Flex Circuit vs. Rigid Circuit Boards

Flex Circuit vs. Rigid Circuit Boards

Rigid circuit boards remain the most common form of Printed Circuit fabrication. However, as consumer demand for smaller devices increases, manufacturers and engineers are face with the challenge of enabling increased performance in smaller and smaller form factors to meet consumer preferences.  This continued drive to smaller, faster, cheap is a leading factor in the increased implementation of flexible circuit solutions.

Flexible circuits are ideal for medical devices, implants, sensors, and mobile consumer electronics because they fit where space or weight is limited.

High Temperature and High-Density Applications

Flex circuits are preferred by engineers for industrial and manufacturing applications because they are small and durable, capable of withstanding exposure to high heat and resistant to chemicals, radiation and UV exposure. Flex circuits are typically made of polyimide or a similar polymer, that dissipates heat better than the materials used to compose rigid circuit boards. The polyimide or polymer variation allows the flex-circuit to be placed in products that encounter extreme conditions without a negative impact on the product’s performance. For example, industrial sensor technologies

Whether or not flex Circuits will replace rigid circuit boards for all applications

No, while flexible circuit boards are useful and grant an array of application uses, they will not replace rigid circuit boards.

The costs associated with the efficiency of implementing an exclusively flexible circuit board design in a consumer product can be high for the manufacturer, trickling down to the consumer. Rigid circuit boards are less expensive to manufacture and install (when using a standard automated high-volume fabricating facility).LED PCB board

A majority of innovative products incorporate flexible circuitry when necessary, and employ solid, reliable rigid circuit boards where possible to keep manufacturing and assembly costs down.

Many electronic devices (laptop and desktop computers, audio keyboards, solid-state drives (SSDs), flat-screen TVs and monitors, children’s toys, and various electronic gadgets) employ rigid PCBs instead of flexible PCBs. However, flex circuits may be found in ultra-compact or high-performance devices, including GPS units, tablets, smart phones, cameras, and wearables.LED PCB board

     Greater sophistication is not the only reason to use flex circuits; low-tech applications (such as under-the-counter LED lights,) may utilize flex circuit technology, in some cases because it makes installation much easier.