Portable device design hinges on coating

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Mar 11, 2008

Simula Tech of Taiwan is using Victrex Peek polymer based Vicote coating in the production process for its slide hinges for handheld devices.

All the major global mobile phone, PDA, ultramobile PC and handheld device makers have introduced products with slide hinges to ride on the market trend and to increase and maintain market share.

Vicote coatings combine wear resistance, lubricity and bonding strength to increase the durability of the slide hinge, enabling it to maintain its original operating smoothness for up to 200,000 cycles and beyond.

The coating's ease of use during processing offers flexibility to mobile phone component manufacturers to not only help them develop innovative designs that meet the market trends, but also significantly increase the production efficiency and yield rate of mobile phone slide hinges and further reduce overall production costs.

"Simula Tech is passionate about research and development, whether for manufacturing process technology or component design", says Richard Liu, Vice General Manager R and D centre, Simula Tech.

"We strive to develop our own products and to create our own innovative designs".

"We were the first in the industry to incorporate Vicote coatings into the design of the slide hinge and successfully move it into mass production".

"For end users or mobile phone manufacturers, this new innovative design can strengthen the functionality and design flexibility of mobile phones without additional costs".

"In addition, this innovative design has passed the EU's strict RoHS certification and successfully helped Simula Tech expand into the European market".

The global popularity of mobile phones has raised consumer demand for integrated advanced functions, including cameras, audio, TV, PC and GPS, which has influenced the exterior designs of mobile phones.

The increasingly popular stackable slide-up design can accommodate multiple functions, large screens and expandable keyboards, as well as provide lightweight phones with stylish designs.

These factors have made slide-up mobile phones very popular with consumers creating a new trend in the market.

A functional and efficient slide hinge is critical in ensuring slide up performance meets consumers' growing expectations.

Alvin Hsu, Manager R and D Department, Simula Tech, adds: "From R and D's perspective, even though the cost of the new material is marginally higher, the added value it brings can actually help to lower the overall production costs".

"Vicote coatings' ease of processing raises our production efficiency and yield rate of our slide hinges".

"Previously we used PI pressure-sensitive adhesive tape that caused production problems and had insufficient lubricity, this reduced our production efficiency and yield rate, significantly, also resulting in the hinges slackening or jamming after a certain number of uses".

"Currently, we manufacture a series of slide hinges with Vicote coatings, and plan to expand the implementation of Vicote coatings to various other series in our product portfolio".

Vicote coatings, powder and liquid dispersions, based on Victrex Peek polymer offer exceptional scratch and wear resistance, high temperature performance, strength and durability.

Eco-friendly Vicote coatings were developed to fill the performance gap found in many existing coating technologies today.

Whether applied to industrial, automotive, food processing, semiconductor, electronics or pharmaceutical parts, Vicote coatings are a great choice for engineers looking to improve the wear performance and life of the coated part in their applications.

Vicote coatings can be applied using electrostatic or conventional dispersion spray techniques.

"Material selection is the key to the success of current mobile phone design", says Gary Li, Country Manager, Victrex Taiwan.

"The popularity of mobile phones that are portable and lightweight, with wireless/high-frequency transmission and longer life span influences the design of mobile phone components, not to mention the more rigorous than ever environmental protection standards".

"Victrex Peek polymer not only helps significantly reduce the production and manufacturing costs of mobile phones and increase the product performance, but also brings more creative and differentiated designs to the industry".

"Our co-operation with Simula Tech further proves that Victrex Peek polymer is the material of choice to meet the demands of modern consumers, for different designs and styles".