Electronics
Devices must be manufactured effectively and economically.
due to the use of batch fabrication processes and reduced amounts of raw materials. From an environmental standpoint, smaller devices typically generate less waste throughout the life cycle. Manufacturers should think long and hard about whether making devices smaller and flexible is worth it – in terms of labour, sustainability and cost. Though if they decide it is, it’s a choice that can pay dividends.
Setting up for success
It sounds obvious, but making smart design decisions early – including choosing the right components – can save a lot of stress down the line. Dr Adrian Horrell, head of electronic systems at Team Consulting, says: “Current chip and passive component fabrication and packaging technologies coupled with advanced printed circuit board manufacture and assembly can let you squeeze a lot of functionality and performance into tiny volumes – but this brings formidable design challenges. “Besides the fundamental ‘3D jigsaw puzzle’ of fitting everything into place, issues will arise in areas like signal integrity, thermal management and wireless performance. Having the right simulation and modelling tools will also help.” Device-makers should consider all these factors up front when developing designs. And when devices still aren’t small enough, Horrell recommends considering advanced design and manufacturing processes from the chip industry such as system-in-package assembly or creation of an application-specific integrated circuit as ways to further reduce the size of electronic components. However, the upfront cost of these can be very high. Collaboration can make a big difference here, too. Whether between hardware and software engineers, or electronic and mechanical or industrial designers, communicating ideas is key for device-makers to overcome challenges posed by miniaturisation requests. According to Horrell,
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having the right computer-aided design (CAD) and simulation tools can support this process. “There is a large role for EME [electronics and medical engineering] departments to work collaboratively with manufacturers in the design to shape the next generation of medical devices,” adds Ben Caldicott, head of medical engineering at Healthcare Partners. He recommends that manufacturers communicate with people who service the devices, study feedback on trends and failures, and apply these insights to make physical improvements. That includes dealing with limitations, including those potentially introduced by the Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) – new EU rules for how electrical waste should be dealt with. This means that manufacturers “aren’t going to be able to do a great deal with some of the polymers they use in these plastics”, says Caldicott.
Scaling smart
Alex Casson, professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Manchester, deems the route to scale-up the main challenge for making electronic devices smaller and more flexible. That means that manufacturers should plan for this from the get-go. Casson points out that many flexible or stretchable electronic devices are made as one-offs in the laboratory. Yet the design rules for larger-scale manufacturing often differ greatly to those for one-off or prototype devices.
“As a rule of thumb, devices made in a clean room with silicon processing-based technologies are the very thin flexible ones,” he explains. “Whereas printed electronics-based devices tend to be thicker or less flexible, but with potentially easier routes to scale-up, such as via roll-to-roll printing.” Dr Conor O’Mahony, principal researcher at the
Tyndall National Institute, agrees that roll-to-roll processing can be a good idea – and it’s better for the planet, too. “Circuit boards are environmentally unfriendly to manufacture, associated with significant amounts of waste chemicals and metals. So, the industry needs to move towards flexible manufactory procedures, like roll-to-roll processing, where everything is built on a flexible film.” Here, Horrell adds, it can be beneficial to engage with component and manufacturing suppliers as early as possible, so you can access their latest component offerings – and their expertise. “There’s little point designing a device that can’t be manufactured effectively and economically… Before committing to costs, consider your performance and size targets carefully. Don’t get trapped into spending millions of pounds and years of effort to shave off the last half a millimetre unless it’s really necessary.”
Medical Device Developments /
www.medicaldevice-developments.com
Dragana Gordic/
Shutterstock.com
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