News-Center

When designing modern electronic devices, engineers often face the choice between flexible printed circuit boards (Flex PCBs) and 3D-MID (3D-Mechatronic Integrated Devices). Both technologies offer unique advantages and limitations, making the selection process highly dependent on the specific requirements of each application. Flex PCB Advantages: High flexibility, enabling complex 3D shapes Good for miniaturization in confined spaces Wide range of applications: wearables, medical technology, automotive Disadvantages: Limited integration of components Higher unit costs, especially for complex designs More sensitive to chemicals 3D-MID Advantages: Highest packing density Smallest possible size due to integration of passive components High mechanical and thermal stability...

As product requirements evolve, engineers and designers search for solutions that enable greater integration, miniaturization, and reliability without compromising on quality or design flexibility. 3D-MID (Three-Dimensional Mechatronic Integrated Devices) technology offers a practical solution to these challenges by integrating electronic circuits onto the surfaces of molded parts. What is 3D-MID? 3D-MID, also known as 3D-Circuits, allows the integration of electrical circuits onto three-dimensional surfaces, eliminating the need for separate circuit boards. This approach supports the development of compact, lightweight, and highly functional products. By enabling circuitry to follow the contours of a molded part, 3D-MID opens new possibilities for design...

Example of a 3D-MID prototype produced with 3D printing HARTING AG, a leading provider of 3D MID solutions, and Cubicure GmbH, a pioneer in 3D printing, announce a groundbreaking collaboration to introduce 3D printing of LDS (Laser Direct Structuring) materials. Until now, 3D printing of MID prototypes has been limited due to resolution and material compatibility. Printing methods such as FFF/FDM were affordable but suffered from poor surface quality, while SLA/DLP/SLS printing required additional manual coating steps and did not allow for defined layer thickness control. The most important advantages: - Outstanding resolution and surface quality: Enables the representation of...

Doctors and clinicians need the best tools. Hospitals need the best supply contracts and equipment. Everyone benefits from new cutting-edge engineering in medical devices and clinical hardware. In the race to fine-tune healthcare systems and deliver the best patient care, technology plays an enormous role. We’ve found that these new types of 3D-Circuits are integral to some of the advances in healthcare that have been going on over the past few years. The ability to design better is a major driver of those improvements that create longevity, and quality of life, for patients. It’s not just the development of electronic...

The relentless miniaturization trend in electronics presents a constant challenge: cramming ever-more functionality into ever-shrinking devices. Traditional Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) are reaching their physical limitations, forcing engineers to seek innovative solutions. The 3D-Circuits technology, which integrates electrical circuits with three-dimensional mechanical parts, offers a promising answer. However, designing these complex structures presented a significant hurdle – a lack of user-friendly design tools. HARTING, a global leader in connector and interconnect technology with a pioneering spirit in 3D-MID, recognized this challenge. To unlock the full potential of 3D-Circuits, they partnered with Altium, a world-renowned provider of advanced PCB design software....