What Materials Are at the Forefront of Wearable Technology?

Posted on by Love FPC

If you were to go to your doctor’s office today for a routine physical, the first five minutes would involve getting your blood pressure taken, taking your pulse, and getting your temperature. In the future, wearable technology may allow you to upload all of this crucial data to your doctor instantly from the devices and sensors already woven into your clothing or even tattooed on your body.

Wearable technology is evolving at a breakneck speed, with the help of advances in flexible printed circuit boards. One of the biggest challenges researchers and manufacturers face when devising wearable technology is creating materials that can flex and stretch while also maintaining conductivity and connections with the different circuits.

FPC in the wearable

FPC in the wearable

Developing just the right materials is a crucial piece in the future of wearable technology.

What Materials Work Best with Wearable Technology?

Wearable technology is a big category and includes everything from patches that can be layered onto skin to coats, shirts, and even sports bras. Each iteration of wearable technology offers unique challenges when finding the right materials.

Graphene

Graphene is a popular material choice, because it is an excellent conductor of electricity and also very flexible. Graphene offers an important alternative to wearables that rely on rigid components that can’t flex well. Researchers are actively experimenting with ways to blend graphene-based inks into cotton cloth.

Thermoplastics

Another option is the thermoplastic polyurethane, a highly adaptable plastic material. Already, a German company is using polyurethane to develop wearable skin patches that are breathable and hypoallergenic. Another thermoplastic polymere called polyethylene terephthalate (PET) offers excellent transparency, good flexibility, and is easy to fabricate.

Soft Silicones

The latest material innovations has been the development of soft silicone elastomers. Not only do these materials offer great flexibility, but they are prized for their ability to conform to a wide variety of shapes and textures. This puts them at the forefront of stretchable, wearable sensors. Some of the top soft silicone elastomers are: EcoFlex®, DragonSkin®, and Silbione®.

The field of wearable technology materials is advancing at breakneck speed. Here at Best Technology, we are keeping on top of these trends so that we can continue providing the most advanced flexible printed circuit boards to our customers.

flexible circuits

flexible circuits

Queries to Ask When Choosing a Flex PCB Prototype Manufacturer

Posted on by Love FPC

Most of today’s flex PCB manufacturing process begins with a prototype production. There are several advantages of building a working model of the flex circuit before attempting the mass production of these boards. Building a prototype not only helps to test the board’s function but also aids in improving it as per the requirement. Additionally, prototype creation helps in detecting errors at the earliest, and decide upon the final design and other specifications of the board. Since prototype creation plays such a decisive role, it must be executed by an experienced service provider. But, how to find an experienced service provider? Do not worry, you can evaluate the competencies of flex PCB prototype making by asking a few questions such as:

flexible pcb

flexible pcb

1.How long have you been providing Flex PCB prototypes to the customers: Although the question seems basic, it helps to evaluate the total experience of the manufacturer. A PCB manufacturer with several years of experience will be certainly equipped and professional enough to understand your prototype requirements than a startup.

2.How long will you take to complete the prototype making from the order accepted date? Although the turnaround time varies as per the capabilities of the manufacturer, the manufacturer must be able to create Flex PCB Prototypes in 24 to 48 hours or within a week’s team. More than the said time frame is not usually acceptable when it comes to prototype creation.

3.What are the quality standards you implement to get the prototype right and functional? Again, standard and certification compliance varies across the industry. Since there are several international standards formulated to ensure the boards quality, you must know the quality standards followed by the chosen manufacturer.

flexible circuits

flexible circuits

4.Do you own a well-equipped manufacturing facility to proceed with the approved prototypes for mass production? There are some PCB production manufacturers that are specifically functioning to meet the prototype demands of the customers, and not in mass production. Lack of cutting-edge production facilities, advanced equipment, and man power are amongst a few reasons why such production houses limit their service to only prototyping. Hence, you must ensure the extent of their service.

5.What methods do you use to assure quality? It is inevitable to have the same level of quality checks throughout every stage of the flex PCB prototypes production. Hence, while choosing a PCB production manufacturer, it is extremely significant to ensure that they are performing the inspection stringently utilizing the best of techniques such as visual inspection, X-ray inspection, and Automated Optical Inspection.

Flex PCB prototypes can be extremely helpful as they help both the manufacturers and customers to check the board against various parameters before the mass production. Best Technology, your best supplier of flex PCB prototyping services with consistent good quality. Contact us to get a free quote today.

Space Is Money – How Flex PCB Can Help You Save Big

Posted on by Love FPC

In the electronics industry, the name of the game is lighter and smaller. Consumers want sleek, beautifully designed computers and gadgets that still pack a big computing wallop. That is to say, for designers, at least, space is money.

