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This conceptual implementation was developed due to a series
of disadvantages associated with the component part solution,
which finally affected the profitability of the product. The
number of process steps alone meant that the resulting cost
situation was unsatisfactory. Furthermore, at 20%, the failure
and reject rate during the production of the ring switch was
far too high. The design was such that the individual steps
had to be executed with great precision and zero errors;
this could not be guaranteed under economic conditions.
Miniaturization
The problems were solved by opting for an MID solution:
MIDs (moulded interconnect devices) are finding
increasing use in industrial applications. The critical
aspect is not the development of new applications
but the industrial implementation of the technology,
which means that the production process can be
stabilised and carried out economically. In other
words: the performance of new technologies is
revealed not in the laboratory or development
environment but in the transition to the industrial
application and production. HARTING has become
the market leader and market driver in this
crucial aspect of MID technology.
The advantages of MID technology are readily apparent: using
injection-molding technology, the installation height and size
of components and applications can be reduced considerably.
The number of components can also be reduced, as can the
process steps and assembly time. In addition, MID technology
enables the combination of mechanical and electrical functions
in a single component.
Economic efficiency and quality
The result of the conceptual implementation
meets the expectations of technological innovation
processes: a clear simplification of the production
processes, an improvement in the production
quality and an increase in profitability. As a result
of the conceptual implementation, the quality of
the optimizations was much better than expected:
in the load and long-time tests conducted by KaVo
Dental, the solution was successfully tested for wear
and resistance to disinfectants. The assembly time
of the MID contact ring was reduced significantly
from 5.30 minutes to 20 seconds, not least due to the
reduction in the number of components from eight
to three. The reject rate was reduced to 0 percent.
The success of this reference project is a result of
the successful cooperation of the two partners, whose
respective expertise created substantial synergies.
The customer had the application expertise, whereas
the HARTING Group commands the expertise in MIDspecific
implementation and design competence. This
was the only way in which to harmonize the requirement
and industrial production processes, producing
unexpectedly high-quality results. Ultimately, this will
not only lead to further cooperation projects between KaVo
and HARTING but it is also expected to send out signals for
the market as a whole: signals that demonstrate the specific
process expertise of the HARTING Technology Group.
The contact ring was designed in close collaboration
between KaVo and the Swiss branch of HARTING in Biel.
HARTING is proficient in the entire process chain for MID
technology. HARTING drew up the specification for the mold.
Tool manufacture was subjected to strict controls. The laser
structuring and electro-plating were carried out by HARTING
(Biel).
HARTING also developed the soldering process for the two
wires; under the given constraints, this proved to be a difficult
production step. KaVo was responsible for the qualification of
the contact ring and of the soldered connection with regard to
the special application conditions in a dental practice.
sven erdmann
Design Engineer R & D
KaVo Dental GmbH
sven.erdmann@kavo.com
Dr.-Ing. Jens Krause
Key Account Manager Transportation, Germany
HARTING Technology Group
jens.krause@HARTING.com
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