30th Anniversary Newsletter
Read all about Pioneer Circuits’ 30 years of growth, innovation and continued improvement!
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MARS ROVER “CURIOSITY” HAS LANDED!!
MARS ROVER “CURIOSITY” HAS SUCCESSFULLY LANDED ON MARS ON AUGUST 6, 2012
Pioneer Circuits has produced over 300 parts being incorporated in the largest Mars Rover named “Curiosity”, supporting NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. Curiosity is the largest robotic vehicle which was developed by JPL: 10 feet long, 9 feet wide, 7 feet tall, six wheeled, the size of a small car, nuclear powered, and weighing 2,000 lbs. Its mission is to search areas of Mars for past or present conditions favorable for life, and conditions capable of preserving a record of life. It launched on November 26, 2011 and successfully landed on August 6, 2012.
There are over 32 flex circuit assemblies used on the MSL “Curiosity”. This includes nine assemblies with a unique matte finish used in the mast camera were designed and developed by Pioneer Circuits, Inc. This allows the MSL “Curiosity” to exceed the 600,000 flex cycles used on he two MER rovers currently on Mars. The extendable forward arm consists of approximately 25 individual cables; several of these required specialized splicing to achieve the overall length requirements for a record breaking length of 35 feet.
Pioneer Circuits’ Contributions to MARS Science Laboratory, MSL “Curiosity”
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Multilayer Rigid-Flex navigation camera
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Flex harness allowing the Remote Sensing Mast (RSM) to turn 360º
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HGAS Flexible circuit allows for 360º rotation and also 0-90º tilt
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Interconnecting flexible cables extending form inside the body supply power and control to each of the 6 wheels
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Robotic Arm: Interconnected Flex harness reaching 35 feet
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Body: Multilayer Rigid PWB’s for
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Multiple science packages
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Communication (uplink & downlink)
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Power distribution
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Rover guidance control
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Cables interconnecting scientific & control modules
Prior to “Curiosity” development, there were other Mars exploration missions that have been supported by Pioneer Circuits:
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Pathfinder (First Mars Rover Sojourner in 1997) – We provided a complex, 30-layer rigid-flex PWB in addition to other rigid-flex circuitry that replaced lots of hard-wiring.
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MER 03 Spirit & Opportunity (Mars Exploration Rovers in 2003) – We provided a rigid-flex PWB for the cameras (8 total). Rigid PWB’s, all made by Pioneer Circuits, were used for the main computers and other internal electronics. The wheel drives and high-gain antenna also used dynamic flex circuitry for interconnection.
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Phoenix Lander (Stationary Lander in 2007) – The Pan camera (six-layer, rigid-flex) on boards are the same used as primary cameras for NASA’s Sprit and Opportunity Rovers. A 43”X3/4”, four-layer rigid-flex. PWB is used to drive the drill assembly at the end of the robotic arm.
Pioneer Circuits’ Lean Leaders Receive Green Belts from Lockheed Martin
Pioneer Circuits’ Lean Leaders Receive Green Belts from Lockheed Martin:
Lean Team supports multiple projects focused on waste reduction, mistake proofing, work center efficiency and variation reduction.
Pioneer Circuits announces that it has received Nadcap accreditation
Nadcap recognizes Pioneer Circuits for its commitment to continual improvement in aerospace quality: Pioneer Circuits announces that it has received Nadcap accreditation for AC7119/1 & 2 (Rigid, Rigid-Flex and Flexible Printed Boards). This third party assessment and accreditation is another element demonstrating Pioneer Circuits’ ongoing commitment to quality by satisfying customer requirements and industry specifications.
Technical Capabilities Interactive CD-Rom is now available.
Seminar Scope
This presentation provides in-depth technical coverage of a wide range of topics related to the design and manufacture of flexible PWB’s for use in high reliability applications. It is intended to supplement existing industry and military specifications and associated documentation, such as IPC-2223, IPC-6013 & Mil-P-50884. Knowledge of basic (rigid) PWB technology & terminology is assumed.
The accompanying CD contains valuable reference material including all of the presentation slides, design guidelines, technical datasheets, glossary, web links and other unique tools developed by Pioneer to assist in the flex design process.
Specific Topics
The Advantages of Flexible PWB Technology – in addition to some of the more obvious mechanical advantages, flexible PWB’s offer many other benefits in areas such as cost, reliability & cycle time.
Flexible PWB Specifications – a discussion of the major industry (ANSI/IPC) & military (Mil-Spec) specifications applicable to the design and manufacture of flexible PWB’s.
Design Considerations – important guidelines for successful projects:
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Understanding flex materials and constructions
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Design “do’s and don’ts”
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Electrical considerations – controlled impedance on flex and shielding options
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What features/factors drive producibility, including specific Producibility Parameters and Cost vs. Complexity trade offs.
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What factors affect Flexibility and how to calculate minimum bend radii
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Artwork layout guidelines
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‘Bulletproofing’ – things to do to enhance/maximize reliability
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Using mechanical mock-ups
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The fabrication drawing – Suggested Notes; dimensioning & tolerancing guidelines
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Next assembly considerations
The Fabrication Process – an overview of flexible PWB manufacturing including process flows, and cost & cycle time considerations.
New Technologies – discussion of advanced flexible PWB technologies such as thermal management, microvias, & embedded passive components.
Tools & Resources – useful tools, links and data gathered into one place, including specifications, technical data sheets & web links.
Last month, Pioneer Circuits completed a week long evaluation from The Boeing Company for Preferred Supplier Certification. This certification evaluated the entire value stream. The result is defined in three levels of certification: Gold (approx. 2%), Silver (approx. 26%), Bronze (72%). Pioneer Circuits once again comes out on top by scoring High Silver.
“Pioneer Circuits is honored to receive the Silver Supplier Award from The Boeing Company for our products and services,” said Jim. “This award is not only a testament to Pioneer Circuits relentless commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, but to our leadership in delivering world class solutions that address real customer needs.”
Dennis Sonney, Lean Director
Pioneer Circuits Receives California Water Environment Association’s “Facility of the Year” Award
Pioneer Circuits, Incorporated, announces that it has received California Water Environment Association’s “Facility of The Year Award” in the Southern California Large Business Category at the organization’s 46th Annual Pretreatment, Pollution Prevention and Stormwater Conference in Napa, California on February 25th, 2013.
The award recognizes Pioneer Circuits’ innovative efforts for managing waste water, air quality, and waste including efficient use of recycling. Activities have focused on effective controls and methods to minimize wastewater, as well as maximizing opportunities for recycling copper and other metal-bearing waste streams. Pioneer Circuits’ team of process engineering, laboratory, and waste treatment personnel collaborated in systems and strategies which resulted in this recognition.
Bob Sheldon from PCI: Paul Schmidtbauer presenting the award from SOCWA: and Young Luu, from PCI
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