General Industrial
A press pad distributor with a significant market share had a client that was vital to their business: one of the largest printed circuit board manufacturers in the world. The distributor became aware of an issue with the press pads sold to the circuit board manufacturer – the lifetime of the press pads was being greatly reduced due to the material used in the manufacture of the pads. Substandard quality of the press pad material led to oil leakage from thermal instability. In addition, talc had to be repeatedly applied to reduce tack during the manufacturing process. Doing so markedly slowed down the process, creating lengthy lead times and inventory issues. Since having a certain level of inventory on hand for emergency situations was crucial for the circuit board manufacturer, the distributor needed to correct the press pad problem to keep their client satisfied.
Rogers’ Arlon® experts crafted a targeted solution using the UltraPad® MR press pad. Meeting both the distributor’s and manufacturer’s requirements, the silicone UltraPad® press pad is formulated to withstand high temperatures, which reduced oil leakage and subsequently stabilized the life of the press pad. The pad’s specific material properties eliminate the need to apply talc to reduce tack. In addition, the material performs longer and more reliably than any other material on the market, meaning the UltraPad® press pad can be used repeatedly in the curing process. The ability to do so reduces the overall price per cycle and cost of ownership for the manufacturer.
The UltraPad® MR silicone press pad provided the required thermal stability performance, allowing the circuit board manufacturer to increase the overall lifetime of the press pad. What’s more, the product’s inherent resistance to tack reduced production time by eliminating the need for talc. The client was able to reduce their labor and material costs as well as decrease their lead time, allowing them to easily fill emergency purchase orders ahead of their competition.
Learn more about ARLON® Ultrapad® Press Pads and their uses in general industrial applications.