Printed Circuit Board

Printed Circuit Board Prototype

The Printed circuit board(PCB) is the foundation of electronic equipment, and it can be found in every electronic device in today’s world. The versatility of high-tech products determines the complexity and high performance of PCBs. We all know that most scientific achievements are the result of repeated experiments. PCB prototype is an essential step before a new product goes into mass production. On the one hand, the PCB prototype enables the design fly to be corrected and design performance to be improved at a lower cost and fast speed. On the other hand, it helps to avoid more problems and reduce risks in mass production.

Three factors of PCB prototype
When it comes to PCB prototypes, quick is the first consideration for customers to choose a manufacturer. Whether you are an engineer, a student, or a hobbyist, you want to know whether your design has achieved the desired effect as soon as possible. And the sooner you get the prototype PCB, the sooner you can test it and start mass production.

Second, the cost is the most concern for all businessmen, especially for the students. Sometimes a final product needs to experience many times PCB prototypes. Cost-effective is the pursuit when running a PCB prototype.

The third factor is the quality assurance of high performance and high reliability. Although fast speed and low cost are the basic requirements for customers, quality is still the thing they care about most. Yes, you do not want to get a low quality and risky PCB, no matter how much it costs.

Quick turn PCB prototype from Shanyo
As a manufacturer with many years of PCB prototype experience and advanced production equipment, Shanyo can be the right partner when you run a PCB project. After providing all the files the fabrication needs, you can get your prototype boards in a week or less. Please use our online quotation software to get the best price and production time. Contact us if you have any questions.

Aluminum printed circuit board

Aluminum PCB is one of the most widely used metal core PCBs, also known as MC PCB, aluminum coated, insulated metal substrate, etc. The basic structure of aluminum PCBs is not much different from other PCBs. The aluminum base is its distinctive feature. Generally, an aluminum PCB consists of four layers: a substrate layer (aluminum layer), a dielectric layer (insulating layer), a circuit layer (copper foil layer), and an aluminum base film (protective layer).

Advantages of aluminum base

1. Better temperature management
As we all know, electronic equipment will experience high temperature conditions when running at high speed. If the heat energy cannot be exported quickly, the parts at high temperatures may soften, deform, change parameters, change performance, and even have safety risks. The aluminum substrate can quickly remove heat from the components, thereby achieving a high density and high-power PCB design. The heat dissipation efficiency of aluminum PCB is ten times that of glass fiber substrate PCB.

2. Excellent mechanical stability and lighter weight
The substrate made of aluminum alloy has high physical durability, which can reduce the risk of damage during transportation and daily use. Aluminum is a lighter metal. Compared with other metal PCBs of the same weight, it can provide greater strength and flexibility.

3. The cost is reasonable and the environmental impact is small
Compared with other metal substrates, aluminum is cheaper and environmentally friendly because it is a non-toxic metal and easy to extract. When components with high heat dissipation requirements are assembled on aluminum plates, fewer additional heat sinks are required. This means that the use of aluminum PCB can reduce manufacturing and material costs.

Applications and types of aluminum PCBS

The biggest advantage of aluminum PCB is its excellent heat dissipation efficiency. It can quickly transfer heat and cool components, thereby improving the overall performance of the final product. Therefore, aluminum PCB is an ideal solution for high-density and high-power products such as LED applications, power supply equipment, and computers.

If you encounter heat dissipation problems in PCB design, aluminum plates should be your primary consideration. Shanyo provides all types of aluminum PCBS, including single-sided aluminum PCB, multi-layer aluminum PCB, hybrid aluminum PCB, flexible aluminum PCB, through-hole aluminum PCB, etc. Other categories, such as general-purpose aluminum PCBs, high thermal conductivity aluminum PCBs, and high-frequency aluminum PCBs are also available. If you need more detailed information about our aluminum PCB, please feel free to contact us.

Rigid flex combined PCB

As the name suggests, rigid flex combined board (PCB) is a composite board of rigid board and flexible board. Most rigid flex circuits are multi-layer. Rigid flex binding plates may include one/more flex plates and rigid plates, which are connected by internal/external plating through holes.

What are the advantages of rigid flex binding plates?

One of the key characteristics of rigid flex PCB is its slim shape and variable shape, making it an ideal solution for ultra-thin and ultra light packaging. Although the design and manufacturing costs of rigid flex binding boards may be higher, they do have many advantages and can solve many problems in traditional rigid fiberboard technology.

1. Compact size and flex shape
Rigid flex combined PCBs make it easier to install more components in a smaller space because they can change shape according to specific contours. This technology will reduce the size and weight of the final product and the overall system cost. At the same time, the compact shape of the rigid flex combination board makes it the best choice for thin-wire and high density circuits in HDI technology.

2. Can be customized for different applications

Rigid flex binding boards have freedom in packaging geometry and can be customized for applications in many industries such as aerospace, military, medical equipment, and consumer electronics. They can be customized in size and shape to suit shell design and 3D design, which provides designers with more possibilities to meet different requirements in specific applications.

The stability of the rigid board and the flexibility of the flexible board form a stable structure of the entire package while retaining the reliability of the electrical connection and the flexibility required for installation in a small space.

4. Better performance in harsh environments

The rigid flex binding plate has high shock resistance and high vibration resistance, so it can work normally in a high stress environment. Rigid flex binding boards use fewer cables and connectors, which also reduces safety risks and maintenance in future use.

5. Easy to manufacture and test

Rigid flex combined PCB requires fewer interconnects and related components/parts. It helps to simplify the assembly operation and make the rigid flex binding plate easier to assemble and test. Rigid flex binding boards are very suitable for PCB prototypes.

