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Abstract:
TCTech, a global supplier of intelligent plastic nanostructures, today announced the launch of a new hot embossing production cell.

TCTech Launches Embossing Production Cell

Stockholm, Sweden | Posted on September 9th, 2010

TCTech today launches the TCP1000 system, a hot embossing production cell utilising TCTech's innovative and patented thermal cyclic pressing technology. It has been designed to meet the demand of fabrication of thin large-area light guide plates (LGPs), as well as optical lenses, such as Fresnel lenses, and lens arrays.

The system enables embossing of lenses in sizes up to 890x500 mm, or 40", with an area to thickness aspect ratio of up to 1:1000. The system can be equipped with an automated substrate handling system, giving a total cycle-time of less than 3 minutes.

Normally, light guide plates are fabricated by injection moulding, although some other technologies have "seen the light" recently, such as hot embossing. However, injection moulding has its difficulties when it comes to large-area LGPs, while conventional hot embossing has
its bottlenecks of limited embossing area and, above all, a long heating and cooling time, resulting in cycle times well above 10 minutes.

By contrast, Thermal Cyclic Pressing can be used to fabricate at least 40" LGPs, with no warpage, unrivalled pattern replication, and radically shorter cycle times.

Thermal Cyclic Technologies is all about heating low mass. As opposed to injection moulding and hot embossing that needs to heat a big tool (high mass), Thermal Cyclic Technologies heat only the very surface of the tool, hence the temperature at the tool surface can be cycled from room temperature to 300 degrees and back to room temperatures in just seconds. This is possible due to a range of innovative and patented technologies and methods, such as special designed inductive heated tools, active cooling, and a unique material stack.

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About Thermal Cyclic Technologies AB
Thermal Cyclic Technologies AB (TCTech) is a global leader in the
research, development and production of intelligent plastic
nanostructures. The production is based on TCTech’s innovative and
patented thermal cyclic moulding and pressing technology. TCTech also
designs thin film sputtering units and develops working sputtering
processes.

TCTech’s three product and business areas are Light Guide Plates,
Sheets & Lenses, and Photovoltaic thin film solar cells. TCTech was
founded in 2005 and is based in Stockholm, Sweden.

For more information on TCTech please go to: www.tctech.se.

For more information, please click here

Contacts:
Stefan Claesson
COO, TCTech
Phone:+ 46 8 621 60 01
+46 709 79 30 64
stefan.claesson@tctech.se

Stefan Olin
CEO, TCTech
Phone:+46 8 621 60 05
+46 705 93 66 44
stefan.olin@tctech.se