Flexible Thinking: The Key to a Successful Flex Circuit Design Transfer
Happy’s Tech Talk #29: Bend-to-Install Semi-flex FR-4
Design Guidelines for Flexible Printed Circuits
February 15, 2024 | Chris Keirstead, PFC Flexible CircuitsEstimated reading time: 1 minute
An important but sometimes overlooked aspect of flex and rigid-flex fabrication and assembly is the flex circuit tail, which is attached to a rigid PCB with pressure-sensitive conductive adhesives. This sub-assembly is becoming very common. We often see this applied to glass displays and microelectronic applications.
But this method of attachment without connectors is not as straightforward as one may think. The wide varieties of circuitry to be bonded create many attachment challenges. The best track configuration is not always possible, so one must be familiar with the optimum layouts as well as what is not recommended when considering these trade-offs. Less than optimum trace and pad layouts result in the need for more customization and smaller processing window variations for the bonding process.
Here are some common configurations that flex assemblers have developed, and the preferred approach for the method of bonding.
Interposer Effect and Co-planarity Adjustment
Bonding imbalance results from either bad co-planarity between the bonder head and stage or a thickness deviation of the flex and PCB materials. The interposer will absorb these discrepancies to some extent and help bring the bonding results in parallel.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the February 2024 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Suggested Items
CEE PCB to Exhibit at The Battery Show Europe 2025
05/14/2025 | CEE PCBTom Yang, CEO of CEE PCB, has announced that the company will exhibit at The Battery Show 2025, held from June 3-5 at the Messe Stuttgart in Stuttgart, Germany, in Booth F69 in Hall 7.
American Standard Circuits to Exhibit and Speak at SMTA Oregon Expo
05/14/2025 | American Standard CircuitsAnaya Vardya, President, and CEO of American Standard Sunstone Circuits has announced that his company will be exhibiting SMTA Oregon Expo & Tech Forum to be held on May 20 at the Wingspan Events and Conference Center in Hillsboro, Oregon.
Accurate Circuit Engineering: Be Nimble, Quick, and Open to Change
05/12/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineJames Hofer, general manager of Accurate Circuit Engineering (ACE) in Southern California, shares his insights about his specialty, quick-turn company, the market, and the interesting times in which we find ourselves. James remains optimistic about bringing manufacturing back to the United States and takes great pride in the work that ACE does to support military, defense, and aerospace. As James looks toward a prosperous 2025, he reflects on his 40 years in the business and learning that the secret to success is not trying to be everything to everyone.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
05/09/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineTrade show season is wrapping up as we head into summer. Where has the time gone? I hope you all get the chance to take a vacation this year, because I know you’ve earned one. Speaking of which, when was my last vacay? If I can’t remember, it’s probably time for one. It’s been a busy week in electronics, with fallout from the back-and-forth on tariffs taking up most of the oxygen in the room. We have quite an assortment of articles and columns for you in this installment of Must-Reads. See you next time.
Nick Koop Launches IPC Flex Design Class
05/06/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineNick Koop is director of flex technology for TTM Technologies, and he’s been a staple of IPC’s flex committees for decades. He’s also a longtime flex design instructor, and he’s about to debut a new IPC class, Flex and Rigid-Flex Design for Manufacturability, which will run May 12–21. In this interview, Nick tells us about this new class and what attendees can expect to learn.