In addition to the above advantages, other common advantages of rigid-flexible binding boards include high circuit density, excellent heat dissipation, and chemical resistance. All in all, the rigid flex binding board combines all the advantages of hard PCB and flexible PCB, while making up for the shortcomings. This kind of PCB is the best solution for designing reliable and robust circuits for smart wearable devices and other industries. Shanyo has a strict quality control system to ensure that rigid flex binding plates are correctly manufactured and assembled by high quality standards. If you need more detailed information such as a quotation or order, please contact us through the service immediately.

Flexible PCBs

A flexible PCB (FPC) is a PCB that can be bent or twisted without damaging the circuit, which means that the circuit board can be freely bent to meet the desired shape during the application process. The material used in the substrate is flexible, such as polyamide, PEEK, or conductive polyester film.

The difference between FPC and rigid PCB

material

The dielectric layer in FPC is usually a homologous sheet of flexible polyimide material. The dielectric material in a rigid PCB is usually a composite material of epoxy resin and glass fiber woven fabric.

Solder resist layer

There is a solder resist layer on both sides of the rigid PCB. There is a gap in the solder resist layer, and the SMT pad or PTH hole is exposed for component assembly. FPC usually uses a cover layer instead of a solder resist layer. The cover layer is a thin polyimide material that can be drilled or laser cut to contact the components.

Manufacturing process

Most of the manufacturing steps of FPC and rigid PCB are similar. However, due to the flexibility of the FPC, some tools are needed to fix it in a fixed position.

Judging from the price alone, FPC is more expensive than rigid PCB. However, FPC has many advantages that can improve cost performance, such as space saving, weight reduction, and high reliability.

Unique advantages and applications of FPC

FPC has many advantages because of its characteristics; let’s take a closer look at FPC.

Excellent flexibility

FPC is usually used as a connector in various applications. Its excellent flexibility can extend the service life of the circuit and save a lot of space. FPC is usually used in smartphones and medical devices, which require many interconnections in a compact package.

Lightweight and small size

FPC is lighter than rigid PCB and can be designed into a smaller size due to its flexibility. These advantages allow FPC to replace bulky circuits in some applications. For example, FPC can be used in satellites, where weight and volume are the main constraints for designers. In addition, LED light strips, consumer electronics, automobiles, and many other high-density applications favor flexible boards to reduce size and weight.

Better resistance and sports performance

FPC is easy to wrap, will not break or damage, and is very suitable for outdoor electronic products, sports equipment, and wearable electronic products.

High reliability and excellent heat dissipation

There is no mechanical connector in FPC applications, which improves durability in harsh environments. The heat dissipation capacity of FPC is better than that of rigid PCB. Therefore, flexible PCBs are widely used in many computer components, televisions, printers, and gaming systems.

Flexible PCBs have many unique advantages in various applications, but they still cannot replace rigid PCBs. Shanyo is an experienced PCB manufacturer that provides turnkey services for PCB assembly prototypes and small batch PCB manufacturing. If you need more detailed information or other help, please contact us.
Bottom line, if you have flex circuit design or flex printed circuit board needs, we can help. contact us

Printed circuit board material

Printed circuit board (PCB) materials usually include a substrate, laminate, copper foil, solder resist layer, and nomenclature (screen printing). The different materials used in PCB design and manufacturing have various advantages and disadvantages. PCB designers should choose suitable materials based on the application field, desired results, environmental factors, and other constraints faced by the PCB.

The importance of PCB materials in PCB manufacturing
PCB manufacturing is a complex process. All materials and manufacturing steps require specific materials to achieve corresponding functions. Regardless of whether these materials are left on the board or removed during the manufacturing process, they will affect the manufacturability, reliability, and performance of the final product of the PCB.

In addition, the choice of PCB material will also affect manufacturing costs. Cost priority or performance priority is also an important factor in choosing materials. Therefore, when choosing PCB materials, we should understand the electrical requirements and project budget of a given equipment.

Substrate and laminate
The substrate is the most selected material among PCB materials. Various standard substrates can be used to manufacture PCBs according to different requirements. Typical substrates are FR-1 to FR-6, CEM-1 to CEM-6, GEM-10 to GEM-11, aluminum, metal substrates, PTFE (Teflon), polyimide, etc. Among them, the most commonly used is FR-4 material because of its wide range of uses and low cost.

The substrate and the laminate together define the necessary electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the circuit board.

Copper foil
Copper foil is the conductive layer of PCB, which has a special impact on the electrical properties of electronic products. Generally, copper foil is divided into rolled copper foil and electrolytic copper foil. Calendered copper foil is suitable for high-performance PCBs, and electrolytic copper foil is used for conventional PCBs.

Solder resist layer
In the conventional impression of most people, the color of the solder resist layer is usually green, but due to certain special requirements, it can also be red, yellow, blue, or other colors. The solder resist layer is an epoxy coating that acts as a protective layer and an isolation layer.

Nomenclature (screen printing)
Screen printing is usually the white letters you see on the solder resist layer, which indicate the location and direction of the component. In addition to white, silk screen printing has other colors to choose from.

Some factors that affect PCB designers’ choice of PCB materials.

• Thermal performance
• Dielectric constant (Dk)
• Glass transition temperature (Tg)
• Coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE)
• Flame retardant
• Signal loss factor
• Mechanical strength
• RoHS/UL

Most customers want to build PCBs with excellent performance at an economical cost. The first step is to choose the right material for your PCB type. The unique characteristics of these materials are of great significance in determining the function, performance, and life cycle of the PCB. If you want to know more about PCB material selection or how to choose the material that best suits your PCB design, please contact us. We not only provide high-quality materials but also complete solutions. You will get a smaller, smarter, high-performance, and high-reliability PCB from Shanyo.

Most importantly, if you have flexible circuit design or flexible printed circuit board needs, we can help Contact us.