Flex PCB

JarnisTech Offers the Most Competitive Prices for Flexible PCB Manufacturing

Definition of Flexible PCB

Flexible PCB-Flexible circuit is also known as an FPC board or flex PCB. Conductor circuit patterns of flex PCBs are made using light pattern exposure transfer and etching on a flexible substrate surface. In double-sided and multilayer boards, the surface and inner layers are connected electrically via holes made of metal in the conductor circuit patterns. The circuit’s surface design is shielded and protected by the PI and glue layers.

Flexible PCBs are primarily broken down into single-sided flex PCB, Duoble-sided flex PCB, Aluminum Flexible Circuits, Flexible PCB microcircuits, HDI Flexible Circuits, Ultra-thin flexible printed circuit boards, double-sided Flex PCB, 4-layer flexible PCB, and various other multi-layer flexible boards and rigid-flexible PCB board.This classification facilitates the identification of specific flexible PCB solutions tailored to meet diverse engineering and design requirements within the electronics industry.

JarnisTech provides flexible PCB manufacturing services up to 12 layers. Please send your PCB file via [email protected], and we will provide you with a quote as soon as possible!

It is noteworthy to mention that the design complexity of flexible PCBs is not confined to single-sided configurations alone. They are aptly capable of adopting double-sided formats as well. At JarnisTech, we fabricate not only double-sided but also multi-layered flexible PCBs, which are particularly advantageous for intricate layouts. They offer an extended array of connectivity possibilities in contrast to traditional FR4 circuit boards. To identify and ascertain the design most conducive to your distinct requirements, please Contact us for our Customer Service team

In short, the term “flexible PCB” refers to an elastic base material to create its circuit connectors. There are nine primary types of flex circuits with single- and multi-layer, double-sided options, which can also incorporate more robust designs. The strength and durability of flexible PCBs as well in the shrinking size of electronic components have led to their acceptance by a variety of industries, such as LED medical power systems, LEDs and many more.

Flexible PCB Manufacturing Process

Flexible circuit boards are made from polyimide or polyester films, and they have highly reliable. It is also known as a soft board or FPC. It features high wiring density and is lightweight and thin in thickness.

Treatment for Pre-production

It is essential to have a complete and qualified production process for making high-quality flex PCBs. From the pre-processing stage before production until the final delivery, each step must be strictly followed when producing to avoid short and open circuits from leading to low yields or to reduce the risk of excess Flex PCB scrap and replenishment issues with the process such as drilling, calendering, or cutting, and to determine the best materials to ensure that customers get the most effective effect of flexible circuit boards. It is essential to treat the board before production.

Prior to Production, During Pre-processing Three Aspects Must Be Processed and Finished by Engineers.

● The first one is a flexibility PCB’s engineering evaluation, primarily to determine whether the customer’s flexible PCB can be made.

● Engineering department will conduct a thorough assessment of the firm’s manufacturing capability to ascertain its ability to meet the client’s specified technical and pricing criteria. Upon the successful approval of the engineering review, the materials preparation phase will promptly commence to guarantee that the requisite materials are duly prepared in accordance with the stipulations of the production process.

● In the end, the engineer will process the customer’s drawings, Gerber data, and other engineering documents to meet the manufacturing environment and requirements of the equipment. The normal production process continues by the delegation of production drawings and MI ( engineering process card) to the department of production, purchasing, document control, and other departments.

Manufacturing Process of Double-sided Flex PCB

Manufacturing Process of Single-sided Flex PCB

Processing Characteristics of Flex PCB

Surface treatments: Immersion Gold ,Immersion silver, OSP, plating Gold, HASL/LF etc.
Profile: Manual, CNC (numerical control machine) cutting, laser cutting
Substrate Copper Thickness:1/3OZ, 1/2OZ, 1OZ,2OZ and 4OZ, and more.

Why do You Should Choose Us?

