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(Combined Rigid + Flex)
One board replaces multiple PCBs and all