Measure the physical characteristics of electronic products
Understand the innovative techniques used by a Texture Analyser to evaluate the physical characteristics of electronic products.
Why measure the mechanical properties of electronic products?
Measuring the mechanical properties of electronic products holds significant importance in the industry. Electronic items frequently encounter mechanical stresses, including drops, vibrations, and bending, during use and transportation. By gauging these mechanical attributes, manufacturers can guarantee that their products can endure such stresses, ensuring long-term reliability.
Beyond reliability, safety is paramount, especially for electronics like medical devices that operate in critical scenarios where failures might lead to severe repercussions. Assessing their mechanical properties verifies that they align with safety standards and function safely in their designated settings.
Furthermore, from a fiscal perspective, these measurements can pinpoint potential design vulnerabilities early on. Addressing these in the initial stages of development can mitigate the risk of failures, averting expensive recalls or repairs.
Lastly, in a saturated market, manufacturers who can vouch for the mechanical robustness of their products through rigorous testing can gain a competitive edge. Customers generally gravitate towards products known for their dependability.
Therefore, evaluating the mechanical properties of electronics is crucial not just for their reliability and safety but also for ensuring cost-efficiency and establishing a strong market presence.
How a Texture Analyser can be applied to electronic product mechanical property measurement?
A Texture Analyser is an important tool in assessing certain aspects of electronic products, especially in materials research and production quality control:
- Adhesives: Analysing the bonding strength of adhesives used in assembling electronic components.
- Conductive gels and pastes: Evaluating their consistency, spreadability, and adhesive properties.
- Flexible materials: Testing the flexibility, bending, and foldability of materials used in flexible electronics.
- Tactile feedback: Assessing the force-response characteristics of buttons, touchpads, or haptic feedback mechanisms.
- Thermal compounds: Evaluating the spreadability and adhesive properties of thermal pastes or pads used for heat dissipation.
- Screen protectors and films: Testing adhesion, hardness, and scratch resistance.
- Elastomers and seals: Measuring the compressibility and resilience of materials used in waterproof or dustproof devices.
- Wire insulation: Testing the tensile strength, flexibility, and abrasion resistance.
- Solder pastes: Evaluating the consistency and spreadability during the SMT (Surface Mount Technology) process.
- Battery electrolytes: For solid-state batteries, understanding the mechanical properties of the solid electrolytes can be critical.
- Tactile feedback: For buttons or touch surfaces, measuring the force-response curve to ensure consistent and comfortable user feedback.
- Quality control: Regular mechanical testing ensures consistent product quality and early identification of potential manufacturing defects.
By utilising a Texture Analyser to measure and analyse these mechanical properties, electronic product developers and manufacturers can ensure the reliability, durability, and performance of their products. This not only improves consumer trust and satisfaction but also helps in reducing warranty claims and increasing product lifespan.
Typical measurements
A Texture Analyser, traditionally associated with food texture measurements, has evolved to assess a wide range of mechanical properties that can be measured for electronic products:
Hardness
The resistance of a material to indentation or scratching.
Material fatigue testing
With repeated use, electronic components can wear out. Evaluating how materials respond to repeated stresses can predict component lifespan.
Adhesive strength
With miniaturisation trends, ensuring that micro-solder joints and adhesives such as tapes and glues hold components securely is vital. Texture Analysers can measure the bond strength, ensuring long-lasting connections.
Fatigue strength
The ability of a material to resist failure under repeated loading.
Elastic modulus
The ratio of stress to strain within the elastic range of a material, indicating how much the material will deform under a given load.
Compressive strength
The ability of a material to resist crushing or buckling under compressive forces.
Puncture and penetration resistance
Critical for protective layers, screens, or casings to ensure they can resist sharp impacts.
Resistance measurement
Measurement of the change of resistance during depression of e.g. push buttons, membrane micro-switches and conductive gaskets.
Screen input force
Smartphone/tablet/automotive touchscreens/interfaces
Insertion/extraction force
Measuring the force required to insert or extract connectors ensures secure connections while maintaining user-friendliness.
Consistency
Thermal Interface Materials, used to transfer heat between components, need to have consistent texture and spreadability for optimal performance.
Tensile strength
The maximum stress that a material can withstand before breaking or undergoing deformation such as crimp joints, wires or connectors. As cables are often subjected to pulling or bending, understanding their tensile strength is crucial for design and longevity predictions.
Flexural strength
Evaluating the resistance of components like flexible printed circuit boards or thin films to bending or breaking under applied loads. Also, as flexible screens and wearables become more prevalent, understanding the flexibility and durability under bending stresses is essential.
Elasticity and elongation
For flexible components, to measure their ability to stretch and return to the original form without deformation.
Shear strength
The ability of a material to resist sliding or cutting forces perpendicular to its surface.
Compression resistance
Evaluating the resilience of components like keypads, buttons, or protective casings when subjected to compressive forces.
Peel strength
The force required to pull/peel components from a printed circuit board or to peel off labels, laminates, or protective films from the surface of electronic devices.
Button actuation force
For tactile feedback in electronic devices like remote controls, mobile phones, and keyboards, the force required to actuate a button and its rebound characteristics can be tested.
Screen protector adhesion and durability
For protective films and glass, adherence strength and resistance to scratching or peeling can be analysed.