If you can make your product smaller and less bulky than the competition, you will gain the market advantage. Flex printed circuits boards (aka flexible circuits or flexible pcb) are designed to give you all the space you need to create innovative new product designs.

Now let me talk about the trouble with Rigid Printed Circuit Boards

If you’ve ever had to work with rigid printed circuit boards before, you know how much of a nightmare they can be. You have to find space for them and work the rest of the components around them. Flex printed circuit boards give you back control over your design. Because they can flex, you can fit them into smaller spaces, which frees up space for more components, that can make your product more powerful, more efficient, or both. They fold, twist, and roll, making it easy to find a spot for them. This also gives you the opportunity to place other parts in a better order for the most efficient sub-assembly possible. Better part placement refers to less energy waste, a longer battery life, a more solid overall configuration, and a better operating product. It also means you have control over how you map out the inner workings of your product for optimum setup.

In the fierce electronics industry, even a slightly better assembly can put you ahead of your competition and turn your product into a bestseller, while they get left in the dust.

Flex PCBs also weigh less. Even shaving off a few ounces on your product could make a noticeable difference that will make it easier for your customers to use it, wear it, and carry it. The more they want to interact with your device, the more hooked they’ll become.

Want to learn more about flex PCBs? Just contact Best Technology. Do not hesitate any more. We can explain how they work and help you determine if adding them to your next product will save you space and money.

Introduction to A Flexible Circuit Coverlay

Posted on by Love FPC

During the flexible printed circuit board manufacturing process, a flex circuit coverlay (aka coverfilm) is used to encapsulate and protect the external circuitry of a flexible circuit board.
A flexible circuit coverlay serves the exact same function as solder mask that is used on a rigid printed circuit board. The difference with a flex coverlay is the needed element of flexibility and durability it provides to the flex PCB design.
The coverlay consists of a solid sheet of polyimide with a layer of flexible adhesive that is then laminated under heat and pressurized to the circuit surfaces. The required component feature openings are mechanically created using drilling, routing, or laser cutting.
Typical coverlay thickness is 0.001″ polyimide with 0.001″ of adhesive. Thicknesses of 0.0005″ & 0.002″ are available, but only used as needed to meet specific design requirements.
For more information visit our website to learn more about our flex & rigid-flex PCB manufacturing process!

The Future of Flexible Circuits

Posted on by Love FPC

As predicted by Best Technology Co.,Ltd., the market for flexible circuits is going to continue to expand steadily in the future, just as it has been doing for the past three decades. The reasons for this are not hard to find, as, on one hand, flexible circuits continue to support the existing technology so important to different industries, while on the other hand, advanced flexible circuits are able to comfortably meet the futuristic demands being made by up-coming industries, including the military, avionics, aerospace, telecommunication, consumer electronics, medical, and automotive.

One of the latest applications that flexible circuits have independently triggered as an explosion is the wearable electronics market. Wearing electronics on the body essentially calls for comfort, and flexible circuits guarantee this. Some examples of wearable electronic applications prevalent on the market are wrist-worn activity and body function monitors, foot-worn sensors, wearable baby monitors, medical sensors, pet monitors, and electronics on worn clothing. By bending and forming flexible circuits to suit the curve of the human body, the applications provide comfort for long wear and use.

Since establishment on June 28, 2006, Best Technology has been dedicated to being your best partner of flexible circuits solutions for our customers. We prefer to lose quantity rather than lose quality and with adhering to the company culture for so many years, more and more customers have been attracted by us. We are so grateful for what we have obtained so far and we will insist on providing the most satisfactory products and services for our customers. Welcome to Best Technology.

When You Want Your Flex Circuit Boards on Time

Posted on by Love FPC

If you have a new product launch on the books, and it’s going to be a big project. Your PR department is already spinning the press release, and your marketing department has been laying the groundwork for months. Suddenly, your flex circuit board vendor says that they’re running two weeks behind. That’s not a problem, is it?

As a business owner, you can’t afford to miss a product launch deadline or to run out of inventory when your customers are eager for your products. That means every single step in your supply chain must be reliable. If one vendor falls behind, the entire system grounds to a halt, meaning costly delays or mad scrambling, which is unacceptable.

Then,when you are seeking for vendors, consistency is the key. At Best Technology, we understand how important it is to meet your deadline. We are experts in manufacturing flexible circuit boards and rigid flex circuits based on the highest quality standards and we have accumulated much experiences since our establishment on June 28, 2006. We also own an excellent shipping department capable of getting your order to you on time wherever you are. You can rest assured we will not fall behind and cause delays!

If you are looking for a new flex circuit vendor or are unsatisfied with your current vendor, contact us today. We will give you a surprise.

