Most of new PCB designers have questions and confusion on the stiffener on the Flex PCB design,today let’s talk about more about the flex circuits stiffeners.
What is flex circuits Stiffeners?
Stiffeners are materials which added to a flex circuit to rigidize some particular areas on the flex PCB board.Normally Rigidizing is recommended under SMT components to ensure a good PCB assembly quality of SMT components
Felxible PCB stiffener’s common usage application:
- To Rigidize Component & Connector areas
- ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) Thickness Requirements
- Localized Bend Constraint(s)
Component or Connector Stiffeners
Function:
- Creates a localized rigid area where components / connectors are attached.
- Protects solder joints by preventing bending of the flex in component area.
Material Options:
- FR4, Polyimide, Aluminum, Stainless Steel
- Variety of thicknesses available
- Attachment methods:
- Thermally bonded with flex adhesive
- Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA)
ZIF Stiffeners
Function:
- Localized thickness increase at contact fingers to meet specific ZIF connector specifications.
Material Options:
- Polyimide Only
- Variety of thicknesses available to meet specific design requirements
- Attachment methods:
- Thermally Bonded with flex adhesive only
Localized Bend Constraints Stiffeners
Function:
- Restrict bend area(s) to specific location(s) in a flex design to either facilitate final assembly, achieve specific bend requirement(s) or other end use requirement.
Material Options:
- FR4, Polyimide
- Variety of thicknesses available
- Attachment methods:
- Thermally Bonded with flex adhesive
- Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA)