Functionalized powders
For more than 20 years, HEF has been the specialist in functionalized powders for all your innovative applications. At HEF, innovation is our daily routine. It enables us to offer new breakthrough products and technologies in the aerospace, automotive, medical and luxury goods sectors, as well as other industries. Our technologies and products are designed with due consideration of the environment and healthy development of our planet.
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Intelligent powders
HEF offers fully integrated support, from formulation to application.
The main technologies for implementing our multi-material powders are:
conventional compaction and sintering, additive synthesis (SLS, SLM, etc.), thermal spray or electrostatic spray, cold spray, powder injection (PIM, MIM), thermoforming.
High-performance coatings
All of HEF’s technical powders are specially formulated to achieve high-performance functional coatings.
Use of our functionalized powders as coatings on parts improves surface properties such as hardness, lubrication, conductivity, diffusion barrier, anti-corrosion, and even wettability.
Use of our powders in parts manufacturing makes it possible to obtain unique and homogeneous microstructures.
1 – Custom technical powder coatings
HEF develops your future thermoset powders.
We apply our ultra-specific powder coatings as stipulated in the most rigorous requirements specifications.
All our powders are developed in compliance with the REACH Regulation. They are implemented either by means of a fluidized bed or spraying.
Each powder coating is developed in accordance with the desired functionalities.
Powder paints are a sustainable alternative solution to liquid paints. They do not contain any volatile organic compounds.
Types of coatings:
- Electrical conductivity
- Thermal conductivity
- Dielectric
- Flame retardant
- Protection against corrosion
- Decorative coating
- Highly chemical-resistant coating
- Self-lubricating
2 – Functional powders
HEF develops your desired functionalization by means of multi-material functional powders.
HEF designs functional powders by modifying the surface (coating) or treating the base powder core (powder support), by using complex fluidized bed technologies or through mechanical synthesis.
Depending on the particularities of your requirements specification, we will propose different configurations of base powders / coating powders:
- metal/metal;
- ceramic/metal; or metal/polymer
with single-layer or multi-layer functionalization.
We provide all powder morphologies. (See the graphic on the right).
Custom specifications to meet your needs
3 – Polymer-core solder balls
HEF has developed polymer-core solder balls through a collaborative project initiated by Thales.
These solder balls play a key role in improving the service life of electrical contacts when assembling BGAs on a printed circuit board.
- An alternative to conventional lead solder balls
- Reduced thermomechanical stress
- Improved reliability and reparability
- Compatible with solder reflow as stipulated in IPC-J-STD-001
- Miniaturization
- Flexible design with different coatings possible
- Controlled stand-off height (+/-5%)
Flexible 3D design
Polymer-core solder balls are a high-performance solution for common technical issuesMain advantages:
- Controlled shrinkage height (+/-5%) to ensure planarity of the PCB.
- High thermomechanical resistance compared to other solder ball solutions.
- 40% longer component life cycle.
- Compatibility with the solder reflow process and solder paste.
- Current problems associated with electrical components:
- Temperature variation due to operating conditions under the components that result in PCB variation and uncontrolled shrinkage height = component failure
- Crack formation on the solder ball due to thermomechanical stresses.
Diameter range of our solder balls:
280 microns to 800 microns
Our markets
Our principle markets are: the aerospace, automotive, railway, naval, defense, luxury goods, and medical sectors.
Our daily work is to develop and produce innovative products that meet the needs stipulated in the most demanding requirements specifications of our customers.
More and more industrial players are transitioning to additive manufacturing technologies. However, these technologies are quite limited in the functionalized powders they offer.
HEF provides real diversity in the selection of primary materials and expands the range of such materials by offering multi-material powders (metal/metal, metal/ceramic, metal or ceramic/polymer) that are tailored and adapted to the application technologies selected.
Conclusion
HEF offers a comprehensive service package that includes powder formulation, manufacturing, and implementation.
