Proven Rigid-Flex PCB Manufacturer
Rigid flex circuit boards offer strength and high-speed capabilities while enabling space and weight savings in your device design. They eliminate the need for connectors and harnesses and take reliability to a whole new level by eliminating heat brought on by those additional components.
Rigid-flex PCBs require a different fabrication process than traditional rigid printed circuit boards and are best suited for high-quality manufacturing from an experienced rigid flex pcb manufacturer. To ensure the success of your project, you need to work with a PCB supplier that is fully committed to ensuring the highest quality rigid-flex board fabrication and assembly processes.
A reliable rigid-flex PCB manufacturer will follow established industry standards and guidelines that help to guarantee the integrity of the board. These guidelines include printed circuit board (PCB) design, rigid-flex PCB compliance, and rigid-flex PCB assembly. Adherence to these guidelines allows manufacturers to produce quality, high-performance rigid-flex PCBs that meet the rigorous specifications of many industries.
Streamlining Production With a Proven Rigid-Flex PCB Manufacturer
The rigid-flex PCB fabrication process begins with the etching of both sides of the laminate. This is accomplished by either dipping the laminate in an etch bath or spraying an etching solution onto the surface of the laminate. Once the etching process is complete, the circuit pattern is mechanically drilled using precision drilling systems or techniques. The copper plating process follows, depositing the required amount of copper on each pad and via pattern to establish the electrical connection between rigid-flex layers. The cover lay application is followed by lamination, applying the proper amount of heat, pressure, and vacuum to achieve proper adhesion. Localized stiffeners are also applied where necessary.
Unlike rigid printed circuit boards, rigid-flex PCBs are manufactured using a combination of materials including polyimide and copper. During the manufacturing process, a rigid-flex PCB is inspected to ensure that all of the bare copper and polyimide layers have been properly plated. If the rigid-flex PCB meets all of these requirements, it is ready to undergo a final inspection and testing process. During the final inspection and testing stage, a rigid-flex PCB must meet IPC-ET-652 electrical performance and quality guidelines.
To ensure your rigid-flex PCB production goes smoothly, you need to partner with a reliable manufacturer who can deliver consistent quality and a quick turnaround on orders. A reliable manufacturer will provide a single, streamlined process for ordering rigid-flex boards that will eliminate the need to submit individual order requests for each layer of your design.
The best way to streamline the ordering process is to utilize a robust PCB design software that can define a rigid-flex stackup and support both rigid and flexible parts of your PCB design. The complete set of CAD features and automated drawing tools within Altium Designer(r) can simplify this task and make it easier to prepare your PCB for fabrication and assembly. Start your free trial of Altium Designer + Altium 365(tm) today and see how easy it is to create, share, and release your designs for rigid-flex manufacturing.