Industry Guide Critical Components for Defense, Aerospace & Global Security Applications Flex Circuits Thermofoil Heaters Sensors Instruments
Minco provides critical design and manufacturing expertise for critical applications From the extremes of land, air and sea combat environments, to deep space missions, to security checkpoints, Minco flex circuits, heaters and sensors prove themselves in the toughest conditions anywhere. A history of building high reliability components Minco began designing and manufacturing temperature sensors for aerospace guidance systems 50 years ago. We pioneered the development of Thermofoil heaters now a standard component in modern instrumentation. Minco continues to build highly reliable and rugged components that survive the harshest conditions and still work when you need them to whether it is every two seconds or once every two years. Uniquely qualified for all custom demands Minco is uniquely qualified to respond to industry demands for lighter, faster and smaller products. We ve leveraged decades of design experience, state-of-the-art technology and proprietary manufacturing capabilities to build components using materials ideally suited to the temperature range, mounting requirements and space restrictions of your application. Minco s custom capabilities can improve product life-time, reliability and even reduce costs. Minco s reputation for finding the best solution has earned us the opportunity to provide high performance components to OEM s around the world. Flex Circuits Minco s precision flex circuitry allows us to specialize in fine lines, tight tolerances, and the exacting quality requirements needed for today s high density, high reliability electronics. Flexible three dimensional packaging Flex circuits offer unlimited freedom of packing geometry while retaining the precision, density and repeatability of printed circuits. Improved vibration resistance Under intense, broad-spectrum vibration and/or high g-forces of acceleration, the low mass of flex circuits reduces internal stresses at solder joints. Minco uses high ductility RA copper that allows for tighter bend radii without impacting reliability. Fine lines up to 0.002 for conductors and spaces provide higher interconnect density which allows more signals to fit into smaller places. Compact, low mass packaging Flex circuits can reduce space and weight by up to 75% for optimal packaging efficiency. Improved connection reliability Eliminate wire routing errors and reduce testing time, rework and rejects by using flex interconnects that only fit one way. Higher current density Flat foil conductors of flex circuits dissipate heat better than round wires of the same cross-sectional area. Combine the space and weight savings of surface mounting and of flex circuits for the ultimate in high-density packaging.
Thermofoil Heaters Thin, flexible heating elements consist of an etched foil (Thermofoil TM ) or wire-wound resistive element laminated between layers of insulation material such as Kapton, silicone rubber, mica, polyester or PTFE. Unlimited geography A wide variety of shape, termination and sensor options offer countless design alternatives for any application. Etched Thermofoil heaters custom-designed to fit around the perimeter of an application ensure optimal visual clarity and ample heating over the entire display area. Low mass Increases power use efficiency because little power is lost in warming the heater itself. A square inch of a Thermofoil heater weighs only 0.25 0.85 grams yet produces up to 110 watts. Superior thermal performance Heating elements can be profiled to offset variations in heat loss to ensure precise and consistent thermal processes. Minco s experience in thermal coupling speeds up warm-up and recovery to enhance productivity. A wire-wound heater element on thin, flexible, optically clear insulation placed in direct contact with instrumentation and LCD glass enables fast and efficient warm-up. Versatility Multiple mounting methods from pressure sensitive adhesives to laminated systems offer greater flexibility in choosing operating parameters and heat-sink materials. Sensors Sensor Minco manufactures custom and standard resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), thermocouples, and thermistors in a variety of packages and assemblies. Fast time response Time constants as low as 0.10 second offer immediate situational analysis, efficient thermal control and condition reporting. Compact and low mass Sensors can be built as small as 0.2 x 0.5 for weight and space savings. A sensor positioned in the center and terminated under the laminated heater insulation withstands heavy recoil and vibration. Rugged and reliable Many designs meet vibration and shock requirements outlined in MIL-STD-202, Method 204, Test condition D. Wide temperature capability From -250 C to 850 C to handle nearly any type of harsh or extreme environment. Unlimited geography Design and manufacture to fit any shape needed for your application. Wire-wound ceramic elements provide accurate sensing across a wide temperature range and are reliable in rugged aircraft conditions. Integrated Components Minco can design, assemble and integrate nearly any combination of our components to help you achieve the highest level of functional and packaging efficiency. RTD/heater Flexible Thermal-Ribbon RTDs mounted alongside heaters or incorporated into them provide accurate and responsive sensing. Flex circuit/heater/sensor Flex circuits integrated into thermal control systems eliminate the need for wiring and expensive connectors. Minco leads the market in component integration and three-dimensional packaging. This computer hard drive assembly integrates flex circuitry with a heater and sensor.
