07/20/2023 - 2023

Ensinger GmbH and Hahn-Schickard join forces

The Ensinger GmbH and Hahn-Schickard are uniting their expertise to jointly develop sensor elements based on the Ensinger Microsystems Technology.

The Ensinger GmbH, a family-owned company based in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, is focused on the development, production and sale of thermoplastic engineering and high-performance polymers as well as composites, semi-finished products and finished parts. Their product portfolio is currently being expanded to include polymer-based sensor elements, which are manufactured using the in-house developed Ensinger Microsystems Technology. Hahn-Schickard, Stuttgart is supporting the Ensinger GmbH in this project.

The Ensinger Microsystems Technology (EMST) is based on injection-molded polymer wafers, i.e. thin, centrosymmetric disks that can be provided with different microstructures depending on the tool used. Important for the production of defined sensor structures are corresponding conductor track-shaped recesses in the polymer wafer. Reliable electrical contacting of the subsequent sensor structures is also important. For this reason, the substrate material TECACOMP® PEEK LDS from the Ensinger GmbH was selected for injection compression molding. It is characterized by its laser activatability, which allows the material to be selectively metallized by electroless plating in accordance with the LPKF LDS® process. VIAs are also possible with this process. After the micro-structured polymer wafers have been provided with the electrical contacting, the actual application of the sensor structures takes place by means of full-surface PVD coating. A subsequent polishing process removes excess material from the wafer surface, leaving only the metallized sensor structures inside the recesses.

As an initial pilot project, the two cooperation partners have jointly developed a 5x7mm² flow sensor element with direction detection and built initial functional samples for testing. Compared to ceramic-based flow sensors, PEEK impresses with its lower thermal conductivity. The latter should lead to an improvement in sensor sensitivity, making the thermal flow sensor ideal for use as a demonstrator.

The transfer of functional samples to the finished series product is later ensured by Hahn-Schickard's production line and Ensinger GmbH's worldwide manufacturing facilities and sales offices, so that such flow sensor elements can be used in the future in various areas such as process technology and automation, pneumatics or water production and combustion.