Dan's Biz Bookshelf: 'Move Your Bus'
Driving Innovation: Direct Imaging vs. Conventional Exposure
It’s Only Common Sense: Selling to Today's Generation of Buyers
Eliminate Connectors with Sculptured Flex
July 23, 2015 | Dave Becker, All FlexEstimated reading time: 1 minute
In a previous column, I discussed connectors for flexible circuits and the various options that are available. One of the options is very popular because in reality it is a “connector-less” connector. The connector pins are actually fabricated as part of the flexible circuit, as opposed to being an assembled component.
This option uses sculptured flex. A sculptured flexible circuit has unsupported metal traces. These protruding traces act as the male pin part of the connector. The technology for fabricating a sculptured circuit is fairly unique in the industry. All Flex starts with thick copper (as thick as 7 ounces which can be plated up from there with copper, tin, solder, gold or other metals). The rest of the traces are etched down to achieve thicknesses that are consistent with good flexibility. Back-bared fabrication is used so that there is no need to remove the dielectric with laser ablation or routing. To fabricate a back-bared flexible circuit, the base dielectric is pre-punched or drilled to expose the metal traces that will form the connector pins.
Figure 1: Sculptured flexible circuit.
Sculptured circuits have a number of advantages:
- Better reliability: There is no assembly or junction point that could weaken so these connector pins hold up better to vibration testing or thermal cycling.
- Less costly: The connector component is eliminated along with the labor to attach it.
- Weight and space: Because a connector component is eliminated, the flexible circuit assembly weighs less and takes up less space.
- Configurability: There are significant choices in terms of number of pins, density of pins and even thickness and length. They can be bent for 90-degree or 45-degree insertion.
- Surface finishing: Leads can be plated with tin, tin-lead, gold or other surface finishes.
Figure 2: Actual sculptured flex circuit.
Any time you eliminate a component, hidden costs are eliminated, such as the cost of stocking, tracking and managing the supply chain for that part number. When designing an electronic package, don’t assume that you need a component for every connection point. Sculptured flex will give some options that can make your electronic package, lighter, less costly, more reliable, and take up less space.
Dave Becker is vice president of sales and marketing at All Flex Flexible Circuits LLC.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Driving Innovation: Direct Imaging vs. Conventional Exposure
07/01/2025 | Simon Khesin -- Column: Driving InnovationMy first camera used Kodak film. I even experimented with developing photos in the bathroom, though I usually dropped the film off at a Kodak center and received the prints two weeks later, only to discover that some images were out of focus or poorly framed. Today, every smartphone contains a high-quality camera capable of producing stunning images instantly.
Hands-On Demos Now Available for Apollo Seiko’s EF and AF Selective Soldering Lines
06/30/2025 | Apollo SeikoApollo Seiko, a leading innovator in soldering technology, is excited to spotlight its expanded lineup of EF and AF Series Selective Soldering Systems, now available for live demonstrations in its newly dedicated demo room.
Indium Corporation Expert to Present on Automotive and Industrial Solder Bonding Solutions at Global Electronics Association Workshop
06/26/2025 | IndiumIndium Corporation Principal Engineer, Advanced Materials, Andy Mackie, Ph.D., MSc, will deliver a technical presentation on innovative solder bonding solutions for automotive and industrial applications at the Global Electronics A
Fresh PCB Concepts: Assembly Challenges with Micro Components and Standard Solder Mask Practices
06/26/2025 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB ConceptsMicro components have redefined what is possible in PCB design. With package sizes like 01005 and 0201 becoming more common in high-density layouts, designers are now expected to pack more performance into smaller spaces than ever before. While these advancements support miniaturization and functionality, they introduce new assembly challenges, particularly with traditional solder mask and legend application processes.
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Tin Whisker Mitigation in Aerospace Applications, Part 3
06/25/2025 | Nash Bell -- Column: Knocking Down the Bone PileTin whiskers are slender, hair-like metallic growths that can develop on the surface of tin-plated electronic components. Typically measuring a few micrometers in diameter and growing several millimeters in length, they form through an electrochemical process influenced by environmental factors such as temperature variations, mechanical or compressive stress, and the aging of solder alloys.