Planning Flex and Rigid-Flex Jobs

Abstract

Companies interested in manufacturing flex and rigid-flex circuits should keep in mind that there is no magic formula for manufacturing good boards. There are only more operations, added precautions, and the need for more extensively thoughtout planning than is required for traditional rigid multilayer boards. As with any aspect of printed circuit manufacturing, there is a lot to be learned simply by observing the results and learning from them. There are some basic facts about flex circuits of which designers, buyers, and quality assurance, planning, and sales/quotation people should be aware. Most of the problems with flex circuits are caused by a few peculiarities of the materials used to make them. The most common materials, and the only ones which will be discussed in this book, are Kapton dielectric with acrylic adhesive.