• offers conformal electrical insulation
• alternative to injection-molded plastics, coatings

Increasingly mobile electronics often include a battery, forcing device manufacturers to search for new materials to provide electrical insulation and protection between critical device components and harsh user environments. Welch Fluorocarbon, which manufactures components from thin high-performance films, has begun producing parts on their latest generation of custom thermoforming machines. The new production facilities process films with gauges less than 0.001-in. thick.

According to Welch Fluorocarbon’s vice president David Midgley, “As many of today’s electronic device manufacturers produce smaller and smaller units, the space available for a powerful battery is extremely tight. In this environment, the advantage of thin film battery sleeves over thicker traditional injection molded plastic sleeves becomes significant.”

Advanced thermoforming under a vacuum transforms a 2-dimensional film into a complex film battery sleeve, as in the photo example of a sleeve constructed for a pacemaker manufacturer.

Electronics OEMs realize similar advantages with thin polymer films replacing bulkier plastics as vapor barriers and other applications in consumer and commercial applications. Thin film insulators offer an alternative to dielectric coatings which can be prone to pinholes, require a coatings specialist to apply, and are typically more costly than a thermoformed thin film liner.

According to Midgley, “Our ultra-thin gauge manufacturing capabilities are extensions of our industry leading drape and vacuum thermoforming production processes. The consumer demand for these technologies ranges from the medical industry, to telecommunications, aerospace and consumer products.”

When thermoforming thin gauge materials, maintaining control of process parameters becomes even more critical in producing a quality part. Fluoropolymers like FEP, PFA, and ETFE are thermoplastics that must be processed at extremely high temperatures. Having a complete understanding of the thermoforming process and how these films react in the melt is key to continuously meeting the extreme tolerances required from today’s leading edge device manufacturers.