At JarnisTech, We specialize in the design and manufacture of PCBs that are flexible that are used in the manufacture of medical devices and various kinds of industrial and telecommunication equipment. Leveraging our PCB manufacturing competencies, we can in crafting high-performance, flexible PCBs tailored to align with your exclusive business requirements. In addition, we extend our support in embarking upon the design of a personalized flex PCB prototype, which is instrumental in bolstering the likelihood of your project’s success. For a deeper understanding of our capabilities, kindly refer to the subsequent form：

All of Our Circuit Boards Are IP-certified

IPC 6013 Type 1: A single-sided model like this one is flexible and can be bent multiple times. It’s extremely affordable and can be used with any budget.

IPC 6013 Type 2: Double-sided circuit is more flexible than type 1. Double-sided circuits also help to save space.

IPC 6013 Type 3: This model has multiple layers and permits a less bulky style than the two models previously mentioned. It also provides greater flexibility, making it suitable for 3D applications.

IPC 6013 Type 4: The model with a rigid-flex structure has a stable base for stiffeners, components and many more. It is ideal for 3D structures as well. It provides the advantages of improved signal integrity, increased reliability, and greater noise reduction. It is extremely light and occupies a small space. Additionally, it gives engineers more creative freedom when designing.

Materials for Flex printed Circuit Board

For flexible circuit boards, we typically use three materials:

● The flexible PCB Stiffener
● Flex cores -these constitute the basis for the circuit.
● Flexible Adhesives- forms a bond between a variety of materials.
● Coverlays-These are a protective cover over the circuit that is external to.
● Copper film -For conducting electricity, copper film forms circuit board patterns.

Note: The stiffener is the specific substance used for FPC. It is utilized in a specific area of the product in order to boost the strength of the support and to increase FPC’s “soft” characteristics of FPC.

At present, the Most Widely Reinforced Materials Include:

Stiffener for FR4: The primary ingredients are glass fiber fabric and epoxy resin glue that are identical to the FR4 materials used in PCB.

The Steel Sheet Is A Stiffener: The material is made of steel, with high toughness and strength for support.

PI Stiffener: Similar to the cover film, consisting of release paper and PI. The PI layer is much thicker and can be made from 2 to 9 MIL.

Certain flex circuits might require stiffeners. These are typically used as supports for connectors and components. To connect the circuit to the enclosure’s wall, we utilize PSA, a double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive. For applications that require EMI, we have shielding films that completely cover the entire flex circuit.

We provide a range of materials, each offering the highest operational temperature resilience. All of our standard flex products are able to withstand temperatures of -40°C up to 85°C.there are no special materials or construction-related considerations. For operating temperatures surpassing 85°C, the construction and the materials used for circuits that flex, should be distinct

Flex Cores:

In our production process we utilize two approaches to create flex cores, each distinguished by the method employed to attach the copper film to the polyimide core. The conventional flex core material employs a layer of adhesive to bind the copper film to its core.

As for the other type, the manufacturer binds polyimide directly to the copper film without applying any adhesive, giving the flex core its adhesiveness. For applications necessitating temperature resistance beyond 85°C, we opt for this adhesive-free flex core. Conversely, standard polyimide cores are capable of enduring temperatures as high as 400°C.

Coverlays:

Additionally coverlays are made up of polyimide that is attached to the surface of flexible circuits using flexible adhesives. By applying heat and pressure the adhesive and the coverlay are securely bonded to the circuit. The adhesive fulfills a dual function: connecting the coverlay, to the circuits exterior. secondly, it aids in encapsulating the circuit for protection. To meet operational needs we employ three unique types of adhesives each tailored for specific temperature requirements.

Stiffeners:

We utilize a variety of stiffeners made from different kinds of materials- aluminum stainless steel, FR4, and polyimide. For the attachment of stiffeners, we employ the same adhesive utilized for coverlays. In certain instances, pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are also applied to ensure the secure fixation of stiffeners.

