Evolving technology trends emphasize customization in rigid-flex PCBs

Rigid-flex PCB makers keep up with requirements for types that support increasingly complex circuits in smaller and thinner designs.

Continuous upgrades in consumer, wearable, medical and military electronics spur manufacturers of rigid-flex PCBs in mainland China to sustain efforts to improve capability to meet any specification. Companies focus on being able to turn out not only conventional products but also those that match advances in circuit designs and miniaturization in these applications, especially in the growing wearables and robotics markets.

Most have in-house teams dedicated to development work on own and buyer-directed initiative. Customization is still the majority's bread and butter, representing more than 80 percent of output.

Suiwa High Technology Electronic Industries (Xiamen) Co. Ltd employs an R&D department with more than 80 members to cater to diverse custom orders. It can achieve holes as small as 0.1mm, and inner dielectric layer as thin as 0.0275mm, plated-through holes 8µm and boards 0.057mm.

Local suppliers are improving techniques by introducing advanced production and test equipment as well. Shenzhen X-Mulong Circuit Co. Ltd spent $2.9 million in 2018 on automatic screen printing and hole size testing, and high-speed drilling machines. It will buy more machinery as needed in coming years.

Manufacturers have been boosting output by 10 to 15 percent annually amid climbing demand for rigid-flex PCBs in mobile, wearable and automotive electronics, LCD TVs and medical equipment. This trend will continue, but many will lower the rate of increase a bit to about 10 percent in the next one or two years.

For suppliers such as Suiwa, which expanded turnout by 20 percent in 2018, there will be no slowdown. Compeq, a major Taiwan PCB maker operating in the mainland, has invested $162 million in a new factory in Chongqing municipality, which will be churning out mainly HDI and rigid-flex types. This is while its existing plant in Huizhou in Guangdong province will bolster capacity by 20 to 30 percent in 2019.

Domestic companies allocate between 10 and 40 percent of yield for overseas destinations, mainly Europe, the US, the Asia-Pacific region, Russia and South America. Most will maintain a 5 to 10 percent increase in exports through 2020.

The mainland is a key source of rigid-flex PCBs, accounting for 50 percent of global output. More than 100 companies constitute the segment and two-thirds are locally owned. They are based in Shenzhen and Zhongshan in Guangdong, Xiamen in Fujian and Kunshan in Jiangsu. The major players include Shenzhen Kinwong, Sun & Lynn, Shenzhen JZH and Shenzhen Suntak. The line represents between 10 and 30percent of production.

More PCB suppliers are expected to venture into manufacturing of rigid-flex kinds.

Single-sided to multilayer types

Suppliers offer rigid-flex PCBs in single-, double-sided and multilayer variants. The last includes units with three, four, five, six, eight, 10 and 12 layers.

All types are made of FR-4 material or polyimide and have ENIG, OSP, HASL, or immersion gold, tin or silver surface finish. The typical minimum specifications are 2mil for the line width and spacing, and 0.2mm for the holes. The maximum board size that can be produced is 250x410mm and the maximum thickness 0.45mm.

Makers turn to local or foreign providers of copper-clad laminates, flexible copper-clad laminates, FR-4 materials, polyimide and PET. The major sources include Shengyi, Kingboard, Taiflex and AEM.

The cost of manufacturing inputs is expected to remain stable in coming months. Climbing labor cost, however, may force some companies to increase product prices by less than 5 percent.

The products in this gallery have been handpicked by our China-based market analyst for representing current trends in rigid-flex PCBs from China makers.

Rigid-flex PCB with up to 16 layers

Shenzhen Kingford Technology Co. Ltd's model 2018-05-18-07--#6617 rigid-flex PCB comes in 1 to 16-layer variants. It has an FR-4 and polyimide base, and adopts HAL, HASL, lead-free HASL, ENIG, immersion silver or tin, OSP or hard gold-plated surface finish. The unit has 3mil minimum line width and spacing, and 0.0762mm hole size.

The negotiable minimum order has a delivery lead time of 6 days.

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6-layer rigid-flex PCB uses 20µm copper

This 6-layer rigid-flex PCB from Shenzhen X-Mulong Circuit Co. Ltd, XML-6L-G0035 model, has an RoHS-compliant Tg180 FR-4 base, 2/2oz final copper, immersion gold or ENIG surface finish and green solder mask. The unit with 1.6mm±10 percent thickness has 4mil minimum line width and spacing, as small as 0.2mm holes and 20µm minimum copper thickness on holes.

The minimum order is negotiable. Delivery lead time is 10 days.

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Rigid-flex PCB has sandwich structure, ENIG finish

Model RF-PCB-001 6-layer rigid-flex PCB with ENIG finish uses an FCCL material and a polyimide or FR-4 base. The sandwich-structured unit has a board thickness of 0.057 to 0.6mm, 0.1mm finished vias and 0.1 to 5mm punched holes.

The order quantity is negotiable and delivered within 10 days.

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Rigid-flex PCB with 2.95mil minimum line width, spacing

For industrial control boards, Viasion Technology Co. Ltd's model VP108 6-layer rigid-flex PCB uses high-Tg FR-4 and kapton materials, 1oz copper and immersion gold surface finish. The unit with blind and buried vias has 1.6mm board thickness, 2.95mil minimum line width and spacing, and 0.1mm minimum drill size.

The minimum order is negotiable. Delivery lead time is 7 days.

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