Large area cost efficient flexible circuits

1
Large area cost efficient flexible circuits
Flexelec

• Final Review
• June 28th 2002

2
Overview

• Review of aims and objectives
• Review of challenges
• Technical summary presentations
• Contributions from consortium members
• Demonstrator status
• Future opportunities

3
Aims and objectives

• Explore preferred materials, processes, process
  conditions and machine configurations to create
  cost efficient large area flexible circuits and
  assemblies
• Generate process routes, including hybrid
  solutions for the manufacture and assembly of
  such circuits
• Assess the new assembly and test processes
  required within the vehicle

4
Aims and objectives contd.

• Demonstrate the capability of such large area
  flexible circuits to combine power, signal and
  transmission lines
• Demonstrate the capability of such circuits to
  withstand current and future automotive
  manufacturing and assembly processes and
  in-service conditions
• Incorporate the ability for rapid product
  redesign
• Define an exploitation route for the technology

5
Challenges

• Cost - potential for savings must be exploited
  through the supply chain in manufacture and
  assembly, enabling flexibility, modularity and
  upgradeability
• Convincing manufacturers of the business impacts
• Ability of flex to carry high currents and signal
• Mechanical robustness
• Reliability and maintenance
• Size and handleability

6
Technical summaries

• Functional capabilities of flex ccts
• Development of material specifications and
  testing
• Process options
• Modelling
• Demonstrators

7
Contributions from consortium partners

• GTS
• Yazaki
• Pressac

8
Demonstrator status

• Pressac

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Potential avenues

• Design
• Design tools development
• Concurrent logic, electrical and physical routing
  in 3D
• Design rules capture
• Materials, application, configuration
• Concurrent design of car structures and flex
• Design for function - EMC simulation tools for
  selection of appropriate shielding
• Design for material instability in manufacture -
  avoiding registration problems thru design

10
Potential avenues contd.

• Functional testing of assembled ccts
• Development of suitable testing regimes
  representing target application areas
• Testing of assembled, functional ccts
• Accelerated life testing
• In-vehicle testing
• Understanding of physics-of-failure of flex and
  combinations of coverlays, adhesives etc.
• Evidence-based materials selection tool to match
  flex cct materials to applications

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Potential avenues contd.

• Processing
• Lower cost processes
• Non-subtractive copper cct manufacture
• Materials utilisation
• Thru-hole connection options
• Connectorisation
• Handling of flex in supply chain
• Assembly to vehicle
• Where/when/how

12
Future opportunities identified

• Volex
• Agri-vehicles
• Jaguar Cars
• 42V systems
• Flexelec consortium
• Pressac MCWC - Thru-connections in flex

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Any other business