In the stiffeners’ materials, FR4 has the lowest temperature-withstanding capacity. Other stiffener materials, including metal and polyimide, have much higher temperature-withstanding capacity.

PSAS:

Many suppliers provide a variety of PSAs. We usually employ PSA materials made through TESA along with 3M. Before choosing to use one particular type of PSA We review its capabilities to meet the requirements of temperature and adhesion.

Numerous pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are capable of enduring elevated operating temperatures, with their adhesive strength being influenced by the ambient temperature. And the PSA is not subject to high force, adhesion power that is present in the PSA is not of major issue.

Shielding:

We utilize a variety of shielding materials based on the purpose. We offer to shield have copper layers or other specific shielding materials. A copper shield can be made from films, solid copper, or cross-hatched. As the copper shielding have a good highest temperature withstanding capability. Thus, there are few shielding materials that can withstand temperatures as high as copper shielding.

Nevertheless, integrating copper shielding into a flexible circuit can significantly enhance its rigidity, leading to a notable reduction in its flexibility and bending capabilities. Additionally, the inclusion of copper in the shielding contributes to an increase in manufacturing costs.

The shielding materials that are made of films offer the benefit of cost-effectiveness and not affecting the flexibility and bending ability as copper shields can. However, their temperature-withstanding capabilities are limited to only 125°C continuous usages.

The typical way to use a lamination technique is to attach the EMI shield onto the top layer, just like we would for coverlays. This adhesive that we employ to connect the shielding servers serves two main functions. It affixes the film to the flex circuit and also connects electrically to connect the EMI shield and ground network of the flexible circuit.

When operating temperatures exceed the specified limit for the adhesive, the electrical resistance of the contact increases, consequently diminishing the efficacy of the shielding

Which Areas will Use Flexible Adhesives?

There are three areas in which we can use flexible adhesives:

● Attaching Stiffeners.
● Attaching Coverlays.
● Layer-to-layer lamination.

Type of Adhesives

The Most Common Type of Adhesives That Are Flexible To Various Temperatures:

● Polyimide-based Adhesives: These adhesives work seamlessly under operating temperatures of up to +220 °C, providing elevated thermal resistance.
● Epoxy-based Adhesives: Primarily engineered for thermal conditions, these adhesives maintain their efficacy within a temperature scope of +130 °C up to +140 °C.
● Acrylic-based adhesives: Suitable for a broad temperature range, these adhesives demonstrate reliable performance under circumstances ranging from -40°C to +85 °C.

An array of adhesives is harnessed in the fabricating of flexible circuits, with each being customized to cater to specific application requirements. Acrylic-established adhesives are regularly employed for generic flexible circuits owing to their multi-faceted characteristics. Conversely, epoxy-established adhesives are favored in the medical domain, particularly for gadgets that necessitate autoclave sanitization, due to their durability under such extremities. For operations involving high temperatures, polyimide-established adhesives are the most favorable, rendering superior thermal resistance.

It’s knowledge that acrylic and epoxy based adhesives can be laminated within the temperature range of 180 °C to 200 °C. On the hand polyimide based adhesives necessitate much higher temperatures typically falling between 300 °C and 315 °C. Among the three types we employ polyimide based ones exhibit superior heat resistance albeit they come at a higher cost compared to the other two varieties.

JarnisTech is a specialist in the field of flex circuits, and we manufacture high-quality boards that can operate at high temperatures. If you’re looking for applications for flexible circuits that need to operate continuously in high temperatures contact us and we’ll manufacture a flexible circuit that meets your requirements for operating temperatures.

Difference of Flexible Circuit Board and Rigid Boards

Material: Rigid PCB boards are generally made from F4 (glass-epoxy compounds) as flexible circuit boards are constructed from polyimide. There are instances where rigid circuit boards are constructed with polyimide but it’s not as prevalent.

