Metal-Face Dual-Interface Smart Card Lamination to Reduce Layer Shrinkage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current manufacturing methods for metal smart cards involve high complexity, shrinkage, and expansion of layers during lamination, leading to poor quality and increased production time, with thermal soldering processes requiring numerous steps and causing wastage.
Innovation Solution
A dual interface smart card with a metal face layer and a two-step lamination process, utilizing a Te-connect process for integrating the integrated circuit chip module, and a magnetic layer to prevent electromagnetic interference, reducing the number of manufacturing steps and avoiding adhesives under the filler material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If thermal soldering process is used for manufacturing metal smart cards, then the smart card can be manufactured with integrated circuit chip module, but the manufacturing complexity increases and production time increases due to 19-20 steps required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple manufacturing steps into a single lamination process. The adhesive layer with pre-formed cavity and the integrated circuit chip module are laminated together in one step, eliminating the need for separate milling, cleaning, wire positioning, and soldering steps. This merging of operations reduces the process from 19-20 steps to significantly fewer steps while maintaining product quality
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive layer is prepared in advance with a cavity formed and the integrated circuit chip module placed within it before the lamination process. This preliminary preparation allows the complex assembly to be completed in a single lamination step rather than requiring multiple sequential steps during final assembly
2Strength
If lamination of different material types (Metal, PVC, Adhesive layer) is performed, then the smart card layers are bonded together, but shrinkage and expansion occur during lamination which reduces smart card life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent controls lamination parameters including temperature (100-150°C), pressure (5-15 kg/cm²), and time (5-15 minutes) to optimize the bonding process. By carefully controlling these parameters, the adhesive layer bonds effectively to both metal and PVC layers while minimizing thermal stress and mechanical stress that cause shrinkage and expansion, thereby extending smart card life
3Reliability
If more manufacturing steps are used for thermal soldering process, then the integrated circuit chip module can be securely embedded, but more time and resources are consumed leading to productivity loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges embedding and bonding operations into a single lamination step. The adhesive layer with pre-formed cavity holds the integrated circuit chip module in place, and lamination simultaneously bonds all layers together secures the module. This eliminates multiple separate operations for milling, cleaning, positioning, and soldering, dramatically improving productivity while maintaining secure embedding
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive layer structure itself provides the embedding function through its pre-formed cavity that holds the integrated circuit chip module. The lamination process automatically secures the module in place through the adhesive bonding, eliminating the need for separate embedding tools and operations, thereby increasing manufacturing throughput
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
The method achieves higher throughput and reduces production costs by minimizing layer shrinkage and expansion, resulting in a more efficient manufacturing process with improved smart card quality.
Implementation Method 1
the magnetic layer prevents the metal layer from interfering with an electromagnetic field that is generated from the antenna
Implementation Method 2
A two-step lamination process for avoiding unnecessary shrinkage and expansion of layers inside the smart card
Implementation Method 3
utilizing a Te-connect process for integrating the integrated circuit chip module
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a dual interface smart card (100), comprising, a metal layer (101), a self-adhesive layer (102), a magnetic layer (103), a dual adhesive layer (104), an antenna (105), an antenna inlay layer (106), an overlay layer (108) with magnetic strip, a filler material (110), integrated circuit chip module (113), wherein, the metal layer (101) acts as a surface layer and the self-adhesive layer (102) creates a bond, the dual adhesive layer (104) bonds the magnetic layer (103) with the antenna inlay layer (106) and the overlay layer (108) with magnetic stripe is a protective layer for the printed layer (107) lay the magnetic stripe for swiping the dual interface smart card (100). The integrated circuit chip module (113) is embedded by using Te-connect process which comprises of solder paste to connect antenna (105) and module contact pads.