When to make use of flex PCB design
It’s obtaining harder to fit everything in the box; it’s additionally obtaining more pricey. One option guaranteeing to help developers fulfill the dimension constraint directly is rigid flex PCB technology, however the majority of design teams attempt to avoid using rigid flex PCBs when item price is an issue. However is it really as expensive as we think?
To start with, consider the cost of the conventional rigid-cable-rigid PCB assembly to one based upon rigid flex PCB innovation. The former construction functions well for short-run layouts; nevertheless, it calls for ports on each board and the interconect, all of which increase BoM price. In addition, the rigid-cable-rigid design is prone to ‘cold joints’, and decreased life span. In contrast, rigid-flex PCB circuits remove these joints, making them far more dependable and able to supply on the whole greater product top quality and longevity. So while rigid flex PCB technology is absolutely not new, various considerations now make it far more practical– not the least of which is price.
Simulate the cost
In some designs, rigid flex PCB design will not be a feasible option, and you need to do your due diligence in identifying the break-even factor where the prices are about equal. This sort of rate simulation can be done by considering the overall estimated costs for PCB fabrication and assembly. The PCBs can be estimated before design, as long as the criteria of design are well comprehended (for instance, the layer stack-up, approximated by means of count, track and space ratios, etc.).
We carried out a PCB manufacturing cost simulation with a real rigid flex PCB design and a relative rigid-cable-rigid equivalent. The element BoMs for comparison changed only in the wire and ports needed for the non-flex version. For our simulation, the typical design is consisted of four-layer PCB boards that utilize flexible wire and connectors between them, while the rigid flex PCB design is a four-layer PCB with 2 inner flex layers. Manufacturing expense for both layouts is based upon actual PCB maker quotes, and includes the expense of assembly.
Discover your break-even factor
As the job quantity portrayed in Number 1 strikes 100 units, the rigid flex PCB design ends up being a more affordable alternative compared to the conventional design technique.
A crucial factor for this price savings is that rigid flex circuits do not utilize connectors/cables or need any type of port assembly. Likewise, they feature raised integrity and procedure returns. Yet that’s simply the tip of the iceberg.
Because rigid flex PCBs require no cable assembly, their overall assembly effort is minimized, as is their examination complexity– both which drive down price.
In addition, less elements need to be purchased, reducing the supply chain danger. Rigid flex PCB can be developed to make product maintenance more convenient and as a result, even more economical over the course of the item lifecycle.
What regarding design time?
While the price of PCBmanufacturing, assembly, screening, and logistics are essential consider considering the feasibility of rigid flex PCB innovation for any offered project, design and development prices can not be neglected. Rigid flex PCB design typically requires the mechanical team to help with the flex section of the design, and PCB integration with the end product. The process is really time consuming and pricey, in addition to vulnerable to mistakes.
Making issues worse, PCB design tools typically neglect the folding and suitable elements of rigid flex PCB design. Rigid flex PCB technology design needs designers to believe and work in 3D. The flex parts can be folded up, turned and rolled to adhere to the design of the system. But traditional PCB design tools do not support 3D board design or the meaning and simulation of bends and folds up in the flex part of the design. They don’t also support the definition of different layer stacks in various parts of the design, consisting of the locations comprising the design’s flex component.
Due to this, rigid flex PCB developers have actually been compelled to by hand translate both the rigid and flex areas of their 3D design into a flat, 2D depiction ideal for PCB fabrication. After that they have to manually record all locations of the design that are flex, and double check that no components or vias have been placed near the transitions between the design’s rigid and flex sections. This process is governed by several added guidelines, a lot of which are, not as well remarkably, not sustained by the majority of PCB design software application.
Generally, the added initiative it has actually required to design rigid flex PCBs as compared to standard rigid PCBs making use of traditional PCB design software program has actually made them much less cost competitive. Fortunately, contemporary design devices with sophisticated 3D abilities, and assistance for the interpretation and simulation of bends and folds in the flex portion of the design, as well as the meaning of other layer stacks in other parts of the design, are now available. These devices usually eliminate the need to deal with the flex part of the design with mechanical CAD tools, conserving designers and design groups both time and money.
Design in 3D to ensure success
Early control between the designers and the PCB manufacturer, supported by the use of a contemporary PCB design tool, is an additional factor making rigid flex PCB modern technology a much more economical choice. Rigid flex PCB designs call for closer cooperation between the developer and PCB manufacturer than standard rigid board designs. The tradeoffs required to create a successful rigid flex PCB design translate to a collection of design guidelines the designer could establish with the fabricator’s input. These considerations consist of the number of layers in the design, products choices, advised sizes for traces and vias, adhesion techniques, and dimensional control. With the appropriate design tool, these factors to consider can be plainly specified and given the appropriate weight they are worthy of at an early stage so that the rigid flex PCB can be effectively optimized, even more maximizing its general expense as well.
There’s no denying that existing sector trends and consumer demands are pushing designers and design teams to their limits, forcing them to look for brand-new options to the digital design challenges they currently deal with. These challenges, and specifically the needs being positioned on today’s smart phones, are pushing rigid flex PCB technology into the mainstream, and making it a lot more commercially practical for a variety of applications. The availability of modern-day PCB design tools that support 3D product development, early collaboration, and all necessary rigid flex PCB meanings and simulation considerably reduce the pain of rigid flex PCB design and make it a much more compelling remedy– one that under the right situations is less costly compared to rigid flex PCB design. For today’s design groups, that option might just imply the distinction in between item success or failure.