Rigid-Flex PCB vs. Rigid and Flex PCB–By Hitech Circuits

As the name implies, rigid-flex boards are a hybrid of rigid-flex boards, combining the advantages of both while eliminating many of the limitations of each. Rigid-flex boards combine flexible materials with rigid materials by layering a flexible circuit substrate inside a rigid circuit board material, ultimately combining the versatility of a flexible circuit with the stability, strength, and circuit routing density of a rigid PCB. This hybrid opens up a range of possibilities for more complex, mechanically challenging designs.

Rigid-flex boards are a way to simplify electronic design by eliminating flexible cables, connectors, and discrete wiring. Rigid-flex boards offer improved electrical performance compared to their counterparts because the circuits are an integral part of the overall structure. All electrical and mechanical connections are contained inside the rigid-flex board, providing electronic designers with greatly improved service reliability and electrical performance.

While they are generally more expensive than flexible and rigid boards, the reliability, weight reduction, strength, and space-saving advantages of rigid-flex boards are often desirable in certain applications and are superior to any other electronic packaging technology. Ultimately, rigid-flex PCBs offer the best of both rigid and flexible PCBs in one solution. Advantageous applications for rigid-flex PCBs include:

High reliability applications. Connectors with flex cables are more susceptible to failure if the assembly is exposed to excessive or repeated shock or high vibration environments. Rigid-flex PCBs offer excellent reliability even in extreme vibration and shock applications.

High-density applications. It is sometimes impossible to fit all the cables and connectors required for an electronic PCB design within a small enclosure. Rigid-flex boards can be folded into very small and very thin profiles, saving a lot of space in these situations.

Five or more rigid boards. If your application ultimately involves five or more rigid boards connected to each other by flexible cables, an integrated rigid-flex solution is often the best and most cost-effective option.

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