Thin Microcircuit Card Manufacturing from Thick Plates
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge lies in manufacturing thin microcircuit cards from thick plates while also accommodating multiple card formats, as the thickness difference between old and new formats is too small to produce a compatible plate, and existing methods require significant tooling changes or waste.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a thick plate with pre-cut holes and adapters, where the card and adapter are pre-cut to fit within the plate's thickness, allowing for the production of thin cards and adapters from a single thick plate, enabling efficient conversion between different card formats without requiring new tools or significant material waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If a thick plate is used to manufacture thin cards, then material waste is reduced and existing tools can be reused, but the thickness difference between plate and card creates manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The thick plate is segmented into multiple components: the thin card (0.65mm) and a thick adapter (0.11mm), where the adapter remains attached to the plate. This segmentation allows the card to achieve the required thin profile while the adapter compensates for the thickness difference, enabling reuse of existing thick-plate manufacturing tools and reducing material waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter acts as an intermediary element between the thick plate and the thin card requirement. It is a detachable component that compensates for the thickness difference, allowing the card to meet the 0.65mm specification while the plate maintains its original thickness for manufacturing purposes. The adapter includes a contact plate that interfaces with the thin card.
2Manufacturing precision
If the thickness interval overlap is only 20 μm, then precision is maintained, but it becomes impossible to produce a plate compatible with both old and new card formats
Solution Approach 1:
The solution segments the thickness requirement into two separate components: the card maintains precise 0.65mm thickness for new format compatibility, while the adapter provides the additional 0.11mm thickness to bridge to the 0.76mm old format standard. This segmentation resolves the impossible requirement of making a single plate compatible with both formats.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter introduces an additional thickness dimension to compensate for the gap between card formats. By adding the adapter layer, the system transitions from a single-dimension thickness problem to a multi-layered solution where each layer serves a specific thickness requirement.
3Adaptability or versatility
If adapters are arranged in the same plate as cards, then format conversion is enabled, but the adapter requires great thickness which conflicts with thin card requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter is segmented into two functional parts: a thin card portion (0.65mm) and a thick adapter portion (0.11mm) that contains the contact plate. This segmentation allows the adapter to provide the necessary thickness for format conversion while the card portion maintains the thin profile required for new format compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the adapter have different thicknesses to serve different functions. The card area is thin (0.65mm) to match new format specifications, while the adapter area is thicker (0.11mm) to provide the necessary interface thickness. This local quality variation resolves the conflict between thin card requirements and adapter thickness needs.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of manufacturing a card (3) of small format (8) and small thickness (5), detachable from a plate (1) of large thickness (6), comprising the following steps: providing in the plate (1) of large thickness (6) at least one hole (4) opposite with a cumulative depth (7) equal to the difference between the large thickness (6) and the small thickness (5), pre-cutting of the card (3) of small format (8) in said at least one hole (4). Product obtained by such a method.