Epec's Blog | Electronics Manufacturing Solutions

The hot air solder leveling surface finish (HASL) is the second oldest surface finish available for printed circuit boards and up until a point in time was virtually the standard surface finish used in the electronics industry (originally with leaded solder and more recently the RoHS version with lead-free solder).

Flex circuits have many unique capabilities to solve design challenges. One of these is a lap joint capability that allows a flexible circuit board to be directly attached to another circuit or component eliminating the need for any type of connector.

Charging batteries, whether they are small batteries in laptops to large ones in electric vehicles, requires the right rate of charge based on the battery chemistry. While technology has provided more ways for people to charge their electronics, especially portable devices, customers are looking at ways to speed up the process so they can use their items faster.

Contrary to some customers’ perspectives, flex circuits are not indestructible. As with any part that contains a metal if it is bent or handled beyond its physical capabilities it will break. In this blog, we will cover the 3 main causes of fractured or cracked circuits in a flex design and how to prevent them from occurring. We’ll also review how to determine the minimum bend capabilities of a flexible circuit board design.

At the conclusion of our webinar, Design Options for Low-Cost UL Approved Cable Assemblies, we had several questions submitted to our presenter, Steven J. Goodman, User Interface & Cable Assembly Product Manager at Epec. We have compiled these questions into a readable format on our blog.

When bringing a new project to market that involves an injection molded enclosure, there will be critical design and sourcing decisions that can have a tremendous impact on the overall project.

While PCB layout typically has played the leading role in high-speed printed circuit board (PCB) applications, the role of the PCB fabricator becomes more and more important as the trend to faster, higher integrated, smaller form factors, and lower power electronic circuits become more prevalent.

Overmolded cable assemblies are extremely common and used for several reasons throughout the electronics industry. The process of overmolding is inexpensive, completely customizable, and, most importantly, produces a rugged and robust part.

Heat dissipation is the ability of a part, whether a circuit or any other component, to take the heat that's being generated by a component or an element of the design and to distribute it, dissipate it, and make the heat go away, for lack of a better phrase. This prevents the temperature of the part from continuing to elevate as the device is operated.

Designing medical devices is no simple task. The stakes are higher for these devices compared to most other industries. Because of that, medical device engineers need to think carefully about which design elements should be prioritized.