The most obvious benefit to a Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC) is the ability to bend and flex in order to allow for three dimensional packaging. However, the flexibility of an FPC is not always inherent in the design. When looking at a Flex circuit in a 2-D fashion, that is...
In the mid-1990s, the landscape of electronic manufacturing in the United States was thriving. The rapid growth of telecommunication infrastructure and the increasing demand for portable electronics and automotive applications created a fertile ground for companies to expand their capacity and experience low unemployment rates. Research and Development (R&D) departments...
Despite an abundance of literature about oven reflow soldering, PICA has found that setting up a reflow profile remains a challenge to many. The following post is intended to provide process engineers with hands-on recommendations. Reflow processes are generally defined by their heat application methods. Common examples include convection, infra-red (IR),...
I was recently visiting a client to discuss a new flex circuit application. They were trying to fit 10 pounds of electronics into an existing 5 pound package by utilizing flex circuit technology without making any changes to the current overall industrial design package. Everything had to fit into the...
While mass soldering processes dominate soldering applications, hand soldering remains critical in electronics manufacturing. Existing processes (e.g. convection oven reflow, vapor phase, wave flow, selective wave flow, etc.) are very efficient and offer high volume capacity but may not always be suitable. One of these special situations is when the...
So you need a flex circuit but your application demands a black substrate to keep the light out? There was a time when you simply could not get what you wanted. Times have changed. The need for colors other than the typical amber for FPCs has grown over the years...
Ever increasing signal speeds and high noise environments make EMI/RFI shielding an essential requirement for FFC’s (Flat Flexible Cables). PICA can offer various shielding options. The least expensive option is a foil laminated to the outside of the cable. This can be applied to one or both sides. The foil shield...
