Rigid-Flex circuit boards Design

Flexible circuit board technology was initially developed for the space program to save space and weight. They are popular today as they not only save space and weight – making them ideal for portable devices such as mobile phones and tablets – they can also: reduce packaging complexity by substantially reducing the need for interconnect wiring; improve product reliability due to reduced interconnection hardware and improved assembly yields; and reduce cost, when considered as part of the overall product manufacture and assembly costs.

The biggest problem with designing rigid-flex hybrid PCBs is making sure everything will fold in the right way while maintaining good flex-circuit stability and lifespan. The next big problem to solve is the conveyance of the design to a fabricator who will clearly understand the design intent and therefore produce exactly what the designer/engineer intended.

Rigid-Flex circuit boards require additional cutting and lamination stages, and more exotic materials in manufacturing, and therefore the cost of re-spins and failures are very much higher than traditional rigid boards. To reduce the risk and costs associated with rigid-flex design and prototyping, it is desirable to model the flexible parts of the circuit in 3D CAD to ensure correct form and fit. In addition, it is necessary to provide absolutely clear documentation for manufacturing to the fabrication and assembly houses.

C-Alley engineering team offers full flex and rigid-flex circuit boards design services. During our application review and quoting process, we carefully examined specifications, materials, and construction in order to minimize and eliminate any technical issues.

We also look for areas of opportunity for improving the design of your flex or rigid-flex circuit’s reliability, and functionality. Cost reductions are also identified to generate an accurate quote that is based on a manufacturable, reliable, and cost-effective design.