Enclosure seal integrity
For devices claiming water or dust resistance, ensuring enclosure seals maintain their integrity is crucial. Texture Analysers can assess the strength and durability of these seals.
By conducting these mechanical tests, you can ensure that your electronic products are durable and can withstand various conditions and forces that they may encounter during use or transport.
Typical graphs indicating relevant mechanical property parameters
Typical product test and graph
Case studies
Whether its providing the solution for Tom’s Hardware to test the actuation behaviour of a keyboard, allowing LG to measure adhesives for touchscreens or offering a method for Tampere University to investigate biodegradable, flexible and transparent tactile pressure sensors based on rubber leaf skeletons, a materials testing instrument is adaptable and flexible in its application to measure the bespoke mechanical properties of your product.
Tyco Electronics used their TA.XTplus Texture Analyser in the patent 'Joint bodies and methods for covering electrical cables and connections' for gel characterisation (hardness, stress relaxation and tack force) of their new development of electrically insulating gels whilst Commscope Technologies used their TA.XT2 Texture Analyser in the patent 'Cable enclosure assemblies and methods for using the same' to measure the hardness, stress relaxation and tack of samples. Using their Texture Analysers enabled product development and the measurement of product quality which can be controlled in their manufacturing to guarantee consistency and customer satisfaction.
With deep expertise in mechanical property measurement of materials, we’re well equipped to support innovation in the electronics sector – just ask our customers.
Probes and attachments for measuring the physical properties of electronic products
A wide range of probes and attachments can be integrated with our instruments, enabling precise testing tailored to the specific material or product under evaluation. Applications include compression tests to determine the stiffness of components, actuation tests to assess button or switch functionality, and the use of a Milliohmeter to measure the electrical resistance of conductive gaskets.
Over the years, we have collaborated with leading scientists and organisations across multiple industries to design and refine attachments that address highly specific testing requirements. When a suitable solution does not already exist, we develop one – expanding our portfolio of Community Registered Designs and reinforcing our commitment to innovation in solving complex testing challenges.
The examples provided highlight a selection of specialised attachments and commonly performed measurements in this application area. This list is not exhaustive; a broad range of additional options are available for the testing of electronic products. All instruments in the Texture Analyser range can be used to perform the tests described.
Domical/Hemispherical Probes
Allow measurement of keyboard actuation force.
Resistance Conversion Unit
Enables the characterisation of electro-mechanical products by measuring and analysing the force-distance and resistance distance characteristics coincidentally.
Test methods
Exponent Connect software includes a comprehensive range of test methods for electronic products, all instantly accessible at the click of a button. We streamline your texture testing process, ensuring faster access to methods and ready-to-use analysis files for your product properties.
Using the Texture Analyser for new electronic material and product ideas
Electronics is a broad and rapidly advancing field. The following are some trends and innovations in electronic product research, development, and production:
Flexible and foldable electronics
Devices like foldable smartphones and wearable gadgets that leverage flexible OLEDs and other innovative components. Beyond smartwatches, this includes smart clothing, electronic tattoos, and advanced health monitors.
Solid-state batteries
Batteries without liquid electrolytes, aiming to provide higher energy density and better safety compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries.
Neuromorphic computing
Chips and systems designed to mimic the human brain's neural structures for more efficient computing, especially for AI tasks.
Advanced memory technologies
Such as Magnetoresistive Random-Access Memory (MRAM) and Resistive Random-Access Memory (ReRAM) that offer faster speeds and lower power consumption.
AI-integrated chips
Processors optimised for AI computations, enabling faster machine learning and deep learning tasks.
2D Materials
Beyond graphene, other 2D materials like molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), boron nitride, and more are being explored for their unique electronic, optical, and mechanical properties.
Thermal Interface Materials (TIMs)
Advanced materials to manage heat in electronic devices, including novel gels, pastes, and composites.
Quantum computing
Efforts to develop computers that use the principles of quantum mechanics to potentially surpass classical supercomputers.
5G and beyond
Development of technologies to support faster wireless communication standards.
Printed electronics
Using printing methods to create electronic circuits, offering potential cost reductions and flexibility in design.
Green electronics
Focus on sustainable, biodegradable, or recyclable electronics to reduce e-waste.
Integrated photonics
Using light instead of electrical signals for faster and more efficient data transfer.
High entropy alloys
Multi-principal element alloys that have potential for high-performance electronic applications due to their unique structures.
Human augmentation devices
Devices that enhance the human body's capabilities, from exoskeletons to brain-machine interfaces.
The landscape of electronics R&D is vast, and the above list provides just a snapshot of the ongoing innovations. The sector remains one of the most dynamic and rapidly advancing areas of research and development.
Recent research
Here is some recent interesting research in electronics product development using the Texture Analyser:
- All-Starch-Based Hydrogel for Flexible Electronics: Strain-Sensitive Batteries and Self-Powered Sensors
- Bio-based thin films of cellulose nanofibrils and magnetite for potential application in green electronics
- Biomorphic structural batteries for robotics
- Ionic conductive cellulose-based hydrogels for Al-air batteries: Influence of the charged-functional groups on the electrochemical properties
- Multifactorial engineering of biomimetic membranes for batteries with multiple high-performance parameters
