23 November 2022Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services
By David Gray, Mycronic.
For years, we’ve been hearing: “5G is coming and it’s going to transform our world!” Is this realistic or is it just hype? According to Mycronic experts, this is certainly not hype. New 5G technology, with up to 100 times faster speeds than today’s 4G, will open exciting new possibilities for consumers and businesses, but it is already placing tough demands on manufacturers.
“Right now, we’re seeing the first waves of 5G devices hitting the market,” says Ivan Li, Sr VP of Mycronic’s assembly solutions high volume division. “These devices use a high-band spectrum that offers faster connectivity, ultra-low latency and the ability to handle a lot more data.”
5G investments are accelerating
Li explains that latency is the lag time in the transmission that can disrupt the user experience – whether it’s for advanced gaming, streaming of videos, e-health, or connected vehicles. Now, with greater transmission speeds, 5G networks will dramatically enhance the experience by reducing that lag. And while the rollout of 5G mobile networks has been slightly delayed due to the recent global pandemic, the ramp-up in investments is accelerating.
“In my view, 5G is the technology leap that will form the backbone for future technology innovation, including the 3D Metaverse. It’s real and it’s happening now!” Li says.
High-volume dispensing and protective coatings
From his front-row position in the electronics hub of Shenzhen, China, Li and his team are in a unique position to see the manufacturing challenges of 5G playing out in real time.
“For consumer electronics, the challenge is to create robust, well-protected smartphones, wearables, and devices. Here is where Mycronic’s fully automated high-volume dispensing and protective coating equipment is being widely adopted by leading manufacturers,” he says.
“But this is not all,” says Li. “Suppliers of infrastructure like 5G radio base stations, switches and routers must also be able to mount layers of advanced components on complex printed circuit boards. This may require full-line SMT solutions, including jet printers and specially tailored dispensing solutions.”
Die bonding and electrical PCB testing
Finally, he notes that Mycronic’s Global Technologies division is developing crucial die bonding solutions for 5G network components, and electrical tests for the bare board PCBs used.
“5G rollout across the globe continues to demand that manufacturers produce increasingly smaller products, with higher speed and bandwidth,” says Li. “The 5G technology requires high-performance optical devices, such as transceivers embedded in datacentres, to allow data to flow in and out at maximum speeds.”
To be able to handle miniaturisation with accuracy and speed, Li points to exciting new developments at Mycronic’s MRSI unit (part of Global Technologies division), which provides cutting-edge die bonding equipment for customers manufacturing such optical devices. “MRSI’s die bonders help them overcome significant challenges to deliver increasingly smaller packaging housing with smaller dies and higher density,” he concludes.
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