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Flex Circuit Manufacture - the classification and the essential components

Flex circuits, flexible electronics or flex circuit boards have been defined by Institute of Printed Circuits as “patterned arrangement of printed wiring utilizing a flexible base material with or without flexible cover layers". It is a technology that brings together electronic circuits through setting up of electronic components with high-performance, flexible base materials.

Flex Circuit Manufacture – the essentials

The ability to successfully manufacture complex, integrated flexible interconnect is driven by a number of elements. Following are some of the essentials in flex circuit manufacturing.

The classifications

Flex Circuits are classified into three categories, depending on the frequency of flexing in its lifetime:

• Bend and stay – flex circuit that is intended to be flexed occasionally while being assembled.

• Flexible Circuit – one that is designed to be flexed some hundred times within its life.

• Dynamic Flex – flexible circuit that would flex many thousand times in its lifetime.

All the above varieties of flex circuits have different design connotations. A flex circuit can be Single-sided, dual access double-sided, rigid-flex multilayer or multilayered.

Materials used

A flex circuit manufacturing process utilizes plastic substrates like polyimide (PI), polyethylene naphthalene (PEN) and polyester (PET). Other materials used are gold, constantan, beryllium copper, and stainless steel in addition to various metal foils.

Printed wiring can be done using silver conductive-ink or engraved in roll-annealed copper (RA) or high-elongation copper (ED).

Flex circuits – the uses are aplenty

Improved Dependability

Even though, flexible electronic assemblies are developed using common components used in PCB circuits, however, the substrates used are much flexible in nature. Elimination of wiring inaccuracies and interconnection points by the use of track routing and rigid-flex multilayer circuits, render much needed dependability to the flex circuits.

Portability

As flex circuits can be bent in three dimensions, they can be easily installed in space-choked devices.

Joining of moving Components

Most consistent way to join moving components is through utilizing dynamic flex circuit. It is very useful for joining flexures in millions.

Weight

Due to its lightness and thinness in comparison to standard inflexible boards, electronic devices developed using flex circuits are lighter by 75%.

Easy integration with SMDs

Surface Mount Devices (SMDs) can be effortlessly bonded with flex circuits.

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