Industries Commonly Use Flex PCBs
A flexible printed circuit board (PCB) has unique properties that make it a useful tool in several industries. These PCBs are able to bend and conform to shapes that would be impossible with rigid designs, opening up new possibilities for electronic devices. They are also more resistant to vibrations and movement, making them a better choice for industrial or commercial applications. flex pcbs are an integral part of LED lighting and handheld surgical technology, and they can even be made into electronic implants.
A PCB must be able to withstand rapid movement, extreme pressure and harsh conditions over long periods of time. Rigid PCBs can be unstable in these environments and often cannot provide the reliability needed. A flex circuit is a great solution for these kinds of applications, as they are designed to withstand the rigors of these kinds of environments, and they are much smaller and more lightweight than rigid PCBs. In addition, a flex circuit can be re-routed as necessary during the design process, giving it more flexibility than other types of electronics.
Flex circuits are widely used in industrial and commercial electronics, including in-vehicle infotainment systems, medical imaging equipment and military missile guidance systems. They can also be found in drone and robotic systems, as they are capable of rapid motions that require a small and lightweight circuit.
What Industries Commonly Use Flex PCBs?
Several other factors also make flex circuits an excellent choice for these different applications, including the ability to use a wider range of connectors. Flex circuits are also able to accommodate tight impedance control, which is crucial for many applications. These features also help to reduce the size of the final product, as it eliminates the need for multiple cables and connectors.
There are a variety of manufacturing options available for flex circuits, from a standard single-layer design to rigid-flex and hybrid designs. A typical PCB stackup for a flex circuit includes a core that is made from an adhesive-less Polyimide film, followed by two layers of prepreg and copper film for the flex sections. Manufacturers fortify the flex sections with FR-4 fiberglass or pressure-sensitive adhesives, known as PSAs.
To keep a flex circuit from breaking due to stress, it is important to avoid abrupt changes between wide and narrow traces. This type of transition is referred to as a stress point and can break the traces if not handled correctly. To prevent this from occurring, a designer can use fillets to create a gradual transition from the thin to the thick section of the trace. Another option is to use vias or plated through-holes, which can be placed near stress points to add strength and durability.
Other useful fabrication methods for flex circuits include laser skiving slots and holes and panelization, which allows for faster assembly by placing a group of PCBs together in one large panel. They can then be broken apart by a robot or by hand, speeding up the assembly process significantly. Other features to consider when working with flex circuits include a shielding layer to prevent electromagnetic interference, and a layer of conductive paint to increase the durability of the copper traces.