Coverlay: The Flex PCBs either have a flexible mask, or coverlay, while rigid boards usually utilize a soldering mask. When using a coverlay, the openings just need to be laser cut or routed. Then, an adhesive (typically 2 or 1 mils thick) can be used to stick this coverlay flexible.

Stiffeners: Flexible printed circuit boards usually employ FR4 as well as polyimide stiffeners to stiffen certain areas that aren’t flexing. Stiffeners can be coated to the flex, or adhered to it using the use of a PSA (pressure-sensitive adhesive). Rigid boards do not need stiffeners.

Permittivity: There’s a wide spectrum of permittivity relative (dielectric constants) for rigid materials however flexible polyimide is generally 3.4.

Advantages of Flex PCB

There are advantages, to utilizing flexible PCBs. Some of the benefits of flexible PCBs include：

Reduced Weight and Space: Most of the advantages of flexible PCBs stem from their lightweight and volume. In fact, the use of a flexible PCB in place rather than a rigid PCB could result in a space reduction of up to 50 % and the weight reduction of 95 percent, all while keeping the functionality and quality that the circuit.

Long-term Durability: As a result of the PCB’s flexibility, reduced weight, and reduce number of interconnects, flex circuit boards are able to handle changes in external forces and are more shock and vibration resistant.

Signal Integrity: Flexible PCBs function in diverse environments, meaning that the signals will function well despite the outside conditions. This helps improve the signal quality of the PCB.

Higher Density: As a result of thin flex layers and smaller components, the mean that flexible PCBs can support higher circuit densities.

Minimized Errors: With the elimination of mechanical connectors and the reduction in variations in assembly techniques Flexible PCBs experience reduced wiring errors.

Low Cost: Because of fewer assembly steps required in making flexible PCBs They are quite affordable.

Heat Dissipation: Due to the flexible PCB’s thinness, flex PCBs offer a greater surface-to-volume ratio, allowing for better heat dissipation.

What are the Benefits of JarnisTech in Flexible PCBs?

The World’s Most Renowned Flex PCB Manufacturing Equipment: At Jarnistech, we have a wide range of world-class production equipment for Flex PCB fabrication that including Burkle laminate machines, HITACHI/HANS drill equipment, Command plating lines, PTH Lines and etc.

Offer Various Kinds of FPC: For example, single-sided flexible PCB, Double-sided flexible PCB, COB FPC(Roll to Roll FPC),  Multilayer flexible PCBs, rigid-flex PCBs and various other types of FPC.

Professionals and Seasoned Team: With than two decades of dedicated experience in producing Flexible PCBs we have established ourselves as a prominent player, in the industry. Our operations are backed by a team of specialists who excel in delivering dependable and top notch Flexible PCB solutions to our valued clients.

Quick Delivery: In order to reduce the delivery time, all of it is produced in one place using modern equipment. From raw materials copper plating, FPC production through final treatment of the surface OSP LF-HASL and Tin plating and so on. All of it is completed at our facility.

Great supply chain management for procurement We have reduced the cost of our PCB substrate which is flexible and costs for polyimide films by centralizing procurement and large-scale procurement.

Flex PCB Applications

A flex PCB is essentially identical to a non-flex PCB, except that the flexible PCB has a flexible base material for the circuit connection. This is particularly useful in products that will never be static devices. As flexible PCBs’ durability and size, as well as shrinking electronics’ sizes, a growing number of industries are adopting them. Some of these applications and industries include

Automotive: Since Automotive manufacturers are increasingly turning to electronic components, so circuits that can handle the vibrations and stresses inside the vehicle are more critical than ever. A flexible printed circuit board can be a valuable solution for the industry, providing a cost-effective yet durable option.

Consumer Electronics: Flexible PCBs are commonly employed in small electronic gadgets like tablets, cellphones and cameras, video recorders and other small gadgets available today. They can be carried or handled frequently, which makes the PCB’s flexibility to vibration and shock an important feature.

