Flex PCB Factory Tour at King Kredie

Shenzhen Adventure Day 12

While we were doing the Engineering Query at King Kredie, we also got a special bonus tour: Flex PCB Manufacturing.

Flex PCB is kind of the future – as devices get smaller, a thick-old-green PCB is no longer practical unless it is also a structural element. Flex PCB’s, traditionally used more often as a custom connector, can be populated with components as well so are a really cool technique to experiment with.

The process is pretty different from traditional PCB etching.

You start with a big roll of copper foil.

Punch out a pattern using a big press.

The die looks like this:

Then you laminate it. The laminate sheet has also been punch cut appropriately.

An iron is used to bond the plastic laminate to the copper/backing laminate.

Then you (optionally) silkscreen print on

Alignment is not critical here.

Finished product:

This flexpcb has a stiff copper trace inside of it as well for rigidity on that axis

Later on, these will need to be cut out/depanelized.