Cover Cap for Electronic Boards
How Metal 3D Printing Protects Electronic Boards During Production
When it comes to the electronics industry, Additive Manufacturing (AM) offers various advantages for manufacturing companies – including faster time to market, the manufacturing of prototypes, pilot and small production series parts, and swiftly implementing customer-specific solutions.
Project Breakdown
Industry
Industrial
Project
Cover Cap
Why Forward AM?
High-performance metal filament
Forward AM materials used
Ultrafuse® 316L
The result
Tailor-made cover cap ensuring the protection of electronic boards while soldering process when being exposed to high temperature and flux usage
But AM also unlocks benefits when being implemented for production aids in the production of electronic components – the diversity of possible AM applications spans the entire industry.
One prime example of how AM is being applied beneficially in a smart way, showcases the German electronics manufacturing service provider SCHORISCH Elektronik. The mid-size company serves international customers from mechanical and plant engineering to environmental and mineral-oil industry and is specialized in the niche of ATEX (ATmosphères EXplosibles). By industrialization and process development, SCHORISCH Elektronik produces both individual components and complex series for major clients, always with extensive vertical integration. Embracing digitalization and industry 4.0, SCHORISCH Elektronik investigated the possibilities opened up by AM with regards to facilitating their production process of electronic boards.
Challenge: Protecting Contact Areas in One Production Step
When manufacturing electronic boards with components of the Through Hole Technology (THT), SCHORISCH Elektronik makes use of a wave soldering system. The electronic boards are being sprayed with soldering flux. As the electronic boards feature delicate components like plug sockets, which should not come into contact with the soldering flux at any time, it is key to cover all contact surfaces ensuring electrical conductivity and cleanliness. The challenge: Due to the high temperature of the soldering process using plastic material for these covers was not an option, as it would not be able to withstand the heat. Before taking the step to Additive Manufacturing as solution, an employee manually applied tape to protect the sensitive parts.
Solution: 3D Printed Tailor-Made Caps made of Stainless-Steel 316L Metal
In Forward AM’s metal filament Ultrafuse® 316L, SCHORISCH Elektronik found the perfect match. The metal-polymer composite filament enables the production of metal components in 316L stainless steel – ideally suited for jigs & fixtures, spare parts and functional prototypes – or for tailor-made production aids like SCHORISCH successfully recognized.
In only a few weeks, SCHORISCH Elektronik designed a cover cap and printed it on an open system. Leveraging the potential of printing with the metal filament Ultrafuse® 316L, parts are characterized by an outstanding high temperature resistance and the unique possibility to print hollow parts – a stand-alone capability of metal 3D printing, enabling a quicker, more cost-effective and sustainable alternative to the manual taping.
“Forward AM’s Ultrafuse® 316L is the perfect match for manufacturing corrosion- and heat-resistant production tools when applying in the wave soldering process. It also enables us to show our customers new and innovative manufacturing methods.“
Florian Golz, Operations Manager, SCHORISCH Elektronik
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