Your Premier Flex PCB Assembly Manufacturer

PCBMay- The Ultimate Supplier of Flex PCB Assembly

We are a professional PCB assembly company since 2008. PCBMay is your primary source for flex PCB assembly. We distribute not only in China but also in all of the world’s major markets.

The PCBMay Flex PCB assembly is referring to as flexible circuit boards or FCBs. Flex boards will use as connectors or fully assembled circuits. And yes, it can withstand soldering heat; additionally, it can withstand much higher temperatures than rigid ones, depending on the type of film material used. But don’t worry PCBMay is here to help you.

PCBMay manufacture high-quality flex PCB assembly. Ensure you the best quality because we have the skilled engineers and technical team working with us for 20 years now. We guarantee you we can give you the best flex PCB assembly and other related products.

We deliver PCBMay flex PCB assembly worldwide. We receive a lot of positive feedback from our clients, both new and old, and they are always amazed by our craftsmanship; we have the best design team to ensure that you receive an excellent product.

As a leading flex PCB assembly company, we adhere to the ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2015 production process, REACH, and UL qualified. It’s no surprise that PCBMay is the best flex PCB assembly company you could ever trust.

You can order your customized flex PCB assembly for the lowest possible price. You are welcome to send us suggestions and inquiries about the Flex PCB assembly standard. We will respond immediately to your needs and ensure that your package is safely secured.

Choose PCBMay as your primary flex PCB assembly supplier for your business. We guarantee superior quality at an affordable price.

Enquire now for your next Flex PCB assembly!

Flex PCB Assembly – The Ultimate FAQ Guide

A flexible PCB assembly is something you’re interested in upgrading?

Are you planning to install rigid and flexible parts on the PCBs?

Well, we’ve got all your questions answered!

In the following guide, we have gathered some reasoning questions to solve all your queries.

Let’s get right to it:

What Is A Flex PCB Assembly?

A flex PCB assembly is the most common type of printed circuit board assembly made rigid along with the flex materials on the other side.

It is known as the most patterned arrangement of the circuit boards and components made up of flexible made materials.

The flexible materials used in the construction of the flex PCB assembly are available with or without flexible coverlay.

You can fabricate all the flexible electronic assemblies with the help of components that are made up of rigid printed circuits.

All types of flexible circuit boards can conform to the desired shape during their application in different electric appliances.

The cost of flex PCB assembly is slightly higher than the rigid PCB circuits because of the complexity of extensive materials and processes involved in its manufacturing process.

However, the manufacturing steps of flexible circuits of PCB are the same as that of rigid PCB board circuits.

The flexible circuits of PCB use stiffeners to make them slightly rigid, enabling them to work as a stable component in electrical devices.

Flex PCB Assembly

How Are Flex PCB Assembly Made?

The manufacturing process of flex PCB assembly are listed as under:

• Introduction to Material Handling

The first step in manufacturing flexible PCB circuits is material handling since it determines the high production part yield rate and finishing of the manufactured circuits.

Handling of the flexible PCB circuits involves the production of scrap material and coping up with reliability issues.

All thin materials are equipped with a particular type of instrument to transport without damaging them.

• Pad Plating

The second step in the manufacturing of flexible PCB circuits is evaluating how and where copper must be plated on the parts of the circuits. Thus, the Pad Plating method is used in this step.

The pad plating method corresponds to the placement of copper in the holes and similar circular areas surrounding the circuits’ parts. No additional copper is placed in this step.

It is the most crucial step because any plated copper on the flex circuit can decline the flexibility of the circuit.

• Polyimide Coverlay Manufacturing

Cover lays the solid sheets of Polyimide, which are available with adhesive backing. These coverings are used to expose the SMT or PTH pads in the circuits.

Thus, the CNC knife cutting method is used to manufacture the polyimide coverlay. After the manufacturing of Polyimide, they are positioned and laminated with the help of heat and pressure.

Many other manufacturing rules are also included in this step, such as the feature size, shape of the board, and configuration.

• Determination of Material Dimensional Tolerances

All types of flexible PCB circuits are thinner than rigid boards and are available with no reinforcement. The thin layer of the flexible PCB circuits results in the dimensional stability of the materials.

Thus, stable materials are needed for tooling or registration systems. In this step, all flexible materials will shrink when exposed to moisture or heat.

Experts suggest using the smaller production of the panel sizes compared to the dimensions involved in mitigating material stability in rigid PCB boards.

• Laser Profile Cutting

It is a crucial method involved in cutting the polyimide materials with a laser. The primary reason for adopting this step is to ensure the accuracy of the complex profile.

