Few industries require the level of precision demanded by manufacturers of printed circuit boards and other components for electronics and computers. This case study highlights the Indepak team's ability to meet and even exceed some of the most difficult thermoforming challenges.
The Challenges
The precision design of this PCB tray required ultra thin, yet highly rigid walls that would hold each unit securely in place so that robots could accurately pick-and-place each PCB in a highly automated manufacturing process.
The existing supplier's thermoformed trays were experiencing high defect rates due to uneven material distribution issues and this was leading to both damaged parts and issues with the pick-and-place robots.
The Solution
The Indepak design team worked with its material suppliers to design a special, rigid anti-static material that would allow its machines to form the ultra thin fins. Special tooling was then fabricated to achieve the necessary heat levels for each fin and the eventual tray was prototyped and thoroughly tested to ensure it performed.
The Result
The combination of this innovative material with Indepak's precision thermoforming equipment allowed the team to meet the incredibly challenging specifications for this tray.
Once the tray was complete, a separate thermoformed lid was developed to provide even more protection for the parts.
