E.P. SIMON, M. FRÖHLICH, K.-D. LANG Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Integration of electronics into textiles for various applications is gaining more and more interest by research facilities and companies, alike.
Recently, different integration and interconnection technologies have been presented. However, most of them have the drawback needing increased temperatures. This work presents a polymer based force-fit interconnection module (Click-Bond) that can be used to establish reliable electrical and mechanical interconnections between electronic components and textile circuit boards at room temperature. It is an extremely fast and cost-efficient process that is able to bring smart textile applications into the mass market. At first, a list of potential polymer materials is generated that can be used in injection-molding, provide the necessary structural and thermo-mechanical properties, and do not include hazardous compounds. The influence of humidity as well as creeping at higher temperatures is analyzed. Besides, models of the module are made and simulated by means of FEA. Material properties and geometries are varied to find the maximum achievable contact force onto a textile circuit. The design aims at using a single mold to reduce cost. Finally, a model of the mold is made to simulate the injection process before an actual part is produced.
