicon inserts of 25 times 20 mm in size, used to represent microfluidic devices, were over-molded in an injection molding process with a range of polymers. The inserts were found to survive the molding process intact. The adhesion between overmold and insert was investigated by subjecting the interface between the overmold and insert surface to a hydrostatic pressure of up to 100 lbf/in2 (6.9 bar). The durability of the interfacial adhesion to hydrolysis was investigated by immersion in water at 50degC for 24 h before testing. Direct measurements of adhesion strength between polymer and glass were also attempted by tensile tests on lap-jointed samples. The best and most durable adhesion for glass and silicon inserts was found for polyamide (PA) 12, which is a low hygroscopicity PA. The ranking of polymers by their performances in the pressurization tests was consistent with the ranking by the calculated work-of-adhesion values for polymer/glass and polymer/silicon joints.

A substrateless process for sustainable manufacture of electronic assemblies

The exponential growth in worldwide production and consumption of electronics, and the short operational lifespan of many products, has resulted in increasing amounts of electronics waste. There is enormous pressure on electronic product manufacturers to reduce the consumption of materials and their subsequent impact on the environment, especially at the end-of-life, through such measures as the EU Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). Ideally any product should be separable into its constituent parts at end of life for subsequent reuse, recycling or disposal. However separation of a typical electronic assembly into its constituent parts is problematic because of the intimate nature of the bonding between the glass fibre/thermoset composite laminate, the laminated and embedded copper conductor layers and the soldered electronic components. To address these problems, an alternative processing route for manufacture of electronics assemblies is proposed, in which the electronic components and metal content can be easily separated out from the organic content at end-of-life. No separate printed circuit board is used to interconnect the components so the process may be termed as ldquosubstratelessrdquo. The route has the additional advantage that standard electronic assembly equipment can be used. In this work the process route is described and the implications of adoption for the electronics manufacturing industry considered. The results of initial proof of principle trials are described, and conclusions are drawn as to the development work required to allow adoption of the process by the industry.

Thermo-mechanical modelling of polymer encapsulated electronics

This paper reports on some initial results from a research project investigating a novel technology for the manufacture of recyclable polymeric modules with embedded electronic systems. The aim of this project is to develop a technology that fully encapsulates electronics for use in the demanding automotive environment. A two shot moulding technology protect delicate electronic circuitry mounted outside of the passenger compartment from extremes of temperature, vibration and humidity. The resultant components also be readily recyclable, making it possible to cost-effectively separate electronic components from the polymer at the end of vehicle life, allowing the recovery of high purity recyclate. The encapsulating polymers have low thermal conductivity, so the process of encapsulation introduce a thermally insulating barrier around the electronics, which impact on the dissipation of heat from the components. In addition, the thermal performance of the assembly is further affected by the high temperature environments within which some of these electronic modules have to operate, such as under the bonnet of a vehicle. This paper presents the results of preliminary models developed for investigating the thermal and mechanical issues arising during the operation of such encapsulated electronics. Analytical models and finite element techniques have been employed to simulate the thermo-mechanical behaviour of overmoulded printed circuit boards.

Polymer Overmoulding for Microfluidic Device Packaging and System Integration

Packaging of microfluidics receives relatively little academic attention, and most published work concerns the facilitation of prototyping rather than schemes suitable for volume production. A new packaging method for microfluidic devices is proposed, of polymer overmoulding to form a fluidic manifold integrated with the device in a single step. The anticipated advantages of the proposed method of packaging are ease of assembly and low part count, making it suitable for low cost, high volume manufacturing. The work reported here is an investigation into the fundamental materials and process issues determining the feasibility of the proposed packaging method.

Electromagnetic compatibility performance of large area flexible printed circuit automotive harness

Abstract Electrical interconnection is increasingly important to the functionality of modern vehicles. At the same time the drive within the industry to reduce costs and improve fuel efficiency requires the reduction of the weight of vehicles wherever possible. It is in this context that the possibility of using large-area flexible printed circuits (FPCs) in place of wiring harnesses is receiving strong interest from manufacturers. An FPC harness offers a substantial weight reduction over wire, improved reliability and quality control, and enhanced functionality. Since good electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) design and performance is necessary for the safe and proper functioning of a vehicle, it is important to know if the EMC performance of a vehicle is likely to be compromised by the incorporation of an FPC harness. This question is addressed in this work by comparing the performance of wire and FPC structures in a standard EMC test. The cost implications of anti-interference measures for mass production of FPC harnesses are also assessed. It is found that relatively cheap and simple to implement track structures can significantly reduce the amount of coupling to a large-area FPC automotive harness from an external electromagnetic field.

An analysis of technology trends within the electronics industry

This paper begins with a brief review of previous work in the field of technology forecasting and discusses the Fisher Pry model in particular, before concluding with an attempt at forecasting the rate of development of smart technology. The Fisher Pry model is shown to fit well with an assumed ultimate microprocessor clock speed of 1.2GHz. By combining data from multiple sources support is found for the hypothesis that rates of development can be correlated with development activity, as measured by the number of US patents filed in specific technology areas. A forecast for the development of “smart” technology is made to demonstrate how the models may be used to generate forecasts of future developments, where limited data are available.

Understanding models of substrate behaviour for the routing of high I/O packages

This paper explores two models of substrate wireability and examines the implications of these models in the forecast of the application of future generation integrated circuits and their packages, especially emerging generations of chip scale packages (CSPs). This is in order to clarify our understanding of potential technology bottlenecks. This analysis shows how the demands of future generation high pin density packages, exemplified by the wireability demand of CSPs, drive substrates. The importance of routers for the efficient utilisation of substrates is also quantified by this analysis. This work continues research by the authors to attempt to understand the trends in bare and packaged chip interconnection.