Besides laser technology, the routing method is also used to limit the profiles’ complexity, resulting in the ragged part’s edge.

However, the laser cutting method will leave a small amount of carbon residue on the circuit parts, but the IPC standards deem these carbon residues.

• Plasma Desmear

The complex designs of flexible PCBs need an impressive desmear process and etch-back steps to ensure the reliability of the plated holes and inner layer interconnects.

Etch back process is mainly used on rigid and flexible boards. This process causes inconsistent results in the finished parts of the PCB board circuits.

After plasma desmear, plasma etch back is used to prefer the production of high-quality PCB circuit boards.

Manufacturing of Flex PCB Assembly

What Are Flex PCB Assembly Used In?

The flex PCB assembly is used in the following devices:

• They are used in industrial equipment to operate the stressful conditions
• These PCB circuits are used to improve the flexibility of the machinery design
• They are used in the radio frequency communication technology
• FlexPCB assemblies are used in the power distribution control circuits
• They are used in the aerospace devices
• The consumer electronics work with the flexible circuits of PCBs
• Medical devices contain flexible PCB assembly
• All industrial devices and tools include flexible models of PCB circuits.

Uses of Flexible PCBs

How Do I Order a Flex PCB Assembly?

You can order the Flex PCB assembly by following the given steps:

• Choose the Right Manufacturer

The first step in ordering the flex PCB assembly is choosing the most reliable and efficient manufacturer to meet your standards.

Once you figure out everything about the manufacturer, make sure to contact them through their website.

• Pick the Best Option

The manufacturer will have the options for both flexible and rigid models of PCB. Thus, try to enter the price parameters for your needs.

Add the flexible mode of PCB to your cart at PCBMay and complete the audit to generate the order.

• Communicate the Support Team

Before finalizing the order, try to communicate with the manufacturer’s support team to get a brief insight into the specifications of flex PCB assembly.

You can contact the support team through the provided email or phone number.

• Confirm the Production

The complex manufacturing process of flex PCB assembly requires longer durations for the manufacturer to produce them.

Thus, ask the manufacturer about the exact time duration of the generation of flexible circuits of PCBs.

• Get an Instant Quote

Once you have finalized everything about the flex PCB assembly, it’s time to get an instant quote. Fill in all parameters that you need to evaluate the price and shipping fee of the model.

After selecting the quote, make sure to choose the proper audit to complete the payment order.

Order a Flex PCB

How Thick Is A Flex PCB?

A flex PCB has a thickness ranging from 0.05mm to 0.8mm.

However, different layers present in the flex section of PCB have different thickness levels.

The lower thickness of the flexible models of PCBs as compared to the rigid PCBs has enabled them to be used in many essential appliances.

This lower thickness level also improves the working efficiency of the flexible circuit boards of PCBs.

There are also multilayer flexible circuit boards of PCB which have more thickness than the estimated value.

Thickness of Flexible PCB

What Is Material Used In Flex PCB Assembly?

The following materials are used in the Flex PCB assembly are listed as under:

• Ordinary Film Substrate

The most basic material used in constructing the flexible models of PCBs is the common film substrate because it provides the best conductor carrier capacity to the circuit board.

It also acts as an insulator between the circuits. Besides insulation, it also makes it easy for the manufacturers to bend or curl the PCB.

• Polyimide Substrate

Another substrate film present in the flexible models of PCBs is the polyimide substrate. It remains flexible even after thermosetting. Thus it increases the flexibility of the circuit.

However, the PI film is not efficiently resistant to humidity and tears, but now the upgraded PI film helps in its mitigation.

• Adhesive Base

In addition to all these materials, the flexible models of PCBs require an adhesive or a particular type of base that attaches its different layers.

The manufacturers have now issued an adhesiveness PI that connects copper without any adhesive material to cope with this need.

Material Used In Flex PCB

What Is The Structure Of Flex PCB Assembly?

The structure of the flex PCB Assembly consists of the following materials.

• Insulating Substrate Material

This material is used with the flexible insulating film between the two layers of the flexible circuit board of PCB. Insulating substrate material acts as the primary carrier with all its mechanical and electrical performance.

• Adhesive

Many substrate materials are used as the primary adhesive to attach copper layers to the circuit. The use of adhesive eliminates the need for other adhesive materials.

• Metal Conductor Layer (Copper Foil)

A thin copper foil is integrated between the different layers of flexible circuit boards of PCB. The copper foil acts as the substantial conductor layer between the parts of the PCB.

