Printed Circuit Boards

Printed circuit boards have made great strides in electrical engineering. However, they are still vulnerable to damage due to physical challenges and exposure to heat, moisture, corrosives, and dust. As a result, the manufacturing process has had to change over the years to make the process more durable and reliable. One such change came from shrink wrap. Shrink wrap was first used in the 1950s to protect circuits in the aerospace industry.

With the gradual move towards flexibility, printed circuit boards have been able to adopt the flexible option as well. Flexible components allow manufacturers to create a large range of electrical solutions. In this new age, flexible components make up the majority of printed circuit boards.

Some of the components that manufacturers find more useful include flex, fr4 epoxy laminate, and thermoplastic olefin. These have increased the functionality of printed circuit boards by providing additional electrical performance. For instance, fr4 epoxy laminate has increased the ability of these boards to resist impact by 40 percent compared to printed circuit boards with non-fluid mediums. Thermoplastic olefin provides additional electrical performance features by improving the thermal conductivity. The combination of these two features can provide higher temperature resistance, which ensures that the electronic component is free from overheating.

Another technological improvement seen recently was the appearance of single-layer PCBs. Single layer boards offer a variety of benefits. For instance, they do not have the top layer or substrate exposed, which makes them less susceptible to scratching and gouging. Moreover, they offer a higher cost-efficiency as they do not require the production of two identical components, which saves time and adds to the overall manufacturing cost.

Another important development in the field of printed circuit boards is the use of non-conductive substrate. This term refers to any material that does not contain a conductive layer, which reduces the electrical conductivity. Non-conductive PCBSs are usually made from a composite of materials such as phenolic, ferric, and semiconducting elements. PCBSs with thin layers are used to reduce the weight and increase the connectivity of the board.

Flexible printed circuit boards are another form of PCBS that has become popular recently. Flex printed circuit boards are made of a single sheet of material that can be bent into different shapes. As its name suggests, flexible PCBSs are stretchy, which enables them to be applied to different form factors. Common uses for flexible PCBSs are for flexing the connection and heat dissipation of electronic components. Some of the manufacturers of flexible PCBSs include Rheem and Tefal.