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82 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2021 engineering, quality control, facilities manage- ment, and business development. I am leading our efforts on productization of Mina. Dunn: ank you. Let's start the conversation with aluminum. What are the benefits of alu- minum over other metals? Kadiwala: Aluminum is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust. is makes it more easily available and less expensive compared to other metals. It has different benefits when compared to other metals based on the field of use. For example, in automobiles, its superior strength at lower weight is a significant ben- efit against iron and its common alloy—steel. But in the field of printed electronics, its main competitor would be copper. Aluminum is more than three times lighter than copper. It has 68% of the conductivity of copper but has only 30% of the weight of cop- per. is means that a bare wire of aluminum weighs half as much as a bare wire of copper that has the same electrical resistance. is makes it the metal of choice for high voltage transmission cables. Also, it is three times less expensive than copper on an equal weight basis and six times less expensive on an actual usage basis. is is the biggest advantage that aluminum has over copper. Dunn: Interesting. Why do you think aluminum is attractive specifically for automotive applications? Kadiwala: Aluminum has been a boon for the automobile industry. Like any industry, the automobile industry has evolved due to various geo and politi- cal reasons over its 100-plus-year his- tory. Whether it's the oil embargo of the 1970s or global warming due to climate change, it has been constantly under pressure to improve fuel effi- ciency standards. e easiest way to improve fuel efficiency is to reduce the dead weight of the automobile and improve the efficiency of the internal combustion engine. Aluminum helps reduce an automobile's body weight by providing superior strength at lower weight when compared to steel and other alloys of iron. It also helps improve engine efficiency by providing better performance at lower weight. Since most automobiles have their body and chassis made of aluminum, the integration of onboard electronics to aluminum is critical. Averatek's Mina can provide a soldered con- nection to aluminum without any plating or surface finish. It can help ease manufacturing and reduce costs. Dunn: Aluminum has historically been difficult to assemble to. What are the challenges of sol- dering to aluminum? Kadiwala: Aluminum PC boards, whether rigid or flex, are limited in use due to challenges associated with soldering components to alu- minum pads. is is because all aluminum sur- face is covered with a layer of aluminum oxide. Although self-limiting, this oxide layer cannot be overcome by flux in existing solder systems An example of aluminum over copper.