 Flexible PCBs, or a multilayer flex rigid circuit, are used to mechanically support and electronically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, or traces, etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate.
A multilayer flex rigid circuit provide many advantages over usual rigid boards. Firstly, there is more design freedom, with the most immediate effects being on the design of the package for various different applications.
Another advantage of the multilayer flex rigid circuit over usual rigid designs is that flexible circuits can fit into tight spaces as they are malleable. This means that they can bend, twist, fold, change in width many times and even flex from a rolled configuration. This means that the designer has the freedom to relocate other parts and subassemblies where they will optimise circuit and equipment operation. The designer is no longer restricted by the space taken up by bulky rigid boards.
Simplifying circuit geometry and placing surface mount devices directly on the circuit can also assist in improving the circuit design. Intricate patterns that would be difficult to build into a rigid board connector pins can easily be designed into the design of a flexible circuit board. Therefore, a much more complex circuit can be achieved in a much tidier space.
As flexible circuits can be bent, twisted and rolled in order to suit the contour of the equipment application, designers can take advantage of space savings of up to 75%.
The larger surface-to-volume ratio of flexible circuits also allows increased heat dissipation and lighter current capacity. Denser device populations and lighter conductors can be designed into a product, thus freeing up space for additional product features.
Even if the flexible circuit board is used as a flat board, flexible circuit boards save space, with a flexible board being anything up to 58 mils thinner than a rigid board. The raw materials of the flexible circuit board make for a weight saving of up to 70% when compared to the rigid board.
In an age where new products increasingly depend on space and weight saving techniques, more and more products are taking advantage of the flexible PCBs.
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