Critical Components for Defense, Aerospace & Global Security Applications

Flex Circuits Thermofoil™ Heaters Sensors Instruments

Industry GuIdE

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Minco provides critical design and manufacturing expertise for critical applications

Fine lines up to 0.002” for conductors and spaces provide higher interconnect density which allows more signals to fit into smaller places.

Combine the space and weight savings of surface mounting and of flex circuits for the ultimate in high-density packaging.

A history of building high reliability components

Minco began designing and manufacturing temperature

sensors for aerospace guidance systems 50 years ago. We

pioneered the development of Thermofoil™ heaters – now a

standard component in modern instrumentation. Minco contin-

ues to build highly reliable and rugged components that survive

the harshest conditions and still work when you need them to

– whether it is every two seconds or once every two years.

uniquely qualified for all custom demands

Minco is uniquely qualified to respond to industry demands

for lighter, faster and smaller products. We’ve leveraged

decades of design experience, state-of-the-art technology and

proprietary manufacturing capabilities to build components

using materials ideally suited to the temperature range,

mounting requirements and space restrictions of your

application. Minco’s custom

capabilities can improve

product life-time, reliabil-

ity and even reduce costs.

Minco’s reputation for finding the best solution has earned us

the opportunity to provide high performance components to

OEM’s around the world.

From the extremes of land, air and sea combat environments, to deep space

missions, to security checkpoints, Minco flex circuits, heaters and sensors

prove themselves in the toughest conditions anywhere.

Minco’s precision flex circuitry allows us to specialize in fine lines, tight tolerances, and the exacting quality requirements needed for today’s high density, high reliability electronics.

Flexible three dimensional packaging – Flex circuits offer unlimited freedom of packing geometry while retaining the precision, density and repeatability of printed circuits.

Improved vibration resistance – Under intense, broad-spectrum vibration and/or high g-forces of acceleration, the low mass of flex circuits reduces internal stresses at solder joints. Minco uses high ductility RA copper that allows for tighter bend radii without impacting reliability.

Compact, low mass packaging – Flex circuits can reduce space and weight by up to 75% for optimal packaging efficiency.

Improved connection reliability – Eliminate wire routing errors and reduce testing time, rework and rejects by using flex interconnects that only fit one way.

Higher current density – Flat foil conductors of flex circuits dissipate heat better than round wires of the same cross-sectional area.

Flex Circuits

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A wire-wound heater element on thin, flexible, optically clear insulation placed in direct contact with instrumen-tation and LCD glass enables fast and efficient warm-up.

Minco leads the market in component integration and three-dimensional packaging. This computer hard drive assembly integrates flex circuitry with a heater and sensor.

Etched Thermofoil heaters custom-designed to fit around the perimeter of an application ensure optimal visual clarity and ample heating over the entire display area.

Thin, flexible heating elements consist of an etched foil (ThermofoilTM) or wire-wound resistive element laminated between layers of insulation material such as Kapton™, silicone rubber, mica, polyester or PTFE.

unlimited geography – A wide variety of shape, termination and sensor options offer countless design alternatives for any application.

Low mass – Increases power use efficiency because little power is lost in warming the heater itself. A square inch of a Thermofoil heater weighs only 0.�5–0.85 grams yet produces up to ��0 watts.

superior thermal performance – Heating elements can be profiled to offset variations in heat loss to ensure precise and consistent thermal processes. Minco’s experience in thermal coupling speeds up warm-up and recovery to enhance productivity.

Versatility – Multiple mounting methods from pressure sensitive adhesives to laminated systems offer greater flexibility in choosing operating param-eters and heat-sink materials.

Thermofoil™ Heaters

Integrated ComponentsMinco can design, assemble and integrate nearly any combination of our components to help you achieve the highest level of functional and packaging efficiency.

rtd/heater – Flexible Thermal-Ribbon RTDs mounted alongside heaters or incorporated into them provide accurate and responsive sensing.

Flex circuit/heater/sensor – Flex circuits integrated into thermal control systems eliminate the need for wiring and expensive connectors.

A sensor positioned in the center and terminated under the laminated heater insulation withstands heavy recoil and vibration.

Wire-wound ceramic elements provide accurate sensing across a wide temperature range and are reliable in rugged aircraft conditions.

SensorsMinco manufactures custom and standard resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), thermocouples, and thermistors in a variety of packages and assemblies.

Fast time response – Time constants as low as 0.�0 second offer immediate situational analysis, efficient thermal control and condition reporting.

Compact and low mass – Sensors can be built as small as 0.�” x 0.5” for weight and space savings.

rugged and reliable – Many designs meet vibration and shock require-ments outlined in MIL-STD-�0�, Method �04, Test condition D.

Wide temperature capability – From -�50°C to 850°C to handle nearly any type of harsh or extreme environment.

unlimited geography – Design and manufacture to fit any shape needed for your application.

