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Single
Sided Flex (back to top)
Single sided flexible printed
circuits present a wide variety of benefits when
utilized in a system or package, most notable
being ease of design.
Consisting of a single layer of conductor laminated
to polyimide with the circuitry or traces accessible
from one side, single-sided flex can be manufactured
with or without coverlayers. Coverlayers act as
a protective barrier or dielectric and are usually
on the "top" side of the flex, depending
on the intended application or requirement.
Single-sided flex when compared to typical wiring
harnesses offer unmatched dynamic flexing ability,
particularly where applications demand repetitive
movement of the interconnected system or sub assemblies.
In many instances, single-sided flex is simply
used to create a "cleaner" or more organized
system than can be realized by wiring harnesses.
The leads of a single-sided flex are in fixed
position thereby making it possible to dramatically
reduce assembly errors related to mis-wired terminations.
Benefits of Single-Sided Flexible Printed Circuits:
- Simplified Design And Manufacture
- Low Acquisition Costs
- Minimized Interconnect Errors / Higher Reliability
/Reduced Assembly Costs
- Greater Durability When Used In Dynamic Applications
- Neater/Cleaner System Appearance
- Ability To Reduce Packaging Sizes
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Double
Sided Flex (back to top)
Double-sided flexible printed circuits offer
two conductor layers separated by a dielectric,
usually polyimide. Coverlayers may be used on one
or both sides. Plated through holes may or may not
be featured to interconnect traces on opposite sides
of the dielectric. Double-sided flex provide the
ability to access circuit traces from both the top
and bottom sides of the circuit offering greater
flexibility in design and functionality.
Properly designed and utilized, Double-sided flex
circuits offer the same level of dynamic flexing
(repetitive movement) as do single-sided flex, providing
a much wider range of application uses due to its
ability to carry more complex circuit layouts.
Benefits of Double-Sided Flexible Printed Circuits:
- Wider Circuit Design Parameters When Compared
To Single-Sided Flex
- Access To Circuit Traces From Both Sides Of
the Flex Configuration
- Reduced Assembly Costs Due To Minimized Interconnect
Errors
- Dynamic Flexing Ability
- Neater/Cleaner System Appearance
- Reduced Packaging Dimensions
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Multilayer
Flex (back to top)
Multilayer Flexible Printed Circuits feature three
or more layers of conductors separated by a dielectric,
usually polyimide, in which the internal conductors
can be interconnected by way of plated through
holes. As in the previous flex family members,
covercoats may be used on one or both sides. While
the number of conductor layers designed into this
type of flex are limitless, package size, layer
count vs. flexibility must be considered during
design layout to ensure ease of installation.
Typical multilayer flex circuits range from 3
to 6 layers of conductor.
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Rigid
Flex (back to top)
Rigid-Flex Printed Circuits traditionally consist
of multiple layers of both rigid and flexible
substrates laminated together into a single cohesive
construction, electrically interconnected by means
of plated through holes. Very prominent in the
design of military hardware in the past, rigid-flex
has recently gained a high degree of acceptance
in commercial avionics and automotive markets
as well. Rigid-flex typically provides a rigid
board in the component mounting area and a wide
range of flexure in the bend areas for ease of
installation.
Hybrid Flex / Cables incorporate single or multiple
combinations of Types I-5 Flexible Printed Circuits
(FPC) with single or multiple laminated Flat Flexible
Cables and/or rigid boards creating a cost-effective
solution to many price point sensitive interconnect
needs. Parallel conductor runs are manufactured
from FFC. Variable pattern conductors at the termination
ends are constructed from either a flexible printed
circuit or a traditional rigid board.
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Sculptured ®
Flex (back to top)
Sculptured ® Flexible Circuits are a combination
of single or double sided flex with plated through
holes (PTH) providing sculptured terminal-like pins
that are built-in and extending beyond the boundary
of the polyimide base material. These circuits can
mate directly with solder terminations or plug directly
into female sockets with an unlimited choice of
contact configurations and finishes including raised
pads to interface with SMT requirements. Cost savings
are realized by eliminating the need for purchasing
and attaching individual pins or connectors.
Benefits of Sculptured ®
Flexible Printed Circuits:
- Elimination Of Costly Connectors
- Reduction In Assembly Labor Costs
- Elimination Of Wiring/Connection Errors
- Improved System Reliability
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Extended, Flexible,
Printed Wiring Cable (back
to top)
StrataFlex Corporation
has developed, through its R&D initiatives
and processes, methodologies and the capability
to manufacture consistent multiple lots of 100'
extended length flexible printed wiring cables.
These cables were designed by StrataFlex Engineers
for our customers aerospace / avionics application.
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Assemblies (back
to top)
Turnkey, prototype, pre,
and full rate production of flexible printed circuit
interconnect solutions. Our services include initial
design, circuit fabrication, assembly and functional
testing. We custom assemble many of our customers
products to a wide range of connectors, terminations,
components and devices, providing automatic and
Mil. certified precision hand soldering. |
