Your Quintessential PCB Stiffener Manufacturer and Supplier in China

PCBMay PCB Stiffener

Seeking a high-conditioned PCB stiffener for your devices is tranquil if you have PCBMay as your top resource. In China, PCBMay is the most trusted and well-respected company specializing in manufacturing and supplying printed circuit board components, including the circuit board stiffener. We can recommend you the most versatile PCB stiffener to fully support your electronic and automotive installations. 

Since its establishment, we centrally focus on innovating and developing the high up-gradation of PCB stiffeners. We take up the broadest workshop areas that cover 8 000 square meters and gather the 500+ veteran PCB engineers and designers. PCBMay gives an immense contribution in shaping the development of the electro-automotive field.

PCB stiffener is not the electrical piece of PCB, but it is a material used to add mechanical support to all parts of PCB. It gives the board a stable feature that makes interconnecting the solder or PCB components to the stiffer region.  

PCB Stiffener Major Feature:

• Increases bond strength 
• Increases overall thickness in your flex circuits in the particular areas
• Constraining the bend areas to the preset position
• Meets the essentiality of ZIF socket and connector 
• Strengthen the specific areas of the PCB
• Supports the PCB components and connectors
• Solder resistance 
• Hole Patterns
• Heat Dissipation
• Die attaches to the platform for wire components bonding

Each of our printed circuit board stiffeners originally comes from the idea of our elite professional engineers and teams. It comes from thorough research and planning before it is handed over to processing steps. All of our PCB stiffeners have unique structural characteristics that make them compatible with all system applications.

The Advantages of Using PCB Stiffener:

• It ables to strengthen and reinforce the soldering joints 
• Increases the abrasion resistance
• Useful for strain relief
• Better handling of the PCB
• Pick-and-place automated processes
• Protects the components and connector that attaches to the board

The proper way of using PCB stiffeners is to make it possible to maintain the regular and constant operation of your system software. To ensure the quality stability of our PCB stiffener, our company only uses those high-standard materials, which includes the following:

• FR4
• Aluminum
• Stainless Steel
• Polyimide

PCBMay helps you to look for your desired PCB stiffener. We are happy to serve you more than we can do. As an ISO-certified company, we promise nothing but to give you excellent and satisfying products. 

As one of the best PCB companies, we take quality as our first principle and our customers’ foremost priority. We bring all our products into quality testing to satisfy your expectations, including BGA, SPI, X-RAY, AOI, THT, SMT, FCT, ICT, and other testing. We provide schematic samples in each of our PCB stiffeners and other PCB products for your additional references. 

What is more interesting in PCBMay is, we cannot manufacture and supply any defective PCB product to our customer, but those products that centrally guided the IP class 2 and 3 surveillance. We entertain to transact a bulk of your PCB stiffener orders and urgently deliver it to your designated address without experiencing any flaws and delays. 

Do you need any PCB design, layout, manufacture, and assembly services? Try to visit PCBMay’s official website, or you can even contact the PCBMay hotline to have an insight into our production services!

PCB Stiffener: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

Are you working with a flexible PCB but for certain reasons, you want some portion of your PCB to remain stiff?

In that case, you need to provide mechanical support to those parts of your PCB.

You can do so by employing a PCB Stiffener for your usage.

What is a PCB Stiffener?

PCB stiffeners are often not included as an integral component of the PCB design.

Generally, they are only utilized to give mechanical stability to certain areas of the board.

PCB stiffeners are a common need in many flexes circuit designs as they are used in the PCB assembly process.

They provide a variety of functions, ranging from reinforcing certain areas of the PCB to facilitate the easier operation of the board.

It is primarily a method of making a PCB sturdier so that it can withstand the requirements imposed on it during the manufacturing process as well as its usage.

PCB Stiffener

What are the Different Types of PCB Stiffeners?

The different kinds of PCB Stiffeners include:

• Double-Sided PCB
• Electric Single-Sidedutilize PCB Stiffener
• Flexible PCB 
• Jumper Tape Cable printed circuit baord Stiffener
• Micro Layer PCB
• Rigid-Flex PCB 
• Multi-Layer PCB
• Etching Flex PCB Stiffener
• Mechanical Display PCB Stiffener
• Electronic PCB Stiffener

Rigid-flex PCB stiffener

What are the Features of a PCB Stiffener?

The best PCB Stiffeners possess the ability to be curved, twisted, and curled, as this ensures that they can adapt to any surface that they are applied on.

A PCB Stiffener is resistant to wear and cracking; hence, it may undoubtedly improve the functioning of your flexible PCB.

