What is Rigid flex PCB and its benifits

What is Rigid Flex for PCBs?

As the name implies, rigid flex PCBs are comprised of both rigid and flexible PCB material. The rigid portion of the PCB as our familiar-looking board housing many of the components. The flex portion of the PCB is (again, as it sounds) a flexible material that is designed to bend, twist, roll over, sit, and play fetch.

Flex PCBs alone are pieces of marvelous engineering. Allowing you to even house the components onto this flexible material, they can fit into nearly any shape and application (however mounting these to your device can be a bit tricky as there is no solid “backbone” to fall back on). Rigid flex takes things to another level, allowing you to firmly mount the rigid portion on to your device and use the flexible portion to expand space requirements to 3D.

Five of the Ample Benefits of Rigid Flex Technology

The rigid flex technology has captivated my heart and I have nothing but great news to share with you through the rest of the article. Let’s explore what other benefits you’ll find within the rigid flex space:

Form to the Device: Although briefly stated above, this deserves its own section. Instead of our PCB design being bound by the space within the device, if we are clever, we can now form our PCB around the device in 3D space. This means that no mounting surface is off limits to where we can put our boards. As long as we can run a flex material from one rigid board to the next, we can integrate the design into any device shape, no matter how funky it may look.

Lightweight and Compact: Beings that the material is vastly different from your typical rigid board, and due to the nature of its design inspiration, the flexible material that it’s built with just so happens to be a much lighter weight and a much more compact design. This will allow you to save not just space, but also weight.

Designed Without Solder Joints: The way a rigid flex board is constructed is by sandwiching a flex board in between two (or more) rigid boards. This method of assembly is fantastic due to the lack of extra solder joints, connectors, or contact crimps. This will only serve to increase its overall structural integrity as it’s put through its flexible paces.

Fewer Materials = Fewer Cost: Although not the case 100% of the time (maybe more like 98% of the time), you’ll be using less material overall when incorporating flex material into your rigid design. This will often time lead to a decrease in cost for you and less work for your procurement team.

Protection Against Exposure: Another added benefit of flex material within the rigid flex designs is the protection it offers itself throughout the longevity of its life against UV rays, radiation exposure, and harmful chemicals that may be a variable that needs consideration.

Reach me out if your pending projects need using rigid flex PCBs or flexible PCBs.

The original link: https://resources.altium.com/pcb-design-blog/rigid-flex-pcbs-and-your-future-smart-effective-designing