LAUSR

Abstract A major challenge in manufacturing polymer-metal electronic systems, for example, encapsulations of metal inserts using assembly injection molding, is to create a tight sealing in order to prevent leakage. One typical reason for leakage is the formation of gaps between polymer and metal. Through labyrinth seals, which can be manufactured by structuring of the metal surface, the gap-based leakage networks can be interrupted. However, in order to use the appropriate structure in the right position, knowledge about the formation of the gaps is essential. The research covered in this paper focuses on the analysis of the formation of gap-based leakages in polymer-metal electronic systems with labyrinth seals to improve the component design of such parts. The effects of different embossed labyrinth seals, which differ in depth and features, and an electrochemically manufactured areal seal on the tightness and leakage position are investigated. Furthermore, the formation of the leakage network is presented for the investigated variants.