The Customer:
The customer is a world leader in specialty measurement devices offering analytical technologies in Chromatography, Mass Spectrometry and Thermal Analysis innovations, with industry leading scientific expertise.
The Challenge:
Provide an electrical connection for collecting data from the Column heater to the CPU, across a longer than normal distance. Chromatography is an analytical technique used to separate a mixture of chemical substances into its individual compounds, and with Column Chromatography the separated compounds are analyzed as they move through a medium at different rates. The desire of the customer was to eliminate a traditional wire harness and replace it with a Flexible Interconnect that would be less bulky, lighter in weight and fit better in the overall device.
The PICA Solution:
The length of a typical Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC) is limited by the panel size used in the manufacturing process. Larger panels are available and longer FPC’s can be manufactured in a number of non-standard process techniques. After reviewing the customer’s overall needs, PICA determined that a custom FPC was not the best overall solution for the customer. A Flat Flexible Conductor (FFC) cable attached to a std FPC design to meet overall length was well suited for this application. PICA worked with the customer to design a hybrid circuit layout and select the appropriate connector sets to suit the technology.
The Result:
PICA was able to offer a Flexible Interconnect Solution from our diverse product offering of technologies, and the customer received a low-cost solution for their device.
For more information on Flexible Printed Circuits (FPC) and Flat Flexible Conductors (FFC), please visit our PRODUCTS/TECHNOLOGIES tab on our home page.
