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Introduction
The manufacture of electronics has, for the last several decades, followed a production script that has changed little over time. The vast majority of printed circuits are still being manufactured and assembled using materials and processes that the pioneers of the early printed circuit industry would easily recognize. The primary reason is that most circuit design practices are deeply rooted and tied to traditional manufacturing methods. However, these methods are not the only ones that can be used to manufacture and assemble printed circuits today. In fact, it is arguable that traditional methods are not as well-suited to the manufacture of today’s more challenging product designs. This is a fact that has not been lost on Japanese product engineers. Over the last nearly two decades, they have conceived of and reduced to practice a number of unique methods for making high-density interconnection product. One of the important keys to making this possible has been the development of materials uniquely designed and structured to filling special needs of these advanced circuit designs.
Though perhaps not a household name, 70-year-old Tatsuta Electric Wire & Cable Co., Ltd. has been at the forefront of the development of such materials for many years. As the name implies, the company was originally focused on providing wire and cabling solutions for the electrical and electronics industries. However, realizing that the scope of their business extended beyond wire harnesses and cables, the company began to develop materials suited to the needs of printed wiring manufacturers and assemblers. This article has been prepared to familiarize the readers of this esteemed electronics publication of some of the new material and process solutions the company has developed and is making available to the industry.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the February 2016 issue of The PCB Magazine