Applications of RF and Microwave and High-speed Digital: High-frequency signals are easily handled by flexible PCBs due to their reliability.

Industrial: Industrial electronics typically have to deal with huge amounts of stress and vibration therefore flexible PCBs equipped with anti-vibration and shock absorption capabilities are essential.

LED Industry: LED lighting is very popular nowadays, in both residential and commercial settings. It is because of LED technology’s remarkable power efficiency. Heat is usually the primary issue, but it can be mitigated by a flexible printed circuit board and its effective heat transfer properties.

Medical Systems: Electronic designs that are small and compact have become more crucial in the medical field and handheld surgical technology and electronic implants also increasing in popularity. Flexible PCBs are used in both instances, satisfying the requirements for durability and size of the surgical equipment and the flexibility required for implants.

Power Electronics: Additionally, flexible printed circuit boards have the advantage of being able to be combined with flexible, thin copper layers, which means they can take on higher power currents. This is particularly important for devices that require greater power to function at their maximum capacities, like those in the industry of power electronics.

Flexible printed circuit boards are able to solve the majority of issues that engineers face today. If you are now looking for a reliable circuit board manufacturer, it’s time to talk to us about flex PCBs. In addition, If you require one-sided flex boards and multi-layer boards, we will ensure that provide the highest quality of flexible PCB board for you.

Contact Us for a Custom Quote or Get More Information

To inquire about a Flex PCB prices request, please send us your quote request via the button below for us to receive your design files (Gerber format preferred preorder checklist) and your needs, we’ll provide the price for flexible PCBs on time. If you’d prefer to talk with us prior to placing an order, we are only one email or phone call away.

Specifications of Flexible PCB

As you initiate the design process for a flexible circuit, adherence to specific guides and specifications is of paramount importance. These specifications will help the designer of the flexible PCB in determining what should be included.

The Number of Layers: The varied assortment of flexible circuits calls for a judicious choice to secure a match with individual project requisites. Every version of these circuit boards boasts a unique layer structure, which can span from a singular layer to multiple layers. The decision regarding the apt number of layers—whether it’s one, two, or even more—is dependent on the explicit requirements and intricacies of your application.

Surface Finish: It comes in different forms. There is no particular surface finish for specific applications. In this way, you’re offered the option of choosing among the various surface finishes that are offered by the industry. Such as Gold, Immersion Tin, Immersion Silver, Hot Air Solder Level, Organic Coating OSP, Electrolytic tin plating, and many others.

Solder Mask: It is also known by the name of solder stop or solder resist. They come in various varieties. It’s essential to choose what solder mask kind you require and the location you’d like to use it or where you’ll need it.

It can be placed either on the two sides of the flexible PCB or only on just one side. The type of flex PCB FPC will also provide guidance on the best place for the solder mask to be located.

Copper Weight: The weight of the copper will be determined based on the project’s requirements, and this is important. Note that the flexibility may be compromised by copper’s weight. Thus, be sure that you do not compromise the design’s flexibility.

Spacing: The functionality of the design is substantially influenced by the aspect of spacing. If the spacing is excessively minimal, it could potentially undermine the function and result in a total circuit short-circuit. It’s essential to extend the specifications of the device in use as wide as feasible. As a result, overall device performance can be enhanced by augmenting its expansiveness.

Hole Sizes: It is recommended that the holes be tighter to avoid issues with drilling. This will ensure the mounted components on the substrate are tighter when the circuit flexes.

Testing Quality: Your design needs to go through this procedure. Tests of quality determine the quality of your design and how it will perform.

Quality Compliance: This will ensure that the design meets the quality standards established by different organizations. The main quality standards the design must meet are ISO and RoHS.

Conclusion

Now, we’re confident that your knowledge regarding flex circuits will be top-notch. You can now design your own circuits with the help of your supplier (JarnisTech). So, please contact us as soon as possible from today! You will get a free quote and good service for your Flex PCB Project.

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