It is also particularly intended for solder joint strengthening, in addition to the other features listed above.

Using a PCB stiffener on a PCB assembly may help to avoid drooping and generating electric shorts amongst the circuit boards.

They increase the rigidity of the circuit board, allowing you to reduce vibrations across the board and keeping it firmly intact while soldering and other processes.

They utilize a ZIF connector. When using a ZIF connector, there is no need for a corresponding connector on the flex PCB, which helps to reduce weight and save space.

Zero insertion force operation

What is a PCB Busbar?

PCB stiffeners and PCB busbar might often get a bit difficult to distinguish.

You need to keep in mind that every PCB busbar is also a PCB stiffener; however, not every PCB Stiffener can be considered a PCB Busbar.

There is only one distinguishing factor that sets them apart.

A dielectric coating is applied to the busbar of a PCB.

It has the ability to conduct electricity.

The majority of them are made of brass or copper, incorporating a number of different layers.

Bus bar embedded PCB

What are the Advantages that PCB Stiffeners Offer?

The advantages of PCB Stiffeners are as follows:

• They are capable of reinforcing solder connections.
• They greatly improve abrasion resistance.
• They enable improved handling of the circuit board.
• They allow automated component positioning and soldering processes.
• They provide a strong bond force and superior solder resistance.
• The polyimide stiffener makes it possible for the flex circuit connector fingers to be inserted quickly and easily.
• They offer flat and adequate support for the flex PCB.

What is a PCB Stiffener Used for?

The main purpose of a PCB Stiffener is to support certain portions of a printed circuit board in order to make it more sturdy and robust so that components may be readily added to the board or soldered to it.

They are also intended to serve as a heat sink, thus reducing the amount of heat generated by other components.

It is also useful for straightening a deformed board or just adding additional support in a fragile region.

A PCB Stiffener seeks to enhance the radius of curvature of the PCB at the point where the rigid and flex parts come into contact with each other.

This will reduce the load build-up on certain parts of the flex PCB.

An additional use for a PCB Stiffener in a flex PCB is for the establishment of bending restrictions.

This is beneficial to avoid accidental bending in certain regions of the flex PCB when it is under operation.

This may be caused by the PCB components themselves, or by their location in the system, or by any design implication.

Furthermore, bending restrictions are also necessary to avoid cracks in the conductor layers which could occur as a consequence of sudden bends.

What is a Flex Stiffener?

Flexible PCBs offer many benefits, including the ability to adapt, curl, and compress.

It is, however, difficult to add equipment and interlinks to these boards by soldering them on.

Hence, you may use a Flex PCB Stiffener in order to increase the stability and rigidity of a portion of the board, making it simpler to attach components and interlinks to the board.

An FPC stiffener is a stiffener that is connected to the main or secondary side of a flexible printed circuit board.

In the stiffened portion of a flex PCB, the mechanical properties are identical to those of a rigid PCB.

Upon comparison with the Flex PCB as a whole, the components and connections in the stiffened portion are more securely fastened.

Flex PCB Stiffener

When Should You Attach a PCB Stiffener to a PCB?

Stiffeners are needed in the following situations:

• When the components of a PCB are positioned in a flexible area.
• The load of the components that are positioned in this flexible area puts strain on the material.
• It is necessary to create a smooth and firm surface on the flex PCB in order to accommodate the installation of surface mount technology(SMT) pads components on it.
• A PCB Stiffener would be required for connectors that need repeated insertions in order to minimize the stress placed on the pads.

Attaching PCB stiffener to a flex PCB

How can You Attach a PCB Stiffener to a PCB?

There are two primary techniques for attaching PCB stiffeners to a flexible PCB. You can either employ thermal bonding or pressure-sensitive adhesives for attaching a PCB Stiffener.

Thermal bonding employs heat and pressure in order to adhere PCB stiffeners to the flex PCB.

Whereas the PSA method employs only pressure for attaching a PCB Stiffener to a Flex PCB.

Thermal bonding offers a much stronger bond as compared to the PSA method.

Thermal bonding is usually utilized for PCBs employed for military application, and in Avionics, etc.

The PSA method is usually utilized for PCBs employed for consumer electronics such as TV, laptops, etc.

The PSA method is more pocket-friendly as compared to thermal bonding.

What are the Materials Used in the Production of a PCB Stiffener?

The most commonly used materials used in the production of a PCB Stiffener are as follows:

• FR4 Stiffeners

FR4 stiffeners are often used to stabilize connectors.

A layer of FR4 may be applied on the area of a Flex PCB where a heavy connector is located in order to provide stability and avoid harm to the copper traces.

