In the construction of test adapters for the electronics industry, the start-up company eloprint from Esslingen/Neckar uses 3D printing to achieve individual adaptations for assemblies with any form factor and outstanding delivery times. The newly developed 'BAL' series is particularly suitable for smaller circuit boards. It enables the programming and testing of PCBs in the smallest of spaces, individually and with the option of double-sided contacting.
Thanks to their design, the 'BAL' test adapters are very robust and have low wear. A linear guide with ball bearings enables double-sided contacting of the PCBs. With catch pins, PCBs are positioned over their edges or through holes and placed on a spring-loaded carrier plate. When the test object is inserted, there is no contact with the test pins in the pin bed below. Only when the lever is actuated is the individual hold-down device moved from top to bottom and the PCB pressed linearly onto the test needles. Assembled components are taken into account. Double-sided contacting of the test object is made possible by integrating a second needle bed into the hold-down device.
Functional test adapters are delivered within one to three weeks. Individual customer requirements are taken into account during the development process: Switches, connectors, add-on parts etc. are not a problem. The estimated costs can be calculated individually on the eloprint website. The costs for development and production are also shown transparently, so that volume discounts are automatically applied. A comparison with traditionally produced systems shows that these can quickly cost many times more with development times of several months.