Imaging Process for Flexible Circuits

Posted on by Love FPC

One of the first steps in manufacturing a flexible circuit is to build a circuitry pattern. In order to define the circuit pattern correctly, one needs to understand the basic process for building a circuit. Processes tend to fall in one of the following two categories:

1. Subtractive

The substrate begins with copper bonded to the dielectric, the unnecessary metal is removed; the remaining metal defines the circuit traces. The basic process steps for a subtractive process are:

Create resist pattern

Etch away exposed metal

Remove resist

Continue to process

Many possible methods are adopted for the creating the resist pattern, the following are two of the more common ones.

I. Screen Print

Screen print resist pattern

Cure resist

Etch

Remove resist

II. Photo Image

Apply resist coating

Photo expose image onto resist

Develop away unexposed resist

Etch

Remove resist

Screen printing stands for a tool made by forming a negative of the desired pattern on a woven screen mesh. The resist material is pushed through the open mesh and forms the circuit pattern on the substrate. The initial state of the resist material is normally a paste or semi-liquid. After the material is applied to the substrate, the resist needs to be cured. The cured resist protects the covered copper areas during the etching process.

In regards to photo imaging, a photo tool is created that is the negative of the desired pattern. The photo tool is placed over the resist coated substrate and flooded with a UV light. The photo tool allows the light to cure the resist where the pattern is to be created and blocks the light everywhere else. The UV light causes a chemical reaction in the resist and transforms it to have the chemical and physical properties to withstand the etching process. The developing solution strips away all the “un-cured resist” exposing the bare copper to be etched away.

2.Additive

The substrate begins with just the bare dielectric (possibly with a seed coating), the metal is added to the surface to directly form the circuit pattern. The basic process steps are:

Apply conductive material

Cure conductive material

Continue to process

The additive material is usually a paste and is often applied by screen printing. The applied paste is then cured to reach its optimal properties. Materials that have outstanding conductive properties tend to require very high temperatures to cure. The dielectric substrate for flexible materials is a limiting element for the temperature level and tends to restrict the types of additive materials that are used to create a circuit pattern. Generally speaking, the electrical, physical and chemical properties of this type of circuit are significantly lower than the properties achieved via the subtractive process.

Best Technology’s Outdoor Activity in the Phoenix Mountain

Posted on by Love FPC

On September 21, all the staff in Best Technology came to the famous Phoenix Mountain under the leadership of Peter, our general manager.

This is a meaningful journey. We picked vegetables, cut up vegetables and cooked vegetables, the dishes were so delicious as to leave a deep impression on all the staff.

During the activity, we were divided into three groups. Each group was guided by one leader, everyone shared out the work and cooperated with one another. So it just took us 2 hours to finish up all the process before we can taste the delicious food in the end.

What is worthy of being mentioned is that Peter, as a general manager of Best Technology, can even make so many dishes, which were very tasty. He was so versatile that each of us felt great belief on Best Technology.

In such a competitive circumstances, the reason why Best Technology can keep growing can not do without the guidance of Peter and endeavor of every member. During the activity in the Phoenix Mountain, it was witnessed that everyone took an active part in it and cooperated with each other eye to eye.

Thanks to this activity, everyone got to know each other better, which will be conductive to the subsequent communication and work. Expect Best Technology will become stronger and stronger.

Thank You For Visiting Our Stand on PCB West 2019 in Santa Clara USA

Posted on by Love FPC

10 September 2019

We would like to take the opportunity to thank all our clients and business partners for visiting Best Technology at PCB West Exhibition this year.

We hope you enjoy your visit and the hospitality offered at our stand.

The exhibition gave us the opportunity to show the different PCB we can make.

Here are the pictures we took in the show for your reference.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or feedback that you would like to share.

We hope you can get something interest and helpful on your work from this exhibition. We look forward any feedback from you , also expect seeing you again in next show, you are also welcome to visit us at any time.

Best Technology’s Exhibition in SANTA CLARA

Posted on by Love FPC

Best Technology will be participating in PCB West exhibition at the convention center in SANTA CLARA on Tuesday, 10th, September 2019. PCB West attracts nearly 3,000 visitors comprising of designers and engineers and more than 100 exhibitors each year.

Exhibition poster

You will see 10mm to 1,500 mm flexible circuit board, from 2 layer rigid-flex circuit to 50 layers, 1/2 OZ copper to 3 OZ, 0.15mm extra thin FR4 PCB to 30 OZ heavy copper, turn-key service includes FPC, PCB, MCPCB, Ceramic PCB, components purchasing, Product Assembly.  Welcome to see how much we can save your time, your money!

Exhibition-1

Don’t miss out on an opportunity to visit the Best Technology booth and find out more about the technology, services and solutions that we can deliver to you and your customers.
BEST TECHNOLOGY BOOTH NUMBER: 603

Exhibition-2

Feel free to get in touch with us to schedule a meeting ahead of time at sales@bestfpc.com