Flexible PCB board or flexible printed circuit board, as the name suggests, has both physical flexibility and the functionality of a regular PCB board. As you know, the function of PCB or printed circuit board is to establish connections between various components within electrical or electronic devices. Rigid PCB boards have dominated the market for many years, while the emergence of flexible PCB boards has opened up new possibilities due to their dynamic characteristics.

The bare board of a flexible printed circuit board is made of flexible materials that can be bent and operated according to the designer's requirements. This flexibility and bendability are very useful in making various new era gadgets, such as wearable devices. To learn more about these circuit boards (also known as flexible circuit boards), please continue reading the following text.

Flexible PCB manufacturers can now design, manufacture, and customize PCBs of various specifications. Although there have been significant changes, flexible circuit boards can be roughly classified into several types based on their number of layers and configuration.

According to the number of layers of flexible printed circuit boards, they can be divided into single-sided, bidirectional, and multi-layer PCBs, each with its own advantages and characteristics. Although the more layers, the more components can be connected, the complexity and overall cost will also increase accordingly. Therefore, engineers at Haibo will carefully study project requirements to find the most suitable type of flexible printed circuit board for the application.

Single sided flexible PCB: With only one conductive layer in a single layer, it is currently the most commonly used flexible printed circuit board. It has excellent electronic and mechanical properties of flexible materials, and is low-cost, so it is widely used in consumer electronics products.

Double sided flexible PCB: A double-layer flexible circuit board has two layers of copper connected by plated through holes, which combines high electronic performance and cost-effectiveness. It is usually used for high-capacity high-tech electronic devices such as laptops, cameras, headphones, etc.

Multi layer flexible PCB: For this highly advanced equipment that requires very limited space or continuous movement, we need to use multi-layer flexible PCB boards, such as for robots, industrial equipment, and medical applications. This flexible PCB has three or more copper layers. But generally speaking, we recommend using four or more copper layers in flexible PCBs, which can affect flexibility.

Similarly, according to the configuration, flexible circuit boards can be divided into standard flexible PCBs, rigid flexible combination PCBs, and HDI flexible PCBs.

Standard flexible PCB: Standard flexible PCB is the most commonly used flexible circuit board. They are usually made of polyimide and have one or two conductive layers and reinforcing ribs.

Rigid flex PCB: As the name suggests, rigid flex PCB combines the characteristics of both rigid and flexible PCBs. In this type of flexible PCB board, only the required areas of the PCB are made of flexible materials, which helps to connect the rigid parts of the circuit. This reduces costs while allowing the PCB to bend as needed.

HDI flexible PCB: HDI flexible PCB or high-density interconnect circuit board can be considered as an advanced version of flexible PCB. They have better functionality and performance than ordinary flexible printed circuit boards.

The working principle of rigid and flexible printed circuit boards is the same, and their main function is to connect various components inside electrical or electronic devices. However, the two differ in terms of physical flexibility, as well as other characteristics such as heat resistance, durability, manufacturing process, and price.

Rigid PCB is a traditional PCB that you may think of when considering PCBs in general. As the name suggests, they are rigid, non bendable, and physically non bendable. They are made of materials such as glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin, providing excellent mechanical strength, support, and structure for the equipment. Similarly, flexible printed circuit boards are made of flexible materials such as polyimide, which have unique characteristics of being flexible.

Rigid PCB is a traditional PCB that you may think of when considering PCBs in general. As the name suggests, they are rigid, non bendable, and physically non bendable. They are made of materials such as glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin, providing excellent mechanical strength, support, and structure for the equipment. Similarly, flexible printed circuit boards are made of flexible materials such as polyimide, which have unique characteristics of being flexible.

Flexible circuit boards are widely used in most industrial fields. The soaring demand for flexible printed circuit boards is due to their unique features and numerous advantages.

Due to the reduction of connection points, the assembly process is simplified.

Higher packaging density, i.e. reduced packaging size.

The possibility of defects occurring can be ignored, such as solder joint defects and wiring errors.

Higher reliability than rigid PCBs.

Increased design freedom.

Resistant to extreme environments such as vibration and chemicals.

Enhance heat dissipation and improve airflow.

Due to the elimination of wiring harnesses and uncomplicated testing processes, assembly costs are lower.

Shorter assembly time can further reduce costs.

Can achieve high-density configuration.

As you now understand, flexible circuit boards help provide dynamic flexibility, allowing devices to operate according to the manufacturer's requirements. This is very useful in modern devices such as health trackers, medical equipment, fitness wearables, smartwatches, cameras, mobile phones, tablets, and laptops. The durability, reliability, and excellent performance of flexible printed circuit boards make them the preferred choice for manufacturing certain components of machines such as autonomous vehicles and airplanes.

Industries that require flexible PCBs include but are not limited to:

consumer electronics

wearable devices

Automotive industry (such as airbag systems)

Computers and laptops

Medical devices (such as ultrasound probes)

telecommunication

Aerospace industry

satellite

If pursuing cost-effective FPC manufacturing services, choosing a Chinese manufacturer is the best choice. As a manufacturing powerhouse, China has abundant resources, cheap labor, and a large number of technical personnel. We recommend Haibo, a Chinese FPC assembly service provider with over 10 years of experience, who has performed outstandingly in various aspects

Efficient and reasonable quotation:There is an efficient quotation process to assist you in making decisions, providing reasonable prices and highly competitive quotes in China.
High quality and reliable products:Produce high standard printed circuit boards, manufacture and test according to specifications, international standards, and internal controls, and conduct pre production inspections to ensure robust processes.
Quick and on-time delivery:The assembly equipment is in good condition, with high productivity, minimal downtime, short delivery time, and also provides urgent services.
Timely and effective response:Always respond to customer needs, provide accurate information, answer questions through multiple channels, and offer one-stop services.
Strong technical strength:China's FPC manufacturing technology is leading, and Haibo has a complete SMT solution that covers assembly, inspection, and other capabilities. It also provides prototype production and customization services.