Photo etching… an enabling technology for miniaturisation

Miniaturisation continues to be a key word in electronics design and manufacture. As devices become smaller, so other on-board mechanical components must follow suit but along with size reduction, invariably goes the need for increased precision. One company helping facilitate this trend is Precision Micro, Europe’s largest independent photo etching company. Precision comes as standard from Precision Micro and complexity does not attract a premium.

On-board EMI/RFI shielding is one example of this size reduction trend where Precision Micro excels. As ‘real estate’ on boards becomes ever more restricted and ‘slim profile’ assemblies become more common so the demand for miniature and low profile cans increases… demand that cannot be satisfied by standard designs and conventional pressing techniques.

Every shielding can manufactured by Precision Micro is tailored specifically to fit the space available and each exhibits outstanding co-planarity for ease of assembly. The Company has also pioneered the development of ‘quiet ventilation’ a technology that enables designers to incorporate cooling into even the smallest of can designs.

In an industry where "time to market" is ever more important the need for speed in prototyping and volume supply may well be an overriding factor. PRECISION MICRO utilises digital and modular tooling that can be produced in hours, is easy to modify and optimise; and, critically, uses the same precision technology and tooling to produce volume requirements as it uses to produce prototypes.

PRECISION MICRO claims to be ideally placed to meet the rapidly changing requirements of the electronics manufacturing industry. Testing this claim is a low cost option that should fit nicely into a low risk product development strategy.