Lighting Design
Product lighting, lighting design and illumination plays a significant role in how well a product is received by the market. Proper Light Guide Design is essential for the optimal user experience.Lighting and design should be brought into the design process early on. Many times, industrial designers & engineers will put off the backlight design until further on in a project’s timeline. Without considering where LEDs, light guides and the circuits fall into the overall look, you can literally design yourself into a dark corner. (Pun intended) Investing early on in lighting concepts can make the process easier and plays a large contribution to successful product design.At Butler Technologies Inc. we can work with you to develop the lighting on your next product. We can help conceptualize, design, develop and manufacture both the overlay and the lighted circuit. When both are considered early on, the look and feel of the interface can be optimized and uniform. Here are some things to consider.
What are Force Sensing Resistors?
Force Sensing Resistors (FSR)
A Force Sensing Resistor (FSR) is a printed functional ink applied to a thin material whose resistance changes when a force is applied to it. The force can be a mechanical load, a pressure or physical action. Force Sensing Resistor can also be known as a “force-sensitive resistor”. FSR is a variable resistor, constructed of several thin flexible layers and conductive inks that are applied using a precision screen printing process. These layers vary in resistance as pressure is applied and released. As pressure is applied, the resistance lowers and then returns to its original value as the pressure is removed. An FSR’s main purpose is to measure the force applied to a specific area and then relay that information via selected output electronics. FSRs typically use high-resistance, carbon-based inks which, along with other design factors, can be re-formulated to alter the functionality. Force Sensing Resistors can be designed as single-zone FSRs, Matrix Arrays, Discrete Arrays, Resistive XYZ (Digitizer) Pads, and Linear Potentiometers.Single-Zone ShuntMode™ and ThruMode™ FSRsThere are two basic FSR configurations: the ShuntMode™ and the ThruMode™.ShuntMode Force Sensing Resistor:
Printed Heaters – Made in the USA for the USA.
Made in the USA for the USA.
Ralph Lauren revealed the opening ceremony uniforms that will be worn by members of the 2018 U.S. Winter Olympic Team. American athletes will be entering the stadium in PyeongChang, South Korea, wearing heavy-duty, down-filled red, white and blue parkas.These jackets were made 100% by U.S. companies. With Butler Technologies being one of them. Ralph Lauren is a long-time outfitter of the U.S. Olympic Team. This year they decided to involve innovative technology into the outfit. Ralph Lauren, Butler Technologies, and DuPont teamed up to deliver the printed heaters to create a one-of-a-kind outfit to our team. When asked about the state of American manufacturing Mike Wagner, Head of Engineering at Butler Technologies responded, “The fact that these companies are “local” and accessible makes partnering more efficient and accelerates getting the product to market. Knowing the materials, technology, and labor were all sourced in the U.S. provides a great sense of collective pride among all those involved. This ensures that the state of American Manufacturing is strong.”
Why Sabotage Design and Prototyping?
Cost. This one factor, more than any other, causes companies to sabotage their own success. One of the most common examples occurs during the process of design and prototyping. What seems like a sensible cost-cutting decision can actually cost a company more in the long run.It happens like this: A company decides that overseas production is a good-enough, low-cost decision for prototypes. Unfortunately they often overlook the pitfalls of offshore sourcing.After serving in the clean-up role for companies whose prototypes have gone astray, the engineers at Butler Technologies have assembled a quick “awareness checklist” for companies before they engage in the prototype phase.Considerations before Choosing Overseas Prototypes:
Wearables: A Revolution in Product Applications
In the not so distant past, the term wearables had more to do with sweaters than electronics. Now wearables are a hot topic across industries. These electronic devices have burst onto the scene, delivering solutions in the apparel, medical device, activity tracking, and other industries.
How Conductive Inks Meet Consumer Demands
Posted by The Manufacturer
