ProForm: Solder-Free Circuit Assembly Using Thermoforming

TL;DR

ProForm introduces a solder-free, thermoforming method for electronic circuit assembly that enhances sustainability by enabling easy reuse, rapid prototyping, and compatibility with various substrates, while maintaining electrical and mechanical performance.

Contribution

ProForm presents a novel thermoforming technique for solder-free circuit assembly that supports sustainable electronics and versatile substrate compatibility.

Findings

ProFormed circuits show good electrical performance.

ProForm enables reversible mounting and easy component reuse.

Supports flexible, paper-based, and non-planar substrates.

Abstract

Electronic waste (e-waste) is a growing global challenge, with millions of functional components discarded due to the difficulty of repair and reuse. Traditional circuit assembly relies on soldering, which creates semi-permanent bonds that limit component recovery and contribute to unnecessary waste. We introduce ProForm, a thermoforming approach for solder-free circuit prototyping. By encapsulating electronic components with pressure-formed thermoplastics, ProForm enables secure, reversible mounting without the need for solder or custom mechanical housings. This approach supports a wide range of substrates, including flexible, paper-based, and non-planar circuits, facilitating easy reuse, replacement, and rapid prototyping. We demonstrate ProForm's versatility to support prototyping practices. We show that ProFormed circuits exhibit good electrical performance and mechanical stability. While motivated by a need for sustainable electronics practices, ProForm has other significant advantages over traditional soldering.