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Flex & Rigid-Flex PCBs Explained

Exception PCB explains flex and rigid-flex PCB construction, their applications across aerospace, medical and consumer electronics, and how our dedicated flex manufacturing team supports complex builds and fast turnaround.

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At Exception PCB, we are supporting a growing number of customers making the move to flexible construction. This post covers what flex and rigid-flex PCBs are, where they are used, and why more engineers and design teams are specifying them.

What is a Rigid-Flex PCB?

A rigid flex Printed Circuit Board (PCB) is a hybrid circuit board design that integrates elements from both rigid board and flexible circuits.

What is a Flex PCB?

A Flex Printed Circuit Board (PCB) is a patterned arrangement of printed circuitry and components that utilises flexible base material with or without flexible coverlay. They are designed using the same components as rigid printed circuit boards.

Where are Rigid Flex PCBs found?

Rigid-Flex PCBs are found in wide range of electronic equipment, including mobile phones, digital cameras and can also be found in medical devices such as Pacemakers. Rigid-flex does not just optimise the space and weight but greatly improves reliability.

Where are Flex PCBs found?

Flex PCBs can be found in portable electronic devices, hard disk drives and printers and many industries including Communications, Aerospace and automotive.

What are the benefits of Rigid Flex and Flex PCBs?

  • Decrease necessary assembly operations
  • Fewer solder joints ensuring higher connection reliability
  • Space requirements can be minimised by applying 3D
  • Survive high levels of shock and vibration
  • Lightweight and compact
  • It can withstand extreme levels of temperature due to exceptional thermal stability of flex polyimide material
  • Can be bended and flexed, allowing greater freedom in the design and operation of the application
  • Can adapt to small or irregular shaped spaces.

Exception PCB has in place a dedicated Flexible manufacturing team. The Flexible team now allows all variants of Flex & Flex-rigid to be manufacturer both well within industry lead-times and to a very high quality.

Exception PCB manufactures Flex-Rigid circuits using single laminate or complex builds, down to  76µm Track & Gap and also offers the incorporation of HDI technology (100µm Via, we were one of the first in Europe to offer this on Flex product).

Our Flex Team are currently involved with customer projects and are using their expertise to improve circuit integrity, reducing further lead-times and driving down cost.

Here at Exception PCB we have a dedicated CAM Engineers for Flex & Flex-Rigid technologies to minimise tooling time and increase further the support and feedback to design authorities.

If you require further assistance, then please don’t hesitate to contact our team.

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