The K-Box process - an innovative concept in enclosure technology
25 October 2000
Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services
A few years ago the idea of having a custom made plastic enclosure for your electronics and keeping the costs for prototyping and limited production runs below R10 000 seemed ludicrous. However, with the introduction of the PMP process, developed and perfected by TTK Kunststoff of Germany, this is no longer a fantasy.
K-Box Technology SA, the South African licence holder for the process, is offering this innovative method of enclosure manufacture to the local market. As most designers will know, gaining a 'competitive edge' could be something as small as the 'look and feel' of the packaging and having the ability to really make one's product stand out in the crowd can be a huge plus point. The fact that K-Box manages to manufacture these enclosures without the need for tooling or moulds and that the designs can be changed at any point during the life of the product makes a telling point against investing thousands of rands in injection moulding processes.
The PMP process involves the fabrication of enclosures using milled flat panels that are then bent and assembled to the same strict tolerances required of injection-moulded products. Using the specially designed software and NC milling machines K-Box is able to design and manufacture a prototype housing in as little as one week or, if the need requires, even overnight.
That is one of the major advantages of the process. With the life expectancy of most electronics now being measured in months rather than years, the ability to repackage electronics if and when needed has become critical. Be it because of technology updates or styling, K-Box is in the position to design a box around one's electronics that can be modified at will.
K-Box has housed electronics in a variety of applications including: access control, time and attendance, medical, industrial control, forecourt POS, thin clients, promotional and marketing, and many others
Further reading:
Outscale your competition
Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services
Attendees will be able to explore the benefits of AMD Kintex UltraScale+ Gen 2 FPGAs in high-performance Pro AV, test & measurement, industrial, and medical applications.
Read more...
MTN SA Foundation drives youth pathways into the digital economy
Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services
The MTN SA Foundation, in partnership with Helios Towers and Datacomb Development Hub, has launched the MTN–Helios Towers 12-month ICT Learnership Programme, a pathway that takes young South Africans from digital training into real workplace experience.
Read more...
Downstream demand, system reliability, and the expanding role of engineering-led distribution
Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services
[Sponsored] As South Africa’s semiconductor demand continues to be shaped by downstream system deployment rather than upstream fabrication, the importance of engineering-led distribution will continue to grow.
Read more...
The impact of harsh environments and ionic contamination on post-reflow circuit assemblies
MyKay Tronics
Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services
There is well documented historical proof that post-reflow circuit assemblies, when subjected to harsh environments, are particularly vulnerable to failure mechanisms, but modern electronic assemblies are far more susceptible to this phenomenon.
Read more...
Engineering copper grain structure for high-yield hybrid bonding in 3D packaging
Testerion
Editor's Choice Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services
The way copper grains are sized and distributed forms the metallurgical foundation of hybrid bonding, enabling lower bonding temperatures, greater reliability, and stable grain structures throughout integration.
Read more...
Understanding solder dross: causes and control strategies
Truth Electronic Manufacturing
Editor's Choice Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services
Dross formation is an inevitable consequence of wave soldering. It occurs when molten solder comes into contact with oxygen, forming metal oxides that float on the surface of the solder bath. Over time, this oxidation byproduct accumulates and must be removed to maintain solder quality and process consistency.
Read more...
Non-destructive techniques for identifying defects in BGA joints – TDR, 2DX, and cross-section-SEM comparison
MyKay Tronics
Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services
This whitepaper reports the results of a comparison of the following techniques: TDR, automatic X-ray inspection (AXI), transmission X-ray (2DX), cross-section/SEM, and Dye & Pry.
Read more...
Implications of using Pb-free solders on X-ray inspection of flip chips and BGAs
MyKay Tronics
Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services
With the move to Pb-free soldering, most of the attention has been paid to reflow temperatures, component compatibility, and reliability concerns, but the implications for inspection, particularly X-ray inspection, are equally important and often underestimated.
Read more...
The causes of solder balls in robotic soldering
Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services
Solder balls (also known as solder splatter) are a major concern in many production sites as they may potentially cause shorts, leading to long-term impacts on product reliability.
Read more...
Material challenges for superconducting quantum chips
Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services
To achieve the scalable and repeatable production of superconducting circuits for quantum technology products, players in the industry are leveraging semiconductor fabrication techniques.
Read more...
printer friendly version