Integration of Electrical Functionality by Transplantation of Cold Sprayed Electrical Conductive Cu Tracks via Injection Moulding

摘要

To increase the efficiency in manufacturing the cold spraying process is integrated into an injection moulding process in order to produce hybrid plastics/metal products in a single process step. Therefore, a cold sprayed copper track is applied to the surface of an injection mould insert. Subsequently, the metal layer is overmoulded and transferred to the surface of the injected polymer. By the new process complex injection moulded parts with electrical functionality such as electrically conductive tracks or improved electromagnetic compatibility can be produced. Especially in the production for automotive and consumer electronics multi-stage processes can be substituted by this new process. The transferability of the copper track greatly depends on the bond strength to the mould insert, which is influenced by the surface pretreatment of the mould insert, the mould insert material as well as the cold spray parameters. The bond strength is investigated regarding the surface topography described by roughness parameters Ra and RΔq.