Dear Mike,
The style of "wiring" that you describe was originally
invented by DuPont and called Parlux. It was used
when extreme flexibility was desirable. It was originally
a dull yellow.
Typically copper traces are deposited on one side, and
the connectors accept the thickness of the plastic strip
and have matching electrodes to connect to bare areas
of the traces. Typically the traces were then coated
with a plastic layer to embed them. The areas that are
mated often have a thin layer of silver coating to make
for a superior connection.
There are two ways to connect to them:
1. Assure rigidity, scrape until you see
bare copper, flux and use a very
low wattage soldering pencil
Note: these traces have no strength
They were never intended to be soldered
Thus the reason you need to make the
area rigid.
For example, if one of these strips tears, and
is not used for its repeated flexibility --
such as power to print head electronics
Tack down both torn pieces, facing each
other as they were. Carefully scrape
to copper on both sides. Then bridge using a single
strand of wire out of say a wire that is
10 x 30 (10 strands of 30 guage tinned wire)
This is an exacting process
2. The second way to make the bridge requires that
the copper be exposed, but uses a copper
immersed in cement to make the bridge.
Again, this needs backing
Again, this will be rigid
The product that makes these bridges
is Permatex (sold by NAPA) "Quick Grid
Rear Window Defogger Repair Kit." Product
Item# 765-1460
Neither repair will be pretty.
If you wish to go from these "traces" to standard wire --
again -- use the same technique, but now glue the standard
wire to the backing you use. Make sure that the tips of
the bared wires never move. I would typically use 5 minute
epoxy, but, sometimes you must roughen the parlux with,
say, a 220 or 330 grit sand paper, or the epoxy will just
peal away. A lacquer such as nail polish may work because
the acetone/toluene and/or the methyl ethyl ketone will
dissolve plastics, but, now, too much lacquer at once will
simply cause the entire piece to turn to putty. So, carefully
put down a thin layer, see how it behaves, then another layer,
then, finally, put the parlux piece to the backing material.
That material should be rigid. It can be, say, a piece of
plastic cut from a yogurt cup lid.
Be careful with modern nail polishes. They now contain
nylon, and take much longer to harden.
In general, these strips are unique to each piece of
equipment. Replacements are only available for high
end electronics, say Sony, where such strips are used to
go from board to board.
Careful. Many of the connectors that accept these strips
have "locking." There is usually a collar around the
plastic that accepts the strip. You must raise the collar,
and that unlocks the contacts. You place the strip in,
then lower the collar, and now the connector locks to the
strip.
I've even seen tiny motors, that cause the vibration in
cell phones sold by "All Electronics" with such strips as
the DC connection to the motor. The catalogue listed them
as "solder connectors." Again -- these are not intended
to be soldered. They are intended for the locking connector.
So, to reliably connect to such a connector from such a motor
one must again glue a backing strip that holds "both sides" --
then complete the brige with either very thin wire strands
or using the defogger repair cement.
There were no standards I know for the width or spacing
of these traces, so expect each situation to be unique.
Regards,
Curtiss Priest
[email protected]