Flex PCB Prototyping

Flex PCB Prototyping

Flexible PCB prototyping is fabricating PCBs using flexible materials. They include polyimide, polyethylene terephthalate (PETG), and PVC. The process of prototyping using flexible PCB is much faster than standard methods of PCB prototyping like quick turn and rigid panel prototyping.

Companies make flexible circuit boards of very bendable plastic materials. One can cut it without causing damage to the panel due to the breakage of soldering wires during the normal operation of the product.

Shortening the design process with fast turnaround times is ideal for prototyping products with a short design cycle and limited documentation.

This method frees you from depending on other companies to make the prototypes. You can do everything in-house, which means less waiting time and a larger number of boards. You can also choose your lead-time and order as many as your company requires or needs. Also, you can move on to mass production (in the house) once the prototype meets your standards.

DIY flexible PCB: Building a circuit board from scratch

This is an excellent option if you are an engineer and like building circuits. You can build your PCB using off-the-shelf components, saving time and money. You need not worry about the lack of documentation for drawing up schematics. This method allows you to build your PCB with ease and quickly.

However, if you are not experienced with circuit development or electronics, working on such a project might be difficult at first.

PCB Prototyping Process

There are two standard ways to prototype your customized PCBs, including manual and automated systems. Each system has its advantages, depending on the design you want to create. The automated system is helpful in situations when you have many boards that need simultaneous fabrication. This method is fast, and it can reduce the cost of prototyping PCBs by up to 30%. This process lets you fabricate up to 10 times more prototype PCBs than custom quick turn PCB assembly.

The automated system is a fully integrated machine that consists of a pick and place robot, a reflow oven, and a high-definition camera. The robot picks and places passive components one by one on each PCB location, leaving no room for errors. The reflow oven then uses the solder paste to place the electronic chips on the PCBs. After correctly placing all components, they pass the boards an infrared camera that checks for missing or misplaced components. Next, they move the boards to another station to remove the solder mask and then solder the components. The entire system then passes through automatic testing to adjust before shipping the boards.

One can complete Quick turn PCB prototypes in as little as one to three days. This process allows you to fabricate and test PCBs simultaneously. It reduces costs that may occur when using a traditional, more expensive prototyping method. In this method, you must purchase the boards and test them separately.

Before PCB Prototyping

The process of PCB prototyping is a complex and labor-intensive process. Before starting the quick turn PCB prototyping, you need to get the required materials for your prototype board fabrication. If you don’t have these materials, you may have to wait for a more costly and time-consuming rigid panel prototype assembly method.

We can make PCBs into quick-turn prototypes like any other product, provided you have the right materials and knowledge. Following are the materials that you need to get started.