Using Grubler's Criterion theory to position the electronic components in thermoformed electronics

Abstract

This paper aims to present a reliable approach for accurate component positioning in thermoformed electronics. We have proposed a non-stretchable conductive structure for accurate positioning of the electronic components, which can assure the conductive traces' mechanical stability during lamination and thermoforming of the substrate. We have verified our approach's accuracy by applying our method on a real industrial semi-sphere mold for positioning 7 LEDs and one touch sensor. We have measured the LEDs' position after thermoforming to prove the process repeatability. The experiment results demonstrate that the proposed method is capable of positioning electronic components in thermoformed 3D electronics with high precision.