Successful Flex Circuit Design and Processing Guidelines
December 18, 2018 | Tuan Tran, GREEN CIRCUITSEstimated reading time: 1 minute
With the use of sensors and technology in everything from mobile phones to refrigerators, automobiles, and wearable medical devices, circuit boards are a component in many different types of products. In today’s world of electronics, any product with an on-off switch contains a circuit board.
Due to their versatility, the use of flex circuits is one of the fastest growing product market segments. With the introduction of flex and rigid-flex circuits, engineers have been given the opportunity to be more creative in designing new and innovative products. Flex and rigid-flex boards are built to fit into tight, threedimensional spaces while ensuring resistance to mechanical wear and vibration. Engineers can design products that require boards to fit into tight spaces, twist and turn for packaging, and make the product live in a more dynamic environment. These flexible circuits have the same performance levels as traditional rigid FR-4 boards; however, they have their own nuances and considerations when it comes to design, fabrication, and assembly.
Design and Layout
When designing a flex circuit, it is important to know the specific application for the circuit. Will it be used in a static or dynamic environment? If the board will reside in a static environment with little to no movement, the circuit design needs to have the appropriate amount of flexibility so that it can be easily installed within the product. Alternatively, if the board will exist in a dynamic environment where the board will continuously flex back and forth, a level of flexibility that can withstand continuous movement needs to be considered in the design.
Will the application require a flex or a rigidflex circuit? If the product requires one-sided surface-mount technology, then a fully flexible board may be the best option. If the product requires two-sided SMT, then a rigid-flex board is needed.
To read the full version of this article which originally appeared in the October 2018 issue of Flex007 Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
PCBflow Helps Designers Choose Best Manufacturer for the Job
03/28/2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineI recently spoke with a few technologists who have first-hand experience with PCBflow: Susan Kayesar, technical product manager with Siemens; Evgeny Makhline, CTO of Nistec, a CEM based in Israel; and Peter Tranitz, senior director of technology solutions and leader of the IPC Design Initiative. They explain how PCBflow functions, from the designer’s and manufacturer’s viewpoint, and how this database helps break down the wall between these stakeholders.
Elementary, Mr. Watson: Ensuring Design Integrity
03/28/2024 | John Watson -- Column: Elementary, Mr. WatsonBack in February, many of us watched the "Big Game." It reminded me of the saying, “It's not how you start that is important, but rather how you finish." It is perfectly okay when you are talking about sports, you get off to a bad first half and need to recover in the second half. However, when it comes to PCB design, this is not a good practice. If things start badly, they usually don't recover. They continue down that same path, costing more money and losing design time.
Arrow Electronics Launches Intelligent Vision Ecosystem
03/27/2024 | BUSINESS WIREArrow Electronics, Inc. is utilizing the onsemi Imager Access System (IAS) module standard for developing intelligent vision solutions for use in robotics, machine vision, commercial cameras and other uses.
Dymax Will Exhibit Light-Cure Solutions for Today’s Electronics at IPC APEX 2024
03/26/2024 | DymaxDymax, a leading manufacturer of rapid and light-curing materials and equipment, will exhibit at the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 in Anaheim, CA, April 9-11.
Synopsys Announces New AI-Driven EDA, IP and Systems Design Solutions At SNUG Silicon Valley
03/25/2024 | PRNewswireSynopsys, Inc. kicked off its annual flagship Synopsys User Group (SNUG) conference in Silicon Valley at the Santa Clara Convention Center with a keynote presentation by Synopsys president and CEO Sassine Ghazi. Ghazi discussed the unprecedented innovation opportunities and challenges that technology R&D teams face in this era of pervasive intelligence.