Payment cards are mainly bank plastic cards related to certain payment systems: international, local use.
The production of bank plastic cards is a complex technological process that requires not only special equipment and materials, but also careful attention to each stage of production. In addition, blanks of cards for bank plastic cards, which contain certain elements of protection of payment systems, have the right to issue only enterprises that are certified according to the quality management system, as well as physical and logical security of production in accordance with all standards of international payment systems.
Currently, cards with a magnetic stripe have become widespread, with a chip - smart cards and contactless cards, their production technologies differ
The technology for the production of magnetic stripe cards can be divided into stages:
It should be noted that magnetic cards have significant drawbacks, in particular, their insufficient degree of protection against counterfeiting, for this reason they are not fully suitable for storing confidential information.
Microprocessor cards (smart cards) production technology:
The main component of a microprocessor card is a module, which is a functionally complete product that allows you to place a microcircuit in a plastic card and then interact with the terminal. The module serves to protect the microcrystal from unwanted external influences, such as moisture, due to which the microcrystal can fail.
For a contact smart card on the module, special contact tabs are used that interact with the terminal device.
For a contactless smart card, a special bus is laid in the case, which connects the module to the inputs of the interface microcircuit built into the plastic card along with other elements.
Stages of production of microprocessor cards:
Attachment of a microcrystal. The microcrystal is attached to the lead frame by gluing and heat-fixing in the place indicated on the lead frame
• Installation of a microcrystal. After gluing, the microcrystal is attached to the contact pads of the lead frame by one of the methods. There are two commonly used mounting methods:
Formation of a depression in the map. To connect the module with a plastic card, a recess (cavit) is made in the surface of the plastic card in accordance with the requirements of ISO standards - 0.76 mm.
Recess formation methods:
The card is then tested, programmed, verified and released to the market.
Technology for the production of contactless microprocessor cards:
When forming a multilayer base with elements of printing design, the inlet is mounted.
Inlenta is a microcircuit with a conductor mounted in the form of several loops, which act as an antenna.
Usually, the inlet is placed in the middle of the layer. The arrangement of microcircuits in the workpiece is optimally placed on the sheet for the implementation of all other technological processes - printing, sintering, cutting.
After sintering in laminators, sheets are fed to punching presses for punching blanks with contactless microcircuits in the thickness of the product.
The received blanks are personalized.
The production of bank plastic cards is a complex technological process that requires not only special equipment and materials, but also careful attention to each stage of production. In addition, blanks of cards for bank plastic cards, which contain certain elements of protection of payment systems, have the right to issue only enterprises that are certified according to the quality management system, as well as physical and logical security of production in accordance with all standards of international payment systems.
Currently, cards with a magnetic stripe have become widespread, with a chip - smart cards and contactless cards, their production technologies differ
The technology for the production of magnetic stripe cards can be divided into stages:
- Printing blanks for the front and back of the card
- Layout and unification of a multi-layer base of cards, overlapping of magnetic stripes, with each operation being carried out at a special workplace
- Sintering of a multilayer base with elements of printing design, laminate and a magnetic stripe - on a special multi-storey press, which maintains a given temperature and pressure under the control of a microprocessor system, followed by cooling the package
- Feeding finished sheets with magnetic strips to the cutter
- Punching blanks with a magnetic stripe.
It should be noted that magnetic cards have significant drawbacks, in particular, their insufficient degree of protection against counterfeiting, for this reason they are not fully suitable for storing confidential information.
Microprocessor cards (smart cards) production technology:
The main component of a microprocessor card is a module, which is a functionally complete product that allows you to place a microcircuit in a plastic card and then interact with the terminal. The module serves to protect the microcrystal from unwanted external influences, such as moisture, due to which the microcrystal can fail.
For a contact smart card on the module, special contact tabs are used that interact with the terminal device.
For a contactless smart card, a special bus is laid in the case, which connects the module to the inputs of the interface microcircuit built into the plastic card along with other elements.
Stages of production of microprocessor cards:
Attachment of a microcrystal. The microcrystal is attached to the lead frame by gluing and heat-fixing in the place indicated on the lead frame
• Installation of a microcrystal. After gluing, the microcrystal is attached to the contact pads of the lead frame by one of the methods. There are two commonly used mounting methods:
- Soldering - the lead frames are attached by soldering to the crystal, on the contacts of which solder is applied in a special way.
- Wire mounting - a piece of wire 27 microns thick is laid from the microcircuit to each of the contact pads (gold is most often used as a material for making wire, but some companies continue to use aluminum or silver).
- gold wire is more ductile and breaks when fed from bobbins, which allows you to maintain a high pace of work of the assembly equipment
- gold, unlike aluminum in combination with a gold lead frame, does not corrode
- More durable than aluminum mounting, which can become brittle after two to three months, which is unacceptable for smart cards that have a minimum lifespan of seven years according to ISO standards.
Formation of a depression in the map. To connect the module with a plastic card, a recess (cavit) is made in the surface of the plastic card in accordance with the requirements of ISO standards - 0.76 mm.
Recess formation methods:
- Bonding of three to four layers of plastic sheet material, usually polyvinyl chloride is used, followed by milling the hole according to the mounting size of the module
- Production of cards by injection molding with the creation of a depression according to the specified parameters. Plastic or polycarbonate is used.
The card is then tested, programmed, verified and released to the market.
Technology for the production of contactless microprocessor cards:
When forming a multilayer base with elements of printing design, the inlet is mounted.
Inlenta is a microcircuit with a conductor mounted in the form of several loops, which act as an antenna.
Usually, the inlet is placed in the middle of the layer. The arrangement of microcircuits in the workpiece is optimally placed on the sheet for the implementation of all other technological processes - printing, sintering, cutting.
After sintering in laminators, sheets are fed to punching presses for punching blanks with contactless microcircuits in the thickness of the product.
The received blanks are personalized.
