Engineering Design Show participants Lohmann Technologies will be using the event to showcase a variety of the latest innovations in materials and tape technology covering both the electronics and mechanical engineering sectors. Uppermost in the minds of many electronics engineers, and a subject that continues to command the attention of some of the best innovators in the business, is the ongoing challenge of effective heat management. So a visit to Lohmann Technologies on EDS stand F40 could prove rewarding for engineers seeking cool solutions to heated challenges. The company is the UK distributor for DuPont’s range of thermal management materials marketed under the Kapton® brand. These include the new Kapton® RS material, which is an electrically conductive polyimide film developed for heating applications where a thin, lightweight, uniform heater is needed. Also in the portfolio is Kapton® MT+, which offers high thermal conductivity, excellent breakdown voltage, high mechanical resilience and exceptional flexibility. These attributes combine to make it an ideal substrate to incorporate as an electrically isolating thermal solution for electronics or automotive applications.
Lohmann has its own Kapton® specialist, Colin Theaker, just one of an experienced team of materials and tape technology engineers who are well-versed in the subjects of bonding, sealing, insulation and thermal transfer across many applications. For example, a recent success has seen Kapton® RS material from Lohmann Technologies pre-heating a section inside the control module of a best-selling measurement device. In this case, the customers primary criteria required uniform heating across the defined area, the ability to cope with changes in both voltage and temperature across the surfaces, and that material could be easily installed during the production process without changes to the systems currently in use.
In another recent application, Kapton® MT+ from Lohmann Technologies was the material of choice specified for use as an insulation material inside an E-motor. In this case, the design brief demanded not just efficient insulation for the inside of the motor casing, but also a proven ability to withstand high temperatures and to conduct the heat away from critical areas inside the casing. Interestingly, the design also required a material that was capable of being formed into shape over various protrusions within the inside of the casing, to provide an unbroken single barrier and conductor.
Commenting on the presence of the Kapton® range of thermal management products that can be discussed on the Lohmann Technologies stand at EDS, Colin Theaker observed “The Kapton® family from Lohmann Technologies provides electronics design and production teams with many advantages. Included in these are adhesive and non-adhesive products, offering excellent thermal conductivity (up to 0.8 W/m K) outstanding thermal insulation, resistance to very high temperatures, and very good physical flexibility. Additionally Kapton® products from Lohmann Technologies are easily die cut into precision shapes, and possess high dielectric strength”.
In addition to its Kapton® range, Lohmann Technologies will also be showing a variety of other adhesive tape materials that are designed for bonding, sealing and insulating steels, aluminium, glass, and the latest generations of plastics and composites. Structural bonding of these materials is now commonplace using Lohmann tapes and stand visitors will be able to see and inspect examples on site. Lohmann Technologies also provides design teams the advantages of having an extensive R&D facility of their own which can assist in the assessment and proving of structural joints using the company’s materials.