Flex circuits reduce weight through more efficient use of space in aircraft engine indicators Thermistor sensor monitors the temperature of a heated windshield Thermofoil heaters warm LCD display Flexible Thermal-Ribbon senses wing surface temperatures for wing surface de-icing High current Heaterstat de-ices airspeed sensors Rigid-flex circuits provide rugged reliability for missile fire control system Thin-film Thermal-Ribbons and Thermofoil heaters de-ice angleof-attack probes Temperature sensors in hydraulic lines monitor fluid temperatures to prevent overheating Thermal-Ribbon temperature sensors and Thermofoil heaters maintain clear optics in the Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) camera system Minco components for defense and aerospace applications Commercial and defense avionic systems Defense communications systems Missile systems and guided munitions Helmet mounted displays (HMD) Phased-array radar systems Aircraft thermal sensing and de-icing applications Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) Ruggedized portable electronic equipment Digital battlefield products Satellites Battery heaters 4
Flex circuits provide high current electrical connection in tight spaces between power supply and electrical components Thermofoil heaters stabilize temperature in various satellite subsystems such as fuel tanks/pipes, engine, electric motors, deployment mechanisms, batteries, electronic and communications modules Thermofoil heaters provide critical dumping of excess power from solar panel power generators Flex circuits provide critical switching of the safe-arm electromechanical fuze system Thermofoil heater warms actuator servovalves in launch platforms Bearing sensors monitor screw shaft temperatures for preventive maintenance and early failure warning in order to protect critical mechanical functions Temperature sensors monitor power generation stator windings for overheating to ensure maximum torque capacities Fine-line flex circuits provide high density interconnections to helmet mounted micro-displays Thin and lightweight flex circuits replace hardboards populated with components to provide three dimensional interconnections in hand-held radios and GPS devices Thermofoil heaters and integrated heater/ temperature sensor/controller warm the LCD screen and hard disk drive in ruggedized computers for cold weather operation Thermal-Clear heater and integral temperature sensor maintains ambient temperature on LCD screen for optimal performance 5
Minco components for global security applications Hazardous chemical detection Surveillance systems Remote location detectors and analyzers Temperature elevation for analytical process Chromatography PCR cycling Biometric scanning Spectroscopy Flex circuits provide high density interconnections to increase resolution of imaging in airport baggage inspection equipment Thermofoil heaters in the spectroscopic analysis chamber provides highly sensitive detection capability of ionic emissions from contraband in walk-through portals Thermofoil heaters prevent optics from fogging in security cameras Thermofoil heaters provide temperature stabilization to prevent malfunction due to condensation and ice accumulation in outdoor access control systems Double-layer flex circuit with stiffeners reinforce component insertion areas in chemical agent monitors. One stiffener has an unbonded tab which functions as an extraction tool 6
Let Minco make the central difference in your critical application Reduce Total Cost of Ownership Minco believes in considering all costs associated with our components. That s why we design and manufacture with Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) in mind. Minco s ability to integrate our components and provide assembly with other components of your application can save time and money in your production process. Whether you re looking for a heater with an integrated sensor terminated to flex leads and vulcanized to your heatsink, or just a single component for your application, Minco is the perfect fit to help you manage costs. Discover new solutions through collaboration Minco s E2E engineer to engineer program helps our design and manufacturing engineers join forces with our customer engineers leveraging the power of collaboration to solve problems and discover new opportunities. Minco offers a full range of expertise from a command of electronic and thermal engineering to identify design specifications, to production and manufacturing expertise needed to construct highly complex, one-of-a-kind components. Let s Talk Engineer to Engineer To help initiate meaningful collaboration and provide useful tools, Minco s Let s Talk Engineer to Engineer online community is where you can find: Webcast Archives Discussion Forums Top Engineer Questions Ask the Experts White Papers Engineering Tools www.minco.com/e2e Minco s Commitment to Quality Minco is ISO 9001:2000 / AS/EN/SJAC9100 (Registrar: TÜV) certified and we have the capabilities to meet many other quality assurance, process and product specifications per your requirements. Heaters: UL, TÜV, CENELEC, NASA S 311-P-079 Flex circuits: AS9100B, IPC 6013, MIL-P-50884D European Preferred Parts List (EPPL) For more information on Minco s highly reliable components, custom design and manufacturing capabilities, and our E2E program, please visit www.minco.com. 7
Worldwide Headquarters 7300 Commerce Lane Minneapolis, MN 55432 USA Tel: 1.763.571.3121 Fax: 1.763.571.0927 sales@minco.com www.minco.com European Headquarters Usine et Service Commercial, Z.I. 09310 Aston, France Tel : (33) 5 61 03 24 01 Fax : (33) 5 61 03 24 09 Asia Pacific Headquarters 20 Science Park Road #02-31 Teletech Park Singapore Science Park II Singapore 117674 Tel : (65) 6511 3388 Fax : (65) 6511 3399 MAG02022806R0 Minco 2006 Flex Circuits Thermofoil Heaters Sensors Instruments