Laird Tputty™ 607 Thermal Interface Material (TIM) Dispensing for Consumer Electronics

Case Study

An electronic contract manufacturer worked with us to improve its TIM dispensing process with Laird Tputty™ 607. Laird Tputty™ 607 is a high thermally conductive single part dispensable material designed with automation and vertical stability in mind. It provides application flexibility and variable gap adaptation. Tputty™ 607 exerts minimal stress on components while maintaining interface contact which maximizes thermal transfer.

The primary goal of this project was to improve the gap filler Tputty dispense process while keeping future maintenance costs as low as possible. Requirements for line dimensions after dispensing are:

  • Length: 15mm
  • Width: 1.0mm
  • Height: 1.4mm

Recommended Dispensing Process:

A precision dispensing system, MAX Series was utilized for testing. The MAX automated dispense system was equipped with standard features including automatic vision alignment, contact surface sensor (laser is an alternative), automatic nozzle calibration and nozzle cleaning. The Time Pressure with FPC System was chosen for this project.

The time pressure with fluid pressure control (FPC) system kept the dispensing volume in a consistent, optimal zone. The FPC monitored and adjusted the pressure of fluid entering the pump. Real time control in milliseconds compensated for variations in fluid volume as the syringe level decreased.

Thermal Interface Material Dispensing (TIM) Process Video, Tputty™ 607.

Dispense Parameters:

The information table below displays the key process parameters utilized for this capability test.

Pump:Time Pressure with FPC
FPC Pressure:70psi
Needle:18G S-Type Needle
Dispense Height (Needle Gap):1.5mm
Dispense Velocity:2mm/sec
Start of Line Delay:0.15sec
Wipe Back Speed:30mm/sec

Conclusions: Laird Tputty 607™ Thermal Interface Material (TIM) Dispensing for Consumer Electronics

The existing dispense process used auger technology causing accelerated wear on the dispense pump components. GPD recommended time pressure with FPC (fluid pressure control) which is proven to be an excellent solution for dispensing thick and abrasive TIM such as Laird Tputty™ 607. The fluid pressure control system (FPC) automatically adjusted the air pressure in real time which helped maintain consistent results throughout the dispensing process.

This solution has minimal wetted parts which makes cleaning fast and easy. Additionally, there are no parts in the fluid path that will wear prematurely.

As shown in the pictures below, the results were consistent and achieved the desired goal.

Laird Tputty 607 dispensing

Final Dispensing Equipment Recommendations:

Dispense SystemMAX Series System with auto vision, contact surface sensor, automatic nozzle calibration and automatic nozzle cleaning.
Dispense PumpTime Pressure with Fluid Pressure Control (FPC)
MaterialLaird Tputty™ 607
Needle Size and Type18G S-Type Needle

GPD Global offers dispensing system customization and in-house application evaluations. Call 1.970.245.0408 or email request@gpd-global.com.

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