#buying electronics assemblies

It isn’t too often you hear about a story that combines circuit boards, soldering, and toy stickers! How, you’re probably thinking, have the worlds of advanced manufacturing and arts-and-crafts merged? It all started with Chibitronics’ announcement of a new set of electronic adhesives which harness the power of traditional printed circuit boards to create playful, expressive stickers that light-up, twinkle, and sense motion.  We’re betting this new innovation will not only change the way the world thinks about electronics, but could also revolutionize the way we sell quality circuit boards to original equipment manufacturers. 

Here are 5 ways we expect Chibitronics’ Circuit Stickers to positively impact the commercial electronics industry:

 -  They’ll familiarize more consumers with circuit boards

For most people, the idea of building a custom circuit board from scratch is pretty intimidating, and, admittedly, Circuit Stickers won’t be changing that anytime soon. After all, manufacturing professional electronics, like the ones we supply, certainly isn’t child’s play!  Nevertheless, as these sorts of digital arts and crafts rise in popularity, we can expect consumers to become more comfortable with the basic concepts behind simple circuitry. Plus, since many OEMs don’t even know exactly what they’re looking for when they’re in the market for new printed circuit board assemblies, a familiarity with Circuit Stickers could give them a better idea of what they need.  And a better informed consumer means a more competitive marketplace and, ultimately, a higher quality circuit board.

     -  They’ll take the “advanced” out of “advanced manufacturing”

By simplifying printed circuit boards, these sticky, snap-together circuits make advanced manufacturing concepts more approachable for consumers.  They put PCB into the hands of more people, and this exposure will ultimately attract more great minds to our industry.  Think about it: conductive thread, paint, and LED lights are easier to work with than transistors and resistors.  Picture Circuit Stickers like a “Beginner’s Guide to PCB”. Now, obviously these little gadgets will never come close to replacing complicated PCB assembly, but they are definitely tools that, if expanded upon, could potentially be used in wireless radios or Linux computers at some point in the future. 

-  They’ll usher in a new generation of smarter PCB engineers

Connecting circuits can be a dangerous ordeal, but Circuit Stickers make the process accessible and safe for young inquiring minds.  Instead of requiring the use of a piping hot soldering iron, they allow for the creation of a complete circuit on any adhesive-friendly surface.  Research has shown that the younger we familiarize young, impressionable minds with art, design, and STEM-related best practices, the more likely we are to see those children grow up with a desire to pursue these fields later in life.  Circuit Stickers combine all of these curricula in a fun, exciting, and approachable way.

 -  They’ll popularize flexible, portable circuits 

Removing simple circuits from the typical breadboard environment and incorporating them onto notebooks, furniture, and even skin (as pictured above) is the first step towards making more advanced circuits less immobile and more malleable and versatile.  Circuit Stickers are essentially made of anisotropic conductive adhesive (or “Z-tape”) which can be applied to virtually any surface to create interactive, eye-catching designs that are sure to turn some heads and get people talking about the possibilities of flexible PCB.

-  They’ll reward lean, intuitive design

At TMG we have a keen appreciation for lean manufacturing principles; in fact, it guides everything we do, from designing PCB for the military to producing full electronics assemblies for medical applications.  We also believe that the world benefits from the proliferation of good design education.  So, when we discovered that Chibitronics’ revolutionary new product would strip away the tangled mess of wires that accompany most starter-circuit kits, and focus instead on delivering clean, easy-to-use micro-controllers, we were instantly hooked!