Vacuum thermoforming for packaging flexible electronics and sensors in e-textiles
Vacuum thermoforming for packaging flexible electronics and sensors in e-textiles
Packaging of flexible electronics is essential for e-textile applications to reduce degradation of performance caused by mechanical stress and environmental effects and to increase durability. Conformal coatings for packaging have the advantage of reducing rigidity and can be seamlessly integrated into fabrics. Vacuum forming is a technique for packaging electronic devices with thermoplastic films of various thicknesses providing uniform coating. Polyurethane is a widely used thermoplastic material in e-textile and can be easily processed by vacuum forming for packaging. In this article, a detailed explanation of the working of Formech 450DT vacuum former is discussed for packaging small electronic chip for e-textile application with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). Two types of flexible circuits were packaged: a carbon monoxide (CO) gas sensor and a series of resistors on flexible PCB. The packaged CO flexible sensor and series resistors endured 5.3 times and 1.7 times, respectively, more bending cycles than unpackaged flexible electronic filament samples. For the washing cycles, the packaged flexible strips with CO sensor and series resistors endured 1.5 times.
Packaging, thermoplastic films, vacuum forming
715-723
Valavan, Ashwini
1e45c83e-c4f5-4ec8-9546-503ba213f44f
Komolafe, Abiodun
5e79fbab-38be-4a64-94d5-867a94690932
Harris, Nicholas
237cfdbd-86e4-4025-869c-c85136f14dfd
Beeby, Stephen
ba565001-2812-4300-89f1-fe5a437ecb0d
5 June 2023
Valavan, Ashwini
1e45c83e-c4f5-4ec8-9546-503ba213f44f
Komolafe, Abiodun
5e79fbab-38be-4a64-94d5-867a94690932
Harris, Nicholas
237cfdbd-86e4-4025-869c-c85136f14dfd
Beeby, Stephen
ba565001-2812-4300-89f1-fe5a437ecb0d
Valavan, Ashwini, Komolafe, Abiodun, Harris, Nicholas and Beeby, Stephen
(2023)
Vacuum thermoforming for packaging flexible electronics and sensors in e-textiles.
IEEE Transactions on Components Packaging and Manufacturing Technology, 13 (5), .
(doi:10.1109/TCPMT.2023.3283015).
Abstract
Packaging of flexible electronics is essential for e-textile applications to reduce degradation of performance caused by mechanical stress and environmental effects and to increase durability. Conformal coatings for packaging have the advantage of reducing rigidity and can be seamlessly integrated into fabrics. Vacuum forming is a technique for packaging electronic devices with thermoplastic films of various thicknesses providing uniform coating. Polyurethane is a widely used thermoplastic material in e-textile and can be easily processed by vacuum forming for packaging. In this article, a detailed explanation of the working of Formech 450DT vacuum former is discussed for packaging small electronic chip for e-textile application with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). Two types of flexible circuits were packaged: a carbon monoxide (CO) gas sensor and a series of resistors on flexible PCB. The packaged CO flexible sensor and series resistors endured 5.3 times and 1.7 times, respectively, more bending cycles than unpackaged flexible electronic filament samples. For the washing cycles, the packaged flexible strips with CO sensor and series resistors endured 1.5 times.
Text
Vacuumformingpackagingfinal
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 2 May 2023
Published date: 5 June 2023
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
This work was supported by the U.K. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) under Grant EP/P010164/1. The work of Steve Beeby was supported by the RAEng under the Chairs in Emerging Technologies Scheme.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2011-2012 IEEE.
Keywords:
Packaging, thermoplastic films, vacuum forming
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 477559
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/477559
ISSN: 2156-3950
PURE UUID: 57781ee3-5836-4018-8e46-9bc63ed10936
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Date deposited: 08 Jun 2023 16:44
Last modified: 18 Apr 2024 01:45
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