Sensor

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• Flex circuits reduce weight through more effi cient use of space in aircraft engine indicators

• Thermistor sensor monitors the temper-ature of a heated windshield

• Thermofoil heaters warm LCD display

• Flexible Thermal-Ribbon senses wing surface temperatures for wing surface de-icing

• High current Heaterstat™ de-ices airspeed sensors

• Thin-fi lm Thermal-Ribbons and Thermofoil heaters de-ice angle-of-attack probes

• Temperature sensors in hydraulic lines monitor fl uid temperatures to prevent overheating

• Rigid-fl ex circuits provide rugged reliability for missile fi re control system

• Thermal-Ribbon temperature sensors and Thermofoil heaters maintain clear optics in the Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) camera system

Minco components for defense and aerospace applications

Commercial and defense avionic systems

Defense communications systems

Missile systems and guided munitions

Helmet mounted displays (HMD)

Phased-array radar systems

Aircraft thermal sensing and de-icing applications

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)

Ruggedized portable electronic equipment

Digital battlefi eld products

Satellites

Battery heaters

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• Thermofoil heaters stabilize temperature in various satellite subsystems such as fuel tanks/pipes, engine, electric motors, deployment mechanisms, batteries, electronic and communications modules

• Thermofoil heaters provide critical dumping of excess power from solar panel power generators

• Thermofoil heater warms actuator servovalves in launch platforms

• Fine-line fl ex circuits provide high density interconnections to helmet mounted micro-displays

• Flex circuits provide critical switching of the safe-arm electromechanical fuze system

• Bearing sensors monitor screw shaft temperatures for preventive maintenance and early failure warning in order to protect critical mechanical functions

• Temperature sensors monitor power generation stator windings for overheating to ensure maxi-mum torque capacities

• Thin and lightweight fl ex circuits replace hardboards populated with components to provide three dimensional interconnections in hand-held radios and GPS devices

• Thermofoil heaters and integrated heater/ temperature sensor/controller warm the LCD screen and hard disk drive in ruggedized computers for cold weather operation

• Thermal-Clear™ heater and integral temperature sensor maintains ambi-ent temperature on LCD screen for optimal performance

• Flex circuits provide high current electrical connection in tight spaces between power supply and electrical components

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• Thermofoil heaters in the spectroscopic analysis chamber provides highly sensitive detection capability of ionic emissions from contraband in walk-through portals

• Flex circuits provide high density interconnections to increase resolution of imaging in airport baggage inspection equipment

Hazardous chemical detection

Surveillance systems

Remote location detectors and analyzers

Temperature elevation for analytical process

Chromatography

PCR cycling

Biometric scanning

Spectroscopy

• Thermofoil heaters provide tem-perature stabilization to prevent malfunction due to condensation and ice accumulation in outdoor access control systems

• Thermofoil heaters prevent optics from fogging in security cameras

• Double-layer fl ex circuit with stiff eners reinforce component insertion areas in chemical agent monitors. One stiff ener has an unbonded tab which functions as an extraction tool

Minco components for global security applications

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reduce total Cost of OwnershipMinco believes in considering all costs associated with our components. That’s why we design and manufacture with Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) in mind. Minco’s ability to integrate our components and provide assembly with other components of your application can save time and money in your production process. Whether you’re looking for a heater with an integrated sensor terminated to flex leads and vulcanized to your heatsink, or just a single component for your application, Minco is the perfect fit to help you manage costs.

discover new solutions through collaborationMinco’s E�E “engineer to engineer” program helps our design and manufacturing engineers join forces with our customer engineers – leveraging the power of collaboration to solve problems and discover new opportunities. Minco offers a full range of expertise – from a command of electronic and thermal engineering to identify design specifications, to production and manufacturing expertise needed to construct highly complex, one-of-a-kind components.

Let’s talk Engineer to EngineerTo help initiate meaningful collaboration and provide useful tools, Minco’s “Let’s Talk Engineer to Engineer” online community is where you can find:

• Webcast Archives

• Discussion Forums

• Top Engineer Questions

• Ask the Experts

• White Papers

• Engineering Tools

Minco’s Commitment to QualityMinco is ISO 900�:�000 / AS/EN/SJAC9�00 (Registrar: TÜV) certified and we have the capabilities to meet many other quality assurance, process and product specifications per your requirements.

• Heaters: UL, TÜV, CENELEC, NASA S ���-P-079

• Flex circuits: AS9�00B, IPC 60��, MIL-P-50884D

• European Preferred Parts List (EPPL)

Let Minco make the central difference in your critical application

For more information on Minco’s highly reliable components, custom design and manufacturing capabilities, and our E�E

program, please visit www.minco.com.

www.minco.com/E�E

Worldwide Headquarters7300 Commerce LaneMinneapolis, MN 55432 USATel: 1.763.571.3121Fax: 1.763.571.0927sales@minco.comwww.minco.com

European HeadquartersUsine et ServiceCommercial, Z.I.09310 Aston, FranceTel : (33) 5 61 03 24 01Fax : (33) 5 61 03 24 09

Asia Pacific Headquarters20 Science Park Road#02-31 Teletech ParkSingapore Science Park IISingapore 117674Tel : (65) 6511 3388Fax : (65) 6511 3399

MAG02022806R0© Minco 2006

Flex CircuitsThermofoil™ HeatersSensorsInstruments