• Cover Layer

The cover layer in the flexible models of PCB is made up of the highest quality of Polyimide integrated with the layers of flexible adhesive. This cover layer plays the role of the solder mask.

In addition to the structural parts of the flexible circuit board of PCB, there are the following types of PCB flexible models.

• Single-Side Flexible PCB

This type of flexible circuit of PCB has a simple structure and can easily be fabricated.

• Double-Sided Flexible PCB

It compromises a complex structure and offers many control difficulties.

• Multi-Layer Flexible PCB

This type of flexible circuit board in PCB has a complex structure compared to single and double-layered PCBs.

Some other types of PCBs based on the structural differences are:

• Single-side rigid-flex PCB
• Double-side rigid-flex PCB
• Multi-layer rigid-flex PCB

Structure Of Flex PCB

What Is The Flex PCB Assembly Process?

The Flex PCB Assembly process is divided into two types:

• Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Assembly

In this flex PCB assembly process, all parts of the flexible model of PCB are mounted directly on the surface of the flex or rigid-flex circuits,

This method is now known as the best alternative to the assembly processes of flexible circuit boards of PCB.

• Through-Hole Assembly

Compared to the surface mount technology (SMT) assembly, the through-hole assembly corresponds with the connection of components by soldering wire leads.

The wire leads are embedded into the holes of the circuit board. This method is generally performed manually.

Some other potential flex PCB assembly methods include:

• Flip Chip Assembly Method
• Ultrasonic Welding
• Wire Harness
• In-circuit Testing
• X-Ray Inspection
• Pressure Sensitive Adhesives (PSAs)

Regardless of all the above-mentioned assembly processes for flexible circuit boards of PCB, the general steps of assembly are listed as under:

• Packaging
• BOM Preparation
• Flex PCB Baking
• Silkscreen Printing
• Mounting
• Electrical Test
• Optical Inspection
• Reflow Soldering
• Inspection
• Punching
• FQC
• Warehouse

Assembling Process Of Flex PCB

What Are The Properties Of Flexible PCB Assembly?

The properties of flexible PCB assembly are listed as under:

• Deformation from Flexible PCB to Rigid PCB

The flexible circuit boards of PCB are directly assembled on the SMT manufacturing line. Thus, to ensure the correct flex PCB Assembly, make sure about the flatness and accuracy of the bard carrier.

In addition to this, the positioning and consistency of the board carrier improve the quality of the PCB circuits.

• A large Number of Panels

They are mainly used to miniaturize electronic products, including all cell phones and digital cameras.

Moreover, it works with a low number of components in a single circuit board. It improves the assembly and efficiency of the panels.

• Low Density

The low density of the flexible circuits of PCB is supported by the availability of a low number of components on the board.

There are only two types of connectors that work with not more than 50 components.

• High Product Quality

The repetitive bending and control accuracy of PCB circuit boards meet the demands of their applications in the environment.

The high-quality cleanliness and anti-static precautions, and soldering reliability is ensured in the flexible models of the PCB as compared to the rigid PCBs.

• High Assembly Cost

The cost of the flex PCB assembly is a bit higher than the rigid types of PCBs because of a wide range of fixture applications.

In addition to the application fixtures, the more extended manufacturing and low equipment utilization rates are responsible for high assembly costs.

Properties Of Flexible PCB Assembly

What Are The Different Types Of PCB Assembly?

The different types of PCB assembly are listed as under:

• Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Assembly

This assembly process corresponds with the direct mounting of the components on the surface of the rigid-flex circuit.

• Through-Hole Assembly

This assembly process is related to the use of soldering wire leads into the holes of the circuit board. It is the manual process for assembling flexible circuit boards of PCB.

• Flip Chip Assembly

In this assembly method, the components are directly bonded to the substrate of the flexible circuit board of PCB.

• Ultrasonic Welding

The ultrasonic welding works by producing a weld by the local application of high-frequency vibratory energy.

• Wire Harness

It uses the cable harness or wiring assembly for producing the systematic and integrated arrangement of cables within the circuit.

• In-Circuit Testing

This testing method is used to carry out electrical probe tests of the populated printed circuit board for eliminating the causes of short circuits.

• X-Ray Inspection

This inspection method is used to identify the corrosion under insulation by using the non-destructive inspection method of radiography.

• Pressure Sensitive Adhesives (PSAs)

These adhesives temporarily arrange the PCB components by holding them in the gaskets in the right position.

Different Types Of PCB Assembly

Why Is Flex PCB Assembly More Costly Than Rigid One?

Flex PCB circuit boards are more costly than rigid ones because of their wide range of applications of fixtures.