The stiffener sustains the connector weight and prevents folding or twisting in that section.

Bending the circuit board without the use of FR-4 stiffeners would very certainly result in the solder joints cracking or otherwise being damaged.

It is essential to enlarge the stiffener holes by about 0.15mm on each side in order to avoid hole misalignment.

• Polyimide Stiffeners

The most popular material for PCB Stiffener used beneath FPC gold fingers is polyimide (PI).

These stiffeners can easily be placed into the ZIF connector.

Kapton is an example of a polyamide product that is often used as a stiffener.

When the edge of a flex circuit has to be thickened before being put into a ZIF connection, Kapton is often used.

However, the usage of Kapton necessitates the use of an additional lamination cycle.

• Aluminum and Stainless Steel Stiffeners

Aluminum, as well as stainless steel, can be considered two of the most often used metal stiffeners; however, they must be customized, which increases the cost of the product.

The materials aluminum and stainless steel are frequently used for heat dissipation and when there is limited room for stiffeners.

Ceramic stiffeners are also available in the market.

Different materials for PCB stiffener

What is the Estimated Thickness of a PCB Stiffener?

A PCB stiffener can be customized in a variety of thicknesses ranging from 0.002 inches to 0.059 inches.

The ideal thicknesses, opted by most consumers, aluminum are 0.020 inches, 0.031inches, 0.039 inches, and 0.059 inches.

The greater the thickness of the PCB stiffener, the greater the amount of support it will provide.

Every PCB design requires a specific thickness.

0.002 inches to 0.010 inches is the thickness range for Kapton stiffeners and 0.008 inches to 0.059 inches for rigid stiffeners

You need to opt for Polyimide (PI) stiffeners in order to achieve maximum thickness.

If you utilize ZIF stiffeners to strengthen your circuit board, it is possible that your board may wind up being much harder than it should be.

What are Some of the Requirements of a PCB Stiffener?

The essential requirements for Flexible PCB stiffeners may be divided considering the following types of applications:

• Rigidizing connector regions to reduce the load on bigger connectors or to allow for multiple insertions of the connector into the PCB.
• To follow zero insertion force requirements for thickness.
• To incorporate bending limitations in a specific area of a Flex PCB.
• Laying up a level surface on which SMT pads and components may be placed.
• Keeping component stress to a bare minimum
• Managing the dissipation of heat in aluminum and steel PCBs
• Develop enough rigidity in the array to allow it to be operated in automated assembly procedures without using a fixture.

FPC board with stiffener

How do You Utilize a PCB Stiffener?

When you need to harden a particular region of the flex circuit, then you should use a PCB Stiffener in order to do so.

First and foremost, it is important to recognize that the PCB stiffener is not an essential component of the circuit board design.

This will merely prevent the circuit from bending and will maintain the stability of the solder connection on the component.

Here is how you can utilize a PCB Stiffener:

• To improve the performance of any particular region of the board.
• To keep the thickness of Flex PCB at the appropriate level.
• To limit the flexible components on a PCB to the places where they are supposed to be.
• To maintain the flatness and stability of specific regions of flex PCBs.
• In order to comply with ZIF connection requirements.

Which PCB Stiffener Should You Opt For- PI Stiffener vs. FR4 Stiffener vs. Stainless Steel Stiffener?

The decision of which PCB Stiffener to opt for is completely up to you as all three types have features and characteristics of their own and are used for different purposes.

For your assistance, we have compiled the advantages and uses of these PCB Stiffeners to help you decide which one to opt for.

• Polyimide (PI) Stiffeners

Polyimide may be used as the insulating core material of flexible copper-clad laminate, as well as the coverlay and a stiffener for flex PCBs and rigid-flex PCBs.

The use of PI stiffener is a suitable choice because of its outstanding solder resistance and strong binding strengths.

PI stiffeners are most often found on the rear portion of the insertion gold fingers.

Some of the PI stiffeners are not connected or laminated to the body of the Flex PCB, so you may easily place the FPC connector fingers into the zero insertion force socket.

Flex circuit board with polyimide stiffener

• FR-4 Stiffeners

FR4 may be used as the copper-clad laminate of rigid PCB.

It is the most often used material when it comes to stiffeners in rigid-flex and Flex PCBs.

The primary benefit of using an FR4 Stiffener is that it provides support to maintain the PCB in a flat position when it is used in the pick-and-place and reflowing operations.

FR-4 Stiffeners are the most economical and pocket-friendly alternatives.

