Mobile Phone Supply Chains Are Accelerating Into Vaping, With New Processes Upgrading the Industry

As an emerging electronic device, e-cigarettes have an increasing foreign market share year by year and increasing domestic attention. The global e-cigarettes are expected to achieve a market size of US$61.4 billion in 2025.

Figure Estimated global e-cigarette market size in 2025 (Source: Huatai Securities)

As a product that accompanies smokers day and night, appearance characteristics are an important indicator to stimulate the desire to purchase and demonstrate identity and taste. The following compilation of a number of mobile phone industry technology technologies is expected to help improve the appearance of e-cigarette equipment.

The mobile phone industry's penetration into the e-cigarette industry and resource layout have been carried out silently. The e-cigarette industry's demand for personnel, capital, equipment and other resources is much less than that of mobile phones. The communication between the two industries is conducive to activating idle production capacity in the mobile phone industry chain. At the same time, it brings new vitality to the e-cigarette industry chain:

1) Currently, CMF, ID, and structural engineers in mobile phone industries such as Coolpad and Gionee are flowing from mobile phone brand terminals to large e-cigarette companies;

2) The mobile phone industry is accelerating the deployment of e-cigarettes. Recently, Coolpad signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Yuanguin, a subsidiary of Bolton Group, to enter the e-cigarette market. The COOL series of e-cigarette products to be launched by the strong forces will surely be in the e-cigarette market in China. A hurricane! COOL e-cigarettes use internationally leading flue-cured tobacco technology, and the design is also very beautiful;

3) The supply chain of the mobile phone industry has added to the e-cigarette industry, with metal processing, IMD, MIM, injection molding ceramics, equipment, CNC, die-casting, polishing equipment, sintering furnaces, injection molding machines and other equipment increasingly turning to e-cigarettes.

The current era of e-cigarettes can be said to be a hundred schools of thought contend. Just like the era when counterfeit smartphones and branded smartphones are in the same way, the quality is uneven and the homogenization is serious. Differentiating technical upgrades to the functions and appearance of e-cigarette equipment is the magic weapon for future success!

1. 2.5D/3D glass

2.5D glass can be used as a front cover or back cover decorative plate on mobile phones, and 3D glass is more used as back cover decorative plate. 2.5/3D glass has undergone a film coating process to present a variety of dazzling optical coating effects and is widely used on multiple models of major terminals.

Figure Xiaomi 8 Four-curved 3D glass

On e-cigarettes, 2.5/3D glass can be used on cigarettes as a decorative panel or display screen panel. Compared with traditional plastic lenses, it greatly improves the quality of the product.

Tuovaner electronic cigarette TT200

2. Aluminum metal processing

Aluminum alloy CNC+ anodic oxidation technology is widely used in the middle frame and back cover of mobile phones. Anodized oxidation is divided into ordinary sandblasting + anodic oxidation, micro-arc oxidation, high-highlight polishing oxidation, gradient color oxidation, etc. On low-power e-cigarettes, ordinary sandblasting + anodic oxidation is widely used in aluminum smoke squeezing pipes. For example, the smoke pipes of American star brand JUUL apply sandblasting + anodic oxidation.

Figure JUUL electronic cigarette (Source Network)

Figure Aluminum tube polishing

Micro-arc oxidation and high-brightness polishing oxidation are currently not mature, with few suppliers to choose from and high costs. From comprehensive cost and other considerations, gradient color anodization is more suitable for application on small tobacco rods in the future to create more pleasing appearances for female consumers such as pink, sky blue, and purple gradients.# p#pagination title #e#

3. 3D optical texture composite board

3D optical texture composite plate is a recently popular decoration technology imitating a 2.5D/3D glass solution. This PMMA/PC composite plate combines the hardness of PMMA and the impact of PC, and the surface hardness can reach 3- 4H. It can meet the needs of the use of display lenses or decorative sheets for e-cigarettes. After the optical coating process, the composite plate can express a variety of dynamic optical textures.

Figure Composite board 3D texture mobile phone back cover

Figure E-cigarette 3D optical texture composite board decoration fantasy picture

4. Two-color injection molding

Two-color injection molding technology has been widely used in traditional plastic-shell mobile phones, and can achieve various effects such as waterproofing and dustproof, enhancing drop impact, and creating a personalized appearance.

Figure Nokia 3720 three-proof mobile phone, the shell uses soft and hard glue two-color injection molding technology

Two-color injection molding can also be used on e-cigarettes. There are two feasible application routes:

1) Small cigarettes: Enhance the two-color modified plastic to replace aluminum alloy extruded cigarette rods

The tobacco rod of this two-color injection molding solution has the first shot of reinforced modified plastic (such as short glass fiber or long glass fiber reinforced PP, PA, PC+ABS, etc., which accounts for the main wall thickness of the product), and the second color is high-flow pure plastic such as PC, ABS, PC+ABS, etc., the post-treatment process can be painted, coated, or the true color of plastic.

Figure Cross-section diagram of double injection molded tobacco rod

2) Big cigarettes: rubber-coated two-color injection molding based on three prevention considerations

Big cigarettes are more based on the consideration of outdoor/wild use scenarios. The starting point is that the big cigarettes themselves are heavy, and the use of two-color soft rubber shells (such as TPU/silicone) outdoors/wild protects the products.

Figure AIMIDI TANK T2 three-prevention host (source from Fenghuang. com)

5. LSR injection molding

LSR is liquid silicone injection technology. It is mostly used in waterproof card holders, waterproof and dustproof interfaces, waterproof casings, etc. on mobile phones. The USB interface of e-cigarettes can also be made waterproof and dustproof with LSR. If it is an injection molded shell, LSR can be applied. The secondary injection molding process realizes the waterproof design of the whole machine.

Figure Mobile phone waterproof card tray jam

Tu Yixing Battlestar Kleipen, USB interface can use LSR technology (Source Network)

#p#Pagination Title #e#6. LDS antenna

LDS technology is often used to realize antenna functions on 4G mobile phones. The usual practice is to develop antenna brackets to make LDS antenna circuits on them, assemble them into mobile phones, and rely on spring pins to connect wireless signals.

Figure LDS Technology Antenna Stand

Communication functions have been added to some high-end e-cigarettes, and LDS technology can come in handy.

7. MIM injection molding

MIM injection molding is widely used in automobiles, mobile phones, medical and other fields. Currently, it is mainly used in card trays, camera brackets, etc. on mobile phones. On e-cigarettes, MIM parts can be applied to the atomizer base, base support and other positions.

Figure All small parts in the mobile phone can be formed by MIM

Figure MIM electronic cigarette parts (Tianyue powder metallurgy)

8. IMD/IML/IMT Forming

IMD is a traditional plastic in-mold decoration technology. Well-known IMD companies in the industry have also won the Outstanding Supplier Award from McWare, a well-known e-cigarette company.

Figure IML Shell Electronic Cigarette

IMT is an evolved version of IML technology. Since IMT removes the outer membrane of IML, the appearance is more transparent and bright, imitating the appearance of glass to the greatest extent. It is an application technology with great development potential in the mobile phone industry. The e-cigarette industry can gradually transition from traditional IML technology to IMT technology. Xiaobian learned that e-cigarette manufacturers such as McWeir, Heyuan, Kaner, and Zhuoeryue all have resource layouts and technical reserves in this regard.

E-cigarettes are consumer electronic products. Although small, they are complete with all the necessary necessities. Materials (plastics, metals, ceramics), processes, surface treatments, and supply chains, more and more industrial chains will accelerate the development of the e-cigarette industry faster and standardize!