An Offshore Printed Circuit Board Assembly PCBA Brand Should Fulfill These
According to experts, more than three thousand printed circuit board manufacturing companies are currently operating throughout Asia. Understandably, the supply capacity is increasing at a breakneck pace. Soon, it will go beyond the global demand for PCBs. It means that some of these manufacturing organizations are seeking out ways to increase their business by doing things that others can’t.
Specific companies are opting to expand their services by providing flex as well as rigid-flex variants to their clients. It sounds sensible because manufacturers use the same equipment, whether they offer printed circuit board assembly PCBA services, such as www.fccems.com, for flex and rigid-flex or traditional rigid ones.
Then again, some factories find out quickly that the manufacturing procedures, equipment, and expertise are different for each.
Manufacturing their own
Now that you know a bit about the situation, you should be able to understand the importance of determining the technical challenges faced by printed circuit board assembly PCBA companies.
Many companies in Asia claim that they make rigid-flex PCBs but in reality, they outsource the flexible circuit board part of the procedure.
Outsourcing isn’t a bad idea, but when a company outsources the most critical components of a product, challenges inevitably appear. Starting with the delivery; some manufacturers outsource the product to a competitor whose primary objective is to serve their own OEM accounts first.
Naturally, if their largest account drops a massive order on them, then they will finish those parts before procuring for their competitors. Apart from that, the
IPC standards for flex PCBs are different from rigid PCBs. Hence, the manufacturing company should have a certified inspector working at their facility.
Specificity in terms of equipment
As already mentioned earlier, a manufacturer can use rigid PCB production equipment to produce flex PCBs. However, the quality levels and the controllability of the processes are different. In terms of etching equipment, there was a time when you could create PCBs with the same equipment that you use in other projects.
Today, however, a manufacturer should possess dedicated etching machinery to create flex circuits as the processing of thin core flexible materials is mandatory.
They must use specialized equipment with specific types of rollers along with various chemistries that allow organizations to process tight line and space widths. The same goes for coverlay lamination
When you attach a coverlay to a flex circuit, you have to apply pressure while maintaining a specific temperature. While manufacturing rigid PCBs, companies use multi-cavity lamination presses to press multiple layers together to produce multilayer PCBs. In short, the manufacturing company should possess appropriate equipment for the job.
In-house engineering and production experience
A rigid-flex variant behaves differently compared to regular rigid components while it remains in production and the final application.
That is why de-lamination at the point where the rigid and flexible parts meet isn’t uncommon.
The best way to ensure the robustness of a particular design is to choose a company that understands the clearances of the bend radius, uses the best stiffener material, and other technical details.
Final words
The task of manufacturing flex or rigid-flex devices is highly scientific. Also, many companies out there possess significant experience in ensuring that you get the best PCBs quickly.
However, incompetent companies lurk among the best ones. These inept brands are simply trying to enhance their business. If you buy products from them, then you will be the one suffering in the long run.
