What It Takes A Flexible PCB Supplier To Manufacture Quality Products?
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What It Takes A Flexible PCB Supplier To Manufacture Quality Products?
PCB circuit boards can be made with either rigid or
flexible substrates. Rigid PCBs are typically used for high-power applications
such as automotive electronics and military equipment. Rogers PCB Manufacturer
uses them for prototyping and testing purposes. Flexible circuit boards are
often used for consumer products and industrial automation applications.
For every flexible circuit, there are some important
aspects that the manufacturer and Flexible PCB Supplier must understand.
Flex circuits do not share the same electrical properties as rigid printed
circuit boards, so Flexi manufacturers must take care to ensure certain design
rules are followed than the Rogers PCB Manufacturer.
Thin Material Handling Capabilities & Procedures
Material handling, during flexible circuit
manufacturing, is critical to achieving high production yields and reliable
finished circuits. Handling can account for the largest portion of production
scrap and reliability problems. Flex materials are much thicker and reinforced
than those used in hard boards. Flex core materials range from 0.1 – 3 mm thick
with either ¼ oz. or 1 oz copper.
Selective Pad Plating
Flexible PCB Assembly involves the application of photoresist onto the
substrate. A pattern is then transferred into the resist using an exposure tool
(e.g., a laser beam) that can image through the transparent photoresist layer.
Copper is applied to the top side of the substrate via electroplating. The
substrate is imaged again, and the remaining resist is removed. This process
continues until the desired number of layers is achieved.
Polyimide Coverley Manufacturing
Flexible PCB Supplier uses the term “Coverley” to describe a sheet of
polyimide film that is placed over the surface of a PCB (printed circuit board)
during assembly. Coverleys are typically used to protect components such as
integrated circuits (ICs), resistors, capacitors, and inductors from damage caused
by handling.
Material Dimensional Tolerances
Due to the required versatility, flexible materials
are much thinner and lack any internal reinforcement (i.e., fiberglass mesh in
rigid boards). These materials will also expand during Flexible PCB Assembly
and contract as they are subjected to changes in temperature and humidity,
requiring additional attention during processing.
Laser Profile Cutting
Polyimide materials can be easily cut with a laser,
allowing for very accurate and complex profiles. They eliminate the need for
costly hard punching and die tooling at prototyping and lower production
volumes. Laser cutting leaves a small amount of carbon on the part edge, but is
considered acceptable by IPC standards (IPC Standard 708). You can get a Flexible
PCB Quote to understand it better.
Plasma Desmear and Etch Back
The material properties of polyimide and flex adhesive
are substantially different from those of rigid board materials. To achieve the
correct processing characteristics, the substrate must be processed using
specialized equipment and procedures. Etching back a rigid board with a plasma
etch is difficult due to the nature of the process.
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