Heavy Copper Printed Circuits

Heavy copper PCB manufacturers will check with customers and find out what their requirements are, and match the thick copper PCB fabrication process to specific needs. It will be important to know, for example, the component type, layer count, and material requirements. The thick copper PCB manufacturer can quote the customer and present the pros and cons of using thick copper PCB. Advances in technology have created a process that utilizes both plating and edging.

A thick copper PCB is identified as a PCB with a copper thickness of 3 oz per ft2 to 10 oz per ft2 in the outer and inner layers. A thick copper PCB is produced with copper weights ranging from 4 oz per ft2 to 20 oz per ft2. The improved thick copper weight, along with a thicker plating and appropriate substrate in the through-holes can change a weak board into a long-lasting and dependable wiring platform. Thick copper conductors can increase the entire PCB thickness considerably. The thick copper thickness should always be considered during the circuit design stage. The current-carrying capacity is determined by the width and thickness of thick copper PCB.

The resolution will be quite good as the thick copper PCB manufacturer is only etching two ounces of copper foil. To plate that thick, multiple layers of the dry film will be sequentially layered on three to ten times and then imaged and developed, creating very deep dry film trenches to plate copper up. The plating of ten ounces of thick copper is quite slow, taking forty-five minutes per ounce, so the heavy copper PCB will be expensive but can carry hundreds of amps.