Flex circuit board with FR-4 stiffener

• Stainless Steel Stiffeners

Flex PCB with stainless steel stiffener

Stainless steel stiffeners have a number of advantageous characteristics, including better corrosion resistance, processability, adaptability, and toughness across a broad range of temperatures.

Flex PCBs usually include stainless-steel stiffeners attached to the connecting fingers in order to stiffen the circuit board and make the assembly more convenient.

The most often seen thickness range of stainless steel Stiffeners is about 0.1 mm to 0.45 mm.

What is the Function of Stiffeners in Rigid-Flex and Flex PCBs?

The primary advantages of employing a flexible circuit in a PCB design include the potential to bend and fold the circuit as well as the ability to enable the circuit to stretch while in operation.

These compact and agile stack-ups provide a solution to a significant variety of packaging problems.

However, being relatively slim and bendable may also offer a number of difficulties.

When designing a flexible circuit assembly, it is essential to incorporate a PCB stiffener.

It is usually a layer of polyimide or FR4 material which is utilized for the purpose of providing additional support and stiffness in certain places.

There are many uses for stiffeners in a flexible circuit design.

For instance, it can be used to give support to a connector portion, either due to weight issues with a component or to alleviate stress on its solder joints.

It is common for insertion connector portions to need an additional sheet of polyimide (PI) to be added in order to achieve the required matching thickness.

PCB Stiffeners may also be used to increase the abrasion space in the final usage and to modify the bending positions in the final installation.

How Should You Assemble Multiple Layers of PCBs with a Stiffener?

In order to utilize a PCB Stiffener meant for plated-through-hole components (PTH), you should ensure that it is located along the same edge of the flex from where the component is inserted.

In this way, solder pads on the Flex PCB become easily accessible.

They may also be attached to the inner and outer side of a PCB.

However, after that, the PCB assembly will need a review of the array set up in order to ensure that you would not stumble across anything that makes the assembly process more difficult.

Why Should You Use PCB Stiffeners in Flex Circuit Applications?

You should use PCB Stiffeners in flex circuit applications due to the following reasons:

• They allow you to place components in the flexible area of a PCB without any hindrances.
• They shift pressure from the flexible area of a PCB when you apply the weight of the components in that area.
• They provide a robust and smooth surface to the Flexible PCB so that it can accommodate the placement of SMT pad components on it.
• If you have connections that need to be inserted many times and you want to minimize the stress on the pads, this is the connector for you.

Stability in components on SMT due to PCB stiffener

What are Some of the Aspects That You Need to Focus on While Purchasing a PCB Stiffener?

Following are some of the aspects that you need to focus on while purchasing a PCB Stiffener:

• The stiffened portion of the flex PCB is constructed entirely of mechanical components. Neither traces nor an electrical connection is present between it and the flexible portion of the PCB. Hence, you only need to apply PCB Stiffener to one side of the flex PCB only.
• Incorporating a PCB Stiffener on both sides of the Flex PCB may substantially raise the intricacy and price of the circuit; therefore, it is best avoided.
• In order to alleviate pressure, you need to make sure that your PCB stiffener is placed .030 inches above the bare coverlay, which serves as a solder barrier for flex PCBs.
• When utilizing more than one PCB stiffener, be sure to keep the stiffener thickness the same.

Stress points should not overlap in circuit board and stiffener

How can You Pick the Best PCB Stiffener Manufacturing Company?

Making the right choice when it comes to PCB Stiffener manufacturers makes a significant impact on the overall expense as well as the efficiency of PCBs.

Hence, you need to evaluate and choose a reliable manufacturer that will not only meet your PCB requirements but will also assist you throughout the manufacturing process.

Following are some of the factors you need to look into while searching for a reliable manufacturer for PCB Stiffeners:

• You need to consider the company’s reputation in the market and whether they are capable of providing high-quality and varied Stiffener PCBs or not. This is particularly important when you are looking for a long-term contract with the manufacturer.
• It is also critical to verify the manufacturing company’s quality inspection system and the certifications they adapt to in order to confirm that it has the facility, expertise, and skills to source and manufacture high-quality stiffener PCB goods to meet your requirements and specifications.
• Another important factor to consider is the company’s willingness to integrate and be flexible with regard to the rapid developments in technology. If a business has innovative technological equipment, it is likely that it will produce high-quality and high-end PCB Stiffeners that meet or even exceed your expectations.
• Cost is another crucial factor when it comes to selecting a manufacturing company. A leading PCB Stiffener company should have in-house procurement methods for their PCB Stiffeners in order to keep prices as low as feasible while maintaining quality. You do not want to pay additional costs for sourcing your products through third-party suppliers as it would raise the overall cost of the production and assembly process.