The longer manufacturing process and hefty assembling of the flexible circuit models of PCB are some of the substantial factors that impact the higher cost of the flexible circuits of PCB as compared to the rigid models.

Another factor responsible for the higher manufacturing costs of flexible PCB circuits is the increased demands of accessories and staff.

The manual production and assembly of the PCBs need higher costs for the flexible models.

You can explore the options available at PCBMay to get the premium quality of flexible PCB models.

They make sure to stand rightly on all manufacturing standards to construct flexible PCBs.

What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Flex PCBs?

The advantages and disadvantages of a flexible type of PCB are given as under:

Advantages of Flexible PCB

• They can be bent or shaped according to the type of device
• They can be twisted in a wide range of configurations like the rigid types of PCBs
• It is also possible to make the stacked configurations of a flexible kind of PCB
• The installation process of flex PCB is pretty easy
• Higher flexible applications include the single-sided flexible structures of PCB
• They don’t need connectors or wire harnesses to install or assemble
• They meet dynamic requirements of flexing
• Flexible models of PCBs increase the reliability and repeatability of the device.
• They can withstand a wide range of temperature
• They improve the aesthetics of the device
• They are responsible for uniform providing the electrical for high-speed circuitry.

Disadvantages of Flexible PCB

• They have a higher cost of production and assembly as compared to the rigid ones.
• They have a poor utilization of panel
• They come with a high probability of damages
• They are tough to handle
• The assembly process of flexible models of PCB is quite complex
• They are difficult to repair when damaged

What Are The Relevant Certifications Of Flex PCB Assembly Manufacturers?

The relevant certifications of flex PCB Assembly manufacturers are given as under:

• ISO 9001:2008 Standards

This quality certification for the manufacturers of flex PCB Assembly is used to specify the quality management at the manufacturing place.

Besides quality management, this certification is also required for contractual purposes.

• UL Standards

These certifications correspond with the extensive safety of the UL and scientific expertise.

It is regarded as the essential quality-relevant certificate in the US and Canada.

• IPC-A-600G Class 1 and 2 Classifications

IPC standards are commonly regarded as the essential requirement that is used to build quality electronic products.

This certificate is related to providing public advocacy and market research to the manufacturers.

• ISO 90001:2015

This quality certification is required for demonstrating the consistent production of reliable products that meet customer demands.

This certificate is also related to meeting the statutory and regulatory requirements in the manufacturing of flex PCB Assembly.

PCBMay is one of those Chinese manufacturers that fulfill all the quality and safety standards while producing flexible PCB circuits.

What Are Heavy Copper Flex Circuit Boards?

Heavy copper flex circuit boards are defined as the particular type of PCB that contains 3 ounces of copper in outer or inner layers.

They are considered the most common types of circuit boards because of their thermal management capabilities.

The integration of heavy copper in the circuit boards keeps all inner components cool and improves their performance.

Heavy Copper Flex Circuit Boards

What Are Double-Sided & Multi-Layer Flex PCBs?

The double-sided flex PCB comes with two conductive layers made up of copper.

These two conductive layers are insulated with the help of a polyimide material present between the external insulating layers.

The circuit connection in the double-sided PCBs is provided with the through-holes.

The multi-Layer flex circuit of PCBs contains more than three layers of conductive materials.

They have flexible insulating layers between the inner and outer polyimide insulating layers.

The circuit connection in multi-layer flex PCBs is also supported with through-holes.

Double-Sided & Multi-Layer Flex PCBs

What Are The Requirements For Flex PCB Assembly Outsourcing?

The requirements of Flex PCB assembly outsourcing are listed as under:

• Availability of the Bill of Materials
• No contradiction of BOM with the manufacturing process
• Fulfillment of all anti-static requirements
• Orientation of the component appearance marking
• Compliance of the soldering in the manufacturing of flexible PCB

What Are Flexible PCB Assembly Soldering Requirements?

The flexible PCB Assembly soldering requirements are explained as under:

• Suitable height of the solder joint required for the tin penetration
• The conical shape of the entire covering pad
• The soldering surface must be smooth and bright
• The soldering joint must be equipped with thoroughly wetted pads and pins
• There should be no spikes or barbs on the cross-sectional area of flexible circuits of PCB
• The welding must be needle-based

 What Are Flex PCB Assembly Production Equipment?

The flex PCB assembly production elements are listed as under:

• Solder paste printer
• Pick and place machine
• Reflow soldering
• AOI detector
• Component trimming machine
• Wave soldering
• Tin furnace
• Cleaning machine
• ICT Test Fixture
• FCT Test Fixture
• Aging Test Frame