Complete success – LDS Technology Day at MID-TRONIC in Wiesau

Complete success – LDS Technology Day at MID-TRONIC in Wiesau

Press Release
March 2012

Run on LDS Congress – First LDS Technology Day nearly booked out!

On May 6, 2012 more than 140 visitors crowded the new production facility of MID-TRONIC GmbH, and all with a great interest in practical solutions for 3D moulded interconnect devices.

 

3D-MID is a technology for the future! A moulded plastic part is equipped with metallic conductors. Electronics and mechanics are merging on this three-dimensional interconnectdevice. The LPKF-LDS procedure creates structures on plastic surfaces by meansof a laser beam. These structures are metallized to generate conductors. Thesignificant advantage of this technology is the unrestricted 3D layout for theinterconnect devices. With a market share of approx. 50 %, the laser directstructuring takes a leading position among the MID manufacturing methods – atrend that is increasing!

 

Christian Goth, Managing Director of the 3-D MID Research Association presented the latest MID study and defined in detail the explained market opportunities – in view of the increasing complexity of the component layouts and better 3D methods there is a huge market potential.

Dr. Wolfgang John from  LPKF Laser & Electronics AG committed himself to the continuous advancement of the LDS technology. His summary of the developments during the last years: constantly improving processes with regard to safety, more favourable systems and a reliably prototyping are typical for the rapid development and for the future: further developments with heat conductive plastics, improved solderability, housing by laser plastic welding and reduction of the conductive track width and of the insulation channels to values <50µm.

 

Marcel Freiermuth, representative of Essemtec AG explained and showed the 3D assembly in a life-demonstration. He demonstrated performance and reliability of the 3D assembler Hydra which was developed in cooperation with MID-TRONIC. This system is based on the serial type Paraquda, but is equipped with an integrated robot arm which allows a quick positioning of components in different three-dimensional positions. 

 

The afternoon was dedicated to various life-demonstrations. Lutz Diederichs from Audi AG confirmed that innovative car manufacturers attach importance to future technologies. Platforms for instrument clusters are upgraded to MID’s by LDS and equipped with LED’s. Subject of his presentation were also milestones for the prototype developing and a final positive assessment of the prototyping process.

 

Lars Ederleh from LaserMicronics GmbH explained how quick product launches can be realized by close-to-production 3D prototyping on the basis of ProtoPaint LDS and ProtoPlate LDS applications. He demonstrated how also large components can be used in future in the LDS technology and proved the technical possibilities by means of a wide range of already realized projects.

 

In the following, Kunststoff Helmbrechts (KH) and MID-TRONIC introduced a not yet been shown functional component, named “My Wave – 3D”. Christoph Ernst from KH presented the 3D decorative panel produced with IML technology and stressed the increasing demand for integrated functions of such design parts. MID-TRONIC Sales Manager Bernhard Rauch explained the electronic functions, as well as development and production of 3D-LDS circuit board together with a 2D-SMD circuit board. Both companies will force marketing and production of such functional components based on these experiences and by means of the functional prototypes.

 

The LDS Technology Day was jointly organized by MID-TRONIC, Essemtec and LPKF. LPKF is responsible for the LDS Technology and the laser structuring systems, MID-TRONIC is comprehensive supplier for 3D MID’s and Essemtec demonstrates the 3D assembler Hydra in a real production environment.

 

“The combination of information, practical experiencesand potential solutions provides the attraction of the LDS Technology Day” – so the statement of many participants. 

 

MID-TRONIC 

 

‚Plastic meets Electronics‘ – guiding principle of MID-TRONIC Wiesauplast GmbH. As a specialist for the production of MID components, the activity focus is the MID manufacturing processes 2K injection moulding and LDS Technology. At the LDS Technology Day, MID-TRONIC presented the complete value chain from injection moulding to the structuring until the 3D assembly of the electronic components.

 

Essemtec

 

Essemtec AG is a leading manufacturer of high flexible production systems for the electronic industry. Especially for the serial three-dimensional component assembly Essemtec offers new assembly technologies. This makes e.g. the LED assembly on LDS components quick and safe.

 

LPKF

 

LPKF Laser & Electronics AG develops and produces laser systems for the micro-materials processing. The LDS Techno-logy – patented by LPKF – has been established as the mostimportant standard technology for 3D circuit boards. LPKF provides the laserstructuring systems and technologies for serial production and prototyping.

We bridge the gap between the technologies:

 

„Plastic meets Electronics”