The Reasons Most Modern Devices Use Rigid Flex PCB as Their Primary Printed Circuit Board

With today’s technological advancements, there are many innovations in terms of modern devices that we are using in our daily life. The modern devices that are available today offer better features when compared to the same devices released 10 to 20 years ago. Laptops, TVs, phones, computers, medical devices, GPS devices, and many other devices have undergone certain innovations and design improvements that make them look more futuristic, more compact, more inspiring, and more appealing.

One reason companies or brands can offer their products with all the modern features and design improvements today is because of the use of rigid flex PCBs as the primary printed circuit boards for their products. In the past, various electronic products, such as FM radios, CD players, notebooks, and many others, used the rigid circuit board as their primary board. However, nowadays, the use of rigid flex PCBs is becoming even more common, as the rigid flex PCB offers the flexibility and durability that the regular circuit boards couldn’t offer. Here are the reasons most modern devices use the rigid flex PCB as their primary printed circuit board:

1. Rigid flex pcb support the Smaller and More Compact Device Dimension

The first reason most modern devices use the rigid flex PCB as their primary printed circuit board is that it can fit into the smaller and more compact device dimension. As technology progresses, many devices are getting smaller and more compact nowadays. With the smaller and more compact device dimension, the regular printed circuit board will no longer fit into the device form factor of most modern devices today. Thus, many companies will need to use the flexible PCB, which offers the compact form factor that fits into the design of modern devices today.

Another benefit of using the rigid flex PCB is that it offers flexible placement within the device, so you can get creative on how you would use the rigid flex printed circuit board for the device you are producing. Also, with the different form factors and designs, the rigid flexible board is becoming even more important to use, as you can design the PCB to fit with the basic design of the device no matter how compact it is, whether you are using it in smartphones, laptops, cameras, computer keyboards, or any other devices.

2. Rigid flex pcb with Flexible Placement around the Device Internals

When compared to the regular circuit board, the flex-rigid PCB has the primary advantage of providing you with the flexible placement around the device internals. The reason is that the PCB materials used in the flexible circuit board are bendable and durable, making it easier for you to put it anywhere around the device internals. You can’t do this with the regular printed circuit board. The regular printed circuit board will need to have a fixed placement around the device internals, and you often can’t change its placement.

The flexibility of rigid flex PCB allows companies to create various types of devices with the design variations that meet with their quality standards and preferences. They don’t need to worry that the printed circuit board they are using won’t fit into the product design they’ve created. Thus, it encourages creativity and innovation for the design team to create the device design that meets with the taste of their consumers or audience without worrying about not being able to fit in the circuit board to the end product.

3. Rigid flex pcb with Faster Assembly Time

A flex rigid printed circuit board also allows the manufacturers to assemble it faster. The reason is that the rigid-flex PCB has fewer cables and connectors to use, meaning that they can save some time in the assembly process. Also, the manufacturers can get the bulk of rigid flex PCBs done faster than the regular PCBs because connecting different components in a rigid flex circuit board is much easier and faster to do thanks to its simpler assembly process.

A faster assembly time for the rigid flex PCBs can help manufacturers meet the demands of their clients, even when their clients place the bulk order for the flex-rigid circuit boards and ask the manufacturers to get it done fast. The assembly process of the rigid flex PCB, while it still requires great care, is much easier to complete for the manufacturers, which gives the reason for companies to produce better devices with modern features and compact designs for the end users.

4. Rigid flex pcb provide the Better Connection Reliability

The rigid-flex PCBs use materials that are bendable and durable. Aside from providing the flexibility feature, each flex-rigid circuit board uses durable materials that ensure the best performance for any device that uses it. For instance, you can use the rigid flex circuit board for the modern devices with rough everyday uses without worrying about the internal connections inside the board becoming malfunctioned. The reason is that flex-rigid PCBs have better connection reliability, as they use flexible printed circuits as opposed to the traditional soldering and wiring used in the regular circuit boards.

The flexible printed circuits are the connection method that replaces the need to use soldering and wires in the rigid flex circuit boards. In the rigid flex PCBs, the flexible printed circuits can keep the stable connection between different components in the device internals, and it won’t get damaged even when the device gets subjected to constant vibrations, mechanical stresses, high temperatures, and rough treatments.

5. Rigid flex pcb with the Cheaper Assembly Costs

With flex rigid PCBs, you don’t need to use various types of connectors and wires to connect all the components together. So, you can save plenty of money in the rigid flex PCB fabrication, as you don’t need to add additional costs for unnecessary soldering, wires, cables, and other materials. You will use the flexible printed circuits in the assembly process of the rigid flex boards, which are cheaper to manufacture and have the same function as the traditional wires and cables.

The cheaper assembly costs can also become one reason for companies to use rigid flex PCBs more in their modern devices, as they can lower the costs for their overall manufacturing process for their products. With the costs being down, they can also provide cheaper products for the consumers, which can help them boost their brand name in the market today.

Many consumers nowadays are looking to buy smartphones, laptops, and other modern devices with a cheaper price and more features. The companies or brands can respond to the demands of the consumers today thanks to the use of rigid flex PCBs, which helped them lower the overall costs in their manufacturing process.

6. Rigid flex pcb support Fewer Cables and Connectors

With the fewer cables and connectors to use, the use of the rigid flex circuit board can reduce the complexity of the device internals and make everything simpler to build and manufacture. Most of the time, the many cables and connectors you need to connect in the regular circuit board become the reason for the manufacturers to spend more time in the assembly and manufacturing process for the board. Also, the more cables and connectors in the circuit board, the more chance the board can create certain issues during use.

However, with the fewer cables and connectors in the rigid flex PCBs, the manufacturers don’t need to deal with the complexities of building the board. The primary use of connectors and cables in the rigid flex circuit board will get replaced by a more durable system called the flexible printed circuits, which can also prevent various problems that often appear in the regular circuit boards, such as overheating, loose wires, connection breakdown, and so on.

7. Rigid flex pcb support Higher Signal Transmission Speed

There are many modern devices that use certain types of signal transmission to communicate with each other, such as smartphones, laptops, GPS devices, and many others. Rigid flex PCBs are the type of circuit boards to carry out this function with the best performance. With its flexible and durable materials, rigid-flex circuit boards are the best type of circuit boards you can use for signal transmission in various modern devices. The modern devices that use the communication features can use the rigid flex PCBs to carry out their transmission process with minimal or no issues.

Also, rigid flex circuit boards can provide a higher signal transmission speed when compared to the regular circuit boards. The higher transmission speed is necessary in today’s daily communications, such as when we need to use certain devices to transmit data packets at high speed. This is the reason modern devices such as laptops, smartphones, smart TVs, and many others use the rigid flex PCBs to accommodate the need for a higher signal transmission speed.

Conclusion

You have learned about the reasons most modern devices use the rigid flex PCB as their primary printed circuit board. Aside from the flexibility and durability that it offers, the rigid flex circuit board also offers cheaper assembly and manufacturing costs, which is the reason many companies or brands prefer to use this type of circuit board in their device manufacturing process. Also, you can use the rigid flex PCB in various design form factors, which makes it even easier for companies or brands to come up with their preferred design choice for their products.

Hemeixin PCB offers the rigid flex PCB manufacturing services for the companies or brands that are interested in placing the bulk order of rigid flex PCBs for their commercial products. You can contact our customer service for further inquiries and to discuss your requirements and needs with us.