MATERIALS | ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC
Hans Geiger uses clean injection moulding for electronic components
German injection moulder Hans Geiger Spritzgisstechnik has developed clean manufacturing conditions to meet electronic industry specifications. The company says that dirt particles increase the risk of faults in electronic components. Geiger’s products are used in circuit
boards that must meet the highest quality standards. The company has responded to these requirements by developing an enclosed production line which meets all the criteria of a cleanroom efficiently and in a small space. This enables it to do clean manufacturing to individual specifica- tions, without added costs or time for additional parts cleaning. These savings are passed on to customers. The main cause of contamination in the injection moulding process is ambient air which can contain a variety of particles and fibres. Another possible source of contamination is the mould itself, for example in the form of metallic particles caused by
PHOTO: HANS GEIGER
Injection moulder Hans Geiger has developed an enclosed production line for products used in the manufacture of circuit boards
friction. If these particles get on the components they can cause serious faults, such as changed friction and shorter clearances and creepage distances.
On Geiger’s clean production line, two laminar flow boxes on the sealed enclosure create a constant overpres- sure, and a steady air current prevents
properties (CTI: 600V) for high-voltage parts such as PCUs. The material ensures high reliability for high-voltage parts that do not gain enough creepage distance. Water and salt can penetrate high-voltage parts and cause tracking issues, so materials with high CTI values are required. Polyplastics also offers Durafide PPS 6150T73,
which provides high heat shock resistance, strong dimensional stability and good heat and chemical resistance for metal insert moulded applications for electric vehicles. Previous material technologies suffered from lower heat shock resistance when mouldability (flowability) increased. Polyplastics is also exploring new materials to
replace metal in PCU housings. Thermoplastics would provide lighter weight and improved productivity. However, other key requirements include strength, dimensional stability, electromag- netic shielding and thermal conductivity. Specifically, Polyplastics is currently developing materials with electromagnetic shielding properties. The company is also targeting its material development work for other EV applications, such as motors and batteries.
26 INJECTION WORLD | October 2019
particles from settling in the clean area. Since the line is closed and has its own filter units, there are no further special needs that need to be met during production, says Eva Söhnlein, Senior Manager at Geiger. The line merely needs to be comprehensively cleaned before the start of production and after a tool change. In order to prevent particles being generated during production by the line itself, for example by friction, all sliding and moving elements of the moulds are specially coated and operate lubri- cant-free. The line is a complete, compact
production system with injection moulding machine, removal robot and packaging station. Geiger says the line has a cleanliness level corresponding to cleanroom class 7. However, the company decided against standard categorisation, because many of the company’s large customers have their own standards of technical cleanliness.
Albis Plastics has introduced Alcom MS ‘Anti
Squeak’ compounds for applications in the automotive and consumer electronics industries. The company says that the ABS, PC, or PC+ component materials provide improved ‘stick-slip’ behaviour, which reduces the risk of unwanted noise when coming into contact with other casing materials (it prevents the creaking and cracking noises that consumers associate with lower product quality in day-to-day use). Potential areas of application include consumer electronics casings where components are being inserted, clipped or screwed together, and where even the smallest relative motion between connected plastic parts could create noise. “Consumers base their impressions of product quality on not only haptic and visual assessments, but on acoustic ones as well,” says Eric Fautz, Product Specialist - Business Line Specialties. “Using Alcom MS ‘Anti Squeak’ eliminates bother- some noise, which has a lasting positive effect on end customers’ usage experience.” The company says that in a test in accordance
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