Abstract: An integrated circuit card is manufactured by reaction injection moulding around the insert bearing the electronic components, and between high tensile skins which form opposed surfaces of the card. Apparatus is disclosed for the continuous manufacture of the cards between a pair of moving belts.

Abstract: A portable electronic card or token has a plurality of discrete electronic components mounted on a flexible substrate, the substrate and the components are encapsulated in a plastics material, and at least one respective high tensile member is associated with each component and disposed such that a region of the card or token encompassing the component is restrained from flexing. The flexing substrate forms resilient hinge portions between adjacent components.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a generally planar device such as a lead frame, having fragile portions contiguous respectively with relatively robust portions, which includes in sequence, the steps of providing a robust, generally sheet-like blank, removing material from selective portions of a surface layer of the blank at one of its main surfaces to define first portions of the surface layer to be the relatively robust portions in the finished device and second portions to be fragile portions of the finished device, firmly embedding the second portions in a fixing material layer, and removing material from the other main surface of the blank in the region of the embedded portions to a sufficient depth to expose an underside of the surface layer, thereby to isolate the embedded portions from each other and to render them thinner and thus more fragile than the first portions.

Abstract: A flowmeter has a vane which is caused to vibrate at one of its resonant frequencies and a flexure standing wave set up along it. Two piezoelectric sensors are used to monitor characteristics of the standing wave and hence the mass flow rate of a fluid flowing past the vane along a pipe.The vane comprises a ceramic planar member on which a conductive ceramic ink is laid down to form tracks. The ink also bonds a ceramic piezoelectric transducer to the member to drive and maintain it in vibration. A non-conductive layer is laid down on the surface of the member covering the conductive tracks surrounding the transducer. A metal layer forms the external surface of the vane and acts as a ground plane for the transducer.