DSM Engineering Plastics and Taisol flatten memory card connectors

Taisol Electronics, the second largest Taiwanese memory card manufacturer with branch offices in China, Singapore, Japan, USA and worldwide distribution, has commercialized halogen-free V-0 Stanyl® ForTii™ for its 5-in-1 memory card socket, readily usable for Memory StickTM, SD

CardTM, MMCTM, Smart MediaTM, and xD-Picture CardTM. These 5-in-1 memory card connectors are already used in printers produced by one of the leading top two OEMs. Such memory card connectors are a central interface in today's Electronics. Applications include Notebooks, Desktop PCs, Card readers, LCD Projectors, Monitors, etc.

Taisol was looking for an improved material that could reduce warpage in their 5-in-1 memory card connectors. Although the previous solution, a GFR PA9T was specifically developed as a low warpage grade, Stanyl ForTii F31 could reduce warpage by an astonishing 50% in comparison.

Amin Hsu, Assistant General Manager at Taisol Electronics China says: "TaiSol Electronics' expertise is in design and manufacturing of electronics thermal cooling and flash media connector solutions. For our 5-in-1 memory cards we have selected Stanyl ForTii and we are currently looking to expand the material to other product lines as well. Thanks to its high stiffness and related excellent low warpage properties after reflow, we were not only able to fulfill our customers' requirement for a flame retardant, reliable card connector, but could also offer an entirely halogen free solution while reducing their total cost. Access to Stanyl ForTii and the strong application support of DSM Engineering Plastics will help us to further strengthen our position and increase our global position."

Ong See Wee, Senior Application Development Manager DSM Engineering Plastics in Asia, who worked intensively with Taisol, comments:"Such a dramatic improvement in coplanarity versus competitor materials is a significant improvement to our customers. With growing integration, density in Electronics warpage has become one of the biggest issues for manufacturers. Particularly warpage after reflow is a major challenge since the stiffness of most materials drops sharply at such elevated temperatures during lead free reflow soldering. ForTii has been developed to keep a high stiffness even at elevated assembly temperatures above 300°C. ForTii drastically improves warpage yield loss and is outperforming any other Polyamide as well as PPS and LCP. The unique properties of ForTii are also helping manufacturers to reduce their manufacturing costs whilst at the same time, advancing product performance to another level, enabling manufacturers to retain their competitive edge".

Chris Tseng and Aaron Lin, Business Development Managers at DSM Engineering Plastics in China and Taiwan add: "The ForTii F31 grade was developed as a low warpage, halogen free UL94-V0 grade for memory card connectors and similar applications requiring high coplanarity and little change after reflow. With the increase of coplanarity our tier1 customers as well as electronic manufacturers can reduce their  inspection and rework costs significantly."

For further information, view website: www.dsm.com   Refer to page 147 

Arnold provides two new reliable and cost-effective assembly
methods to answer to the continuously evolving use of plastics

Arnold provides two new reliable and cost-effective assembly methods to answer to the continuously evolving use of plastics. Remform screws is a solution for detachable plastic parts joints whereas  Arnorld Tripress (ATP) are dedicated to permanent joints for ductile light metals or plastics.

Remform screws for detachable joints
Joints of this type are usually formed using bolts and nuts. It requires a significant amount of assembly time. The most economical option for fulfilling these extensive requirements is to use Remform screws for direct assembly with plastics. This form of threaded fastener assembly minimises the overall cost because the use of direct assembly technology with plastics eliminates operations such as fitting inserts. Thanks to the asymmetric flanks of the thread profile, Remform screws give the entire joint high operational reliability. The asymmetric thread geometry of the screw optimises the material flow of the thread formed in the plastic and increases the pull-out force compared to conventional symmetric thread flanks. Remform provides high assembly process reliability due to the large differential between the screw-in torque and the stripping torque, along with high dynamic load capacity due to the reinforced thread core cross-section.

