INTRODUCTION

The primary goal of Flex Circuit Technology 4th Edition is to offer the general knowledge required to design, manufacture and use PCB circuits while preventing many of the possible problems. The publication does not presume any background in flex circuit technology. Readers who are already familiar with the techniques will want to do a fast overview of the basics prior to moving on to more complex topics. Flexible Circuit Technology 4th Edition is aimed to be an useful reference for people who are new to the technology as well as those who already get a working know-how of flex circuits and their application. Since its first edition, the format of this book has been purposely simple. It is structured in an ordered style through the key facets of flex PCB technology. The linear progression, from materials to design to production and assembly, is intended to provide a thorough understanding of flex circuit technology by building on each preceding layer of info, beginning with the fundamentals, such as the definitions that close this chapter.

From basic definitions, the content moves to how to identify where and how flexible circuits can best be utilized, obeyed by informative sections about materials, design practices, fabricate and assembly. aspects of the technology provides the best possible comprehension of flex PCB. It consists of many of the ins-and-outs and ups-and-downs of flex PCB layout and Fabrication, giving concrete examples that will come in ready when applying flex PCB technology to products and applications. In addition to the technical facets of flexible PCB technology, we have improved and expanded a section that details the past history of flex PCB and how they have evolved, the present position of the technology and prospective prospects for the technology and its market place.

DEFINITIONS

The most commonly recognized definition of a flex PCB is found in the PCB industry standard IPC-T-50 Terms and Definitions for PCB, that reads:
A patterned arrangement of printed wiring utilizing flexible base material with or without flexible coverlayers.

While this is technically precise, it is extremely simple and fails to encompass the breadth of flexible PCB technology. The term requires significant amplification to fully embrace all facets of the technology. As a result, it is required to farther specify flex circuit, not only according to their type of construction, but also according to how they are applied in their final application.

To broaden the definition, one ought to understand if the flex PCB is to be used only for static application. The most common circumstance is that flexible circuit is demanded only to install the circuit and fit it properly into its application. The other situation is that the flexible circuit will be dynamically flexed, such as those utilized in disk drives, hinges, ink-jet printer cables, etc.
Although flex PCB are most commonly associated with dynamic applications, the number of vibrant flex PCB applications is much lower compared to flex-to-fit or static applications. The intended application of the flex circuit is an important component of its explanation and a vital piece of information for flexible PCB layout and application.