Thermal tape, a material not usually thought about to the everyday consumer, is woven into almost every electronic device that people use. While there are applications of this material that impact the traditional consumer, Georgia-based Carbice, a company that is dedicated to designing, developing and producing its own thermal material, has set its sights on producing for clients in the space and aerospace industries, according to a press release.
Carbice’s thermal tape uses nanotechnology to remove heat from electronic devices and is used in satellites, but the growing company needed help to take their manufacturing operations to the next level. They also wanted to earn Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certification before beginning to produce at full-scale, and they needed access to resources and guidance on how to navigate this unchartered territory.
Ultimately, they turned to the Georgia Centers of Innovation, thanks to researcher Billyde Brown at the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute. Brown understood the capabilities of COI and the access COI had to resources across the state. So as he worked with Carbice, Brown connected Carbice’s Chief Technology Officer, Craig Green with COI’s Senior Project Manager Alyssa Rumsey and Director of Manufacturing John Morehouse to make sure they received the personal assistance they needed to take off.
The grant project had two goals.
The first was to develop best manufacturing practices for Carbice’s thermal tape products to ensure scalability by up to 40 times while achieving compliance with EPA government regulations concerning potentially hazardous substances.
The second goal was to have GTMI implement lessons learned from the project to formulate plans to create a new nanomanufacturing center at Georgia Tech.
Now, since Carbice’s thermal tape has withstood the test of the meticulous, time intensive and stringent testing processes of their aerospace customers, then Carbice can confidently service any market, including consumer electronics with high reliability. With their product, they can improve the performance of these devices and make innovative design easier, and enable the next generation of smaller and cooler devices.
Information: https://www.georgia.org/georgia-centers-of-innovation
About the Author