As Arnold Umformtechnik recently demonstrated with the use of Remform screws by a renowned manufacturer of washing machines, this is more than just abstract theory. The customer´s requirements involved the assembly of a two-piece washing machine outer drum, which required fulfilling the following parameters: 1) The residual clamp force must remain at an adequate level for the lifetime of the washing machine in order to ensure the leak-tightness of the drum.  2) Operating temperature range of -10° to +65° C. 3) Extremely short assembly time (less than 1 second per screw). 4) Vibration resistance.

Arnorld Tripress for permanent joints
Permanent joints are most often made by welding, gluing, riveting or clipping. Although these methods ensure that the parts cannot become separated, they are often expensive in practice. For this reason, Arnold has developed the Arnold Tripress (ATP), a fastener that can be used to produce a detachable or permanent joint, or even a combination of the two. Unlike conventional products with round shanks, they have a trilobular (triangular) cross-section. When the stud is pressed into a round core hole, the hole deforms and takes on the trilobular shape of the stud. The resulting form fit minimises the pressing force. After the stud is pressed in, considerable torque or tensile force is necessary to dislodge it - far more than the yield torque of a conventional fastener. ATP fasteners can be pressed into ductile light metals and plastics.

These fasteners are of course suitable for a wide variety of applications, but their advantages really stand out for securing electrical terminals in motor vehicles. These terminals are conventionally designed to be secured with standard hex screws in order to distribute the torque arising from the attached connecting wire over the mating surface of the component. The fastener or terminal stud is fitted separately.

Considerable savings in tooling costs can be achieved by using the ATP fastener system. The appropriate fastener is pressed in until the head is flush with the surface, with no need for complex tooling or additional parts. After the ATP fastener is pressed in, the threaded portion protrudes from the component. The part to be attached is fitted over the protruding end and secured with a tightened nut.

For further information, view website: www.arnold-uk.com or e-mail: michael.pult@arnold-umformtechnik.de  Refer to page 182

Natural-coloured flexible thermoplastic cable
clips allow easy insertion of cable harnesses

The unique design of thermoplastic cable clips cable clips, from the Amphenol Corporation group, is a genuine advance. Their inherent performance is supplemented by great ease of use and excellent cable protection. The silicone overmoulding on the inner surface avoids cable damage by vibrations or shocks, while allowing axial adjustment movement.

Easy to use
Made of natural-coloured flexible thermoplastic, these cable clips allow easy insertion of cable harnesses. This is a robust design: the material used, Polyamide 6.6, withstands rough handling and returns to its original shape after distortion. The cable clips are closed by a cable fastener 5 mm wide after the cable harness is properly positioned. Note that even without a cable fastener the cable harness does not fall out of the clip when the opening is facing down. The clip is fastened to the structure simply with an M5 screw and a washer (other types of fastening are available). This means that these cable clips can be mounted anywhere on the structure before the wiring process or later when the equipment itself is wired.

Cable protection
The silicone overmoulding dampens shocks and vibrations and avoids cable damage. The ridged contact surface between clip and cable also allows axial cable movement in order to accept any movements of the structure on which the clips are fastened, avoiding clips or cables being torn off. The silicone extends to the edge of the contact surface to avoid binding of the cable harness when the clip is fully closed.

Performance and characteristics
These cable clips have remarkable resistance to harsh environments: their working temperature range is from - 55 °C to + 150 °C, their fire resistance complies with the UL 94 V0 standard and they are resistant to most mineral and synthetic oils. They are available in eight sizes, accepting cable harnesses from 5 to 48 mm diameter: with just eight clip sizes the whole range of cable harness diameters is covered.

These cable clips are therefore particularly suitable for applications subjected to shocks or strong vibrations, but also applications in harsh environments or subject to high or low temperatures: moving or vibrating plant and machinery (lifts, vibrating machinery, robots, tunnels, etc).

French subsidiary of the Amphenol Corporation group (sales of 3.25 billion dollars in 2008), Amphenol Air LB France employs 220 persons on industrial sites located in north-eastern France.

Specialist of dedicated technical solutions for harsh environments, Amphenol Air LB France designs, manufactures and markets sealed disconnect connectors (rectangular and circular, modular or not), quick-connect modules and fastening systems for railways, industry and aerospace.

For further information contact, Stéphane MALARD, e-mail: stephane.malard@amphenol-socapex.fr