Flexible and rigid-flexible printed circuit boards

Flexible printed circuit boards replace wires

Technological innovation of the kind we’re seeing in the medical sector or the automotive industry is mainly driven by the miniaturization of electronic circuits. Many modern hearing aids, medical implants or LED car headlights place the highest demands on printed circuit boards (PCBs) in the smallest of spaces. As a leading PCB manufacturer, AT&S can easily meet these demands by using flexible base materials. Flexible printed circuit boards can be bent or twisted during assembly, so they can be integrated into devices with almost any form factor and help to overcome space constraints. This is extremely important in devices like hearing aids and pacemakers.

Product benefits at a glance

  • The possibility to adapt PCBs to any space constraints gives developers of devices and components greater design freedom.
  • Flexible printed circuit boards allow circuits to be designed without adhering to planar layouts. As the PCB can be bent or folded, a circuit can be fitted into the available 3D space as necessary.
  • Flexible circuits can free up more surface area for memory chips and other components.
  • Flexible printed circuit boards are driving further advances in miniaturization.
  • Connections formed with flexible printed circuit boards are extremely resistant, as opposed to those that rely on wiring.

The best of both worlds: rigid-flex printed circuit boards

Rigid-flex printed circuit boards combine the benefits of flexible PCBs and traditional designs by integrating both bendable and rigid areas. This allows for cost-effective custom solutions for device manufacturers. A flexible base material can be used to connect two rigid areas instead of plugs and cables. This means that the signal pathways remain short and miniaturization can go further than before. Such connections are also significantly more robust and better at withstanding mechanical stress. Rigid-flexible printed circuit boards are mainly used for systems in cars and manufacturing.

Digital dashboard of a vehicle with a display for hybrid and electric mode. The display shows “HYBRID”, “ELECTRIC” and “AUTO” in the center, surrounded by other information such as speed in miles per hour (MPH) and engine revolutions (RPM). Printed circuit boards by AT&S support the complex electronic systems of modern vehicles, offering unparalleled miniaturization.
Cars are powerful electronic systems on four wheels, thanks to rigid-flex printed circuit boards from AT&S

Save space with flexible printed circuit boards

Close-up of a person holding a hearing aid to their ear. Flexible printed circuit boards oNer the ideal solution for hearing aids, as their flexible structure with multiple bending points makes them perfectly adaptable and enables miniaturization. They also increase the reliability of the device by eliminating connectors and cables, which simplifies the layout and minimizes interference.
For hearing aids, flexible printed circuit boards, that replace plugs and wires offer an unrivalled combination of design freedom and unrivaled reliability.

Flexible printed circuit boards are used in many areas of electronics. They can be bent, twisted or folded to fit into the product housing. Flexible PCBs are primarily used in place of wired connections or to create reliable signal paths in systems that would not be feasible with a rigid PCB.

AT&S mainly manufactures flexible printed circuit boards for the medical technology sector, where they are used in devices such as hearing aids and implants. The flexible installation options and high level of miniaturization allow new functions to be added to such devices without increasing their size. A modern hearing aid can now be connected to a doorbell, the TV or the wearer’s smartphone, thanks to the technology enabled the compact design of a flexible PCB.

Semi-flexible printed circuit boards reduce costs

The materials in semi-flexible printed circuit boards differ from those in flexible PCBs. A thin FR4 standard material can be used instead of the polyimide material used in flexible PCBs for a cost-effective alternative for “flex to install” applications. The number of bending cycles and the radius are limited with FR4, but the material costs are lower than for fully flexible versions.

Because they make the most of the space available for a circuit, semi-flexible printed circuit boards are an especially appealing option in the automotive industry and for machine-to-machine communication, which is becoming increasingly important.

Automated, flat yellow robots navigate autonomously through a large, brightly lit warehouse. Tall shelves are filled with uniform brown boxes as the robots eNiciently maneuver through the aisles and optimize warehouse operations. AT&S plays a central role in the increasing automation of industry by providing the technological basis for these advanced systems with flexible and rigid-flex printed circuit boards.
Semi-flexible printed circuit boards by AT&S enable automated and connected manufacturing
AT&S Explainer Movie - Flex

Flex on aluminium

Close-up of the left headlight of a modern car with an elegant design. Two eye-catching, round LED lights and sharp contours characterize the headlight. In headlights with their limited space and high heat generation, flex-on-aluminum PCBs oNer an ideal solution to ensure efficiency and performance in this demanding environment.
Space is limited in car headlights and heat can build up to extreme levels. Flex on aluminium printed circuit boards (PCBs) are perfect for these conditions.

The requirements for the shape and design of printed circuit boards have changed since LEDs became the standard for the automotive industry and lighting solutions. Flexible printed circuit boards can be bonded to an aluminium heat sink and fitted with LEDs for installation in car headlights. This allows optimum utilization of the available space while providing excellent heat dissipation.

Lighting the way

LED applications have become increasingly important in recent years and are the new standard for cars, room lighting, floodlight systems and medical products.

Technical data

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