Conductor Grid Welded Metal Strips Wire Bonding

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Solution Overview

Problem

The conventional method of manufacturing conductor grids for electronic housings is costly due to the need for expensive plated starting materials, particularly in the field of mechatronics where high conductivity metals like copper and iron alloys are used but require additional coating for wire bonding capabilities.

Innovation Solution

Producing conductor grids from two metal strips welded along the joint edge, where only one strip has a surface suitable for wire bonding, significantly reducing the use of expensive plated material by using conventional metals like copper or iron alloys for one strip and wire-bonding metals like aluminium for the other, with laser welding for efficient joining.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional plated starting material is used for conductor grids, then wire bonding capability is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewire bonding capabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The conductor grid is divided into multiple segments or sections, where only specific bonding islands or contact points are plated with bonding-capable material, rather than plating the entire conductor grid. This segmentation allows wire bonding to be performed at discrete locations while reducing overall material costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of uniformly plating the entire conductor grid surface, the invention applies bonding-capable material only at specific local areas where wire bonding is required (bonding islands). This local quality approach ensures wire bonding capability is maintained at critical points while minimizing the use of expensive plated material across the entire structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If the entire conductor grid surface is plated with bonding-capable material, then wire bonding is enabled across all surfaces, but material costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewire bonding surface availabilityVSAvoidplated material quantity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts or removes the bonding-capable plated material from unnecessary areas of the conductor grid, retaining it only at specific bonding islands or contact points where wire bonding is actually performed. This extraction reduces the total quantity of expensive plated material while maintaining essential wire bonding functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of applying bonding-capable material to the entire conductor grid surface (excessive action), the invention applies plating only to the extent necessary for wire bonding at specific bonding islands (partial action). This partial plating approach reduces material consumption while achieving the required adaptability for wire bonding connections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional plated metal strips are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but production speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing process simplicityVSAvoidproduction speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The conductor grid is pre-cut into the final shape with defined bonding islands before the plating process. This preliminary action allows subsequent plating to be focused only on these pre-defined areas, enabling faster and more efficient production compared to plating entire strips and then cutting them later.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention transitions from working with continuous metal strips to using pre-cut grid structures with discrete bonding islands. This dimensional change from 2D continuous surfaces to 2D discrete patterns enables more efficient plating processes and faster production cycles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This method reduces material costs by approximately 50% compared to traditional methods, achieving efficient electrical conductivity and wire bonding capabilities while minimizing thermal distortion and maintaining high welding speed.

Implementation Method 1

the first and the second metal strip are welded with the aid of a laser beam

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLaser welding: Laser Beam Welding

Data Source

PatentEP2417842B1Conductor grid for electronic housings and manufacturing method
Publication Date: 2019.02.27 TE CONNECTIVITY GERMANY GMBH
  • EP2417842B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2C
  • EP2417842B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

With the present invention, conductor grids for electronic housings and a manufacturing method for such conductor grids are provided. According to the invention, the conductor grid is produced from two metal strips (130, 110, 140) welded along the joint edge (150), with only one of the two metal strips needing to have a surface suitable for the wire bonding. The amount of the conventionally used, plated starting material can be considerably reduced in this way.