Epec's Blog | Electronics Manufacturing Solutions

In the world of printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing, the devil is in the details. Even subtle design features like plated edges, castellated holes, and advanced milling techniques have far-reaching implications in terms of cost and production time.

Wrap plating is a technique used in the manufacturing of printed circuit boards (PCBs) to create a conductive layer that connects the layers of the PCB together. The process involves plating copper onto the walls of through-holes and vias in the PCB, which are then used to make electrical connections between the layers.

In the realm of high-speed electronic design, controlled impedance is an absolute requirement for flex and rigid-flex printed circuit board (PCB) configurations. This blog post delves into the intricacies of achieving controlled impedance in these designs, examining the factors that influence it, the different configurations available, and their impact on PCB thickness and flexibility.

A polyimide/Kapton® heater is a type of flexible heater made using a thin and lightweight polyimide film called Kapton® that was created by the DuPont company. It is a high-performance material that is resistant to high temperatures, chemicals, and radiation, making it ideal for use in heating applications where other materials would fail.

The most important, most critical, and among the most helpful of all documents for building and designing flex and rigid-flex circuits is IPC-6013.

A stiffener is defined as a piece of material adhered to a flexible printed circuit board that rigidizes one zone of the board. While a stiffener holds no electrical value to a PCB, it does maintain a crucial part of most flexible PCBs in the market by hardening that portion of the board.

At first glance, the answer to the question “How many layers can a flexible circuit have before it can no longer bend?” sounds like a simple, black-and-white answer. However, this answer proves to be more complex than expected and involves a great deal of specifications before it can be answered.

At the conclusion of our webinar, Flex and Rigid-Flex PCBs: Technical Issues In Data Sets, we had several questions submitted to our presenter, Zachary Walker, Product Manager of Flex and Rigid-Flex Circuits at Epec. We have compiled these questions into a readable format on our blog.

As the 2023 U.S. holiday season rolls into full gear, it’s impossible not to also think about the 2024 Chinese New Year (CNY). Maybe it’s because the U.S. holidays are busy not only at work but personally as well, for many of us, and by the time we catch our breath, the CNY is already on top of us.

The two main categories of 3D modeling can be defined as solid modeling and surface modeling. Solid modeling consists of extruding and cutting away from solid geometric volumes. This is great for subtractive and additive manufacturing methods such as milling and 3D printing.