flex PCBs enable advancements in soft robotics
If you’re a consumer of electronic devices, you might have noticed that they have been getting smaller and more compact over the years. This is due to innovation in PCB design and fabrication that enables small, lightweight devices that are more efficient than ever before. One of the biggest challenges that robotics engineers face when designing a robot is balancing rigid structural elements with a flexible body. Typically, this means choosing materials that can adapt to different environments and circumstances. However, these materials must still be able to support the various motors, actuators, sensors, and controls that power a robot.
Flex circuits can address this challenge by providing the flexible body for a device while maintaining the rigidity required for its operation and ensuring that components are properly supported. Flexible circuits can also be affixed to a wide range of surface shapes, which isn’t possible with standard rigid PCBs.
The most common flex pcb in use today are based on a woven fiberglass impregnated with epoxy resins, and they’re called rigid printed circuit boards (RPCBs). These have reasonable elasticity, but they’re not flexible enough to handle continuous movement or to accommodate the shape of a soft, nonrigid robot.
How do flex PCBs enable advancements in soft robotics?
In contrast, a flex circuit is made of flexible plastics that can be bended or flexed without damage to the conductor pattern. The substrate is often a polyimide material, which is extremely tough and incredibly heat resistant, making it highly tolerant of solder reflow cycles. It is also a good choice for applications that require a circuit board that can withstand high temperatures or resistance to harsh environmental conditions.
A flex circuit may be constructed with either double or single-sided conductor layers. Depending on design requirements, these conductor layers can be connected by plated through holes or by a series of printed insulating layers. Double-access flex circuits are constructed with conductor patterns that can be accessed from either side, while single-access flex is limited to the top and bottom sides of the completed board.
Multilayer flex circuits consist of three or more conductive layers separated by printed insulating layers. They can be fabricated with or without plated through holes, though they’re most commonly produced with the plated through hole variations. The layers are laminated together with a protective coverlayer of polyimide on both sides of the finished circuit.
A flex circuit can be designed with a variety of different connections and connectors, including crimped contacts, ZIF connectors, direct soldering, and more. It can even be affixed to a rigid body with a special epoxy or hot-melt glue that provides mechanical reinforcement and dynamic adaptability. In addition, it can be integrated with a rigid body to remove the need for external connectors or cabling, reducing manufacturing costs and assembly time. For more information on how flex circuits can benefit your next project, talk with an expert at PCBway. We can help you choose the right flex PCB for your application and provide you with a detailed calculator to determine how much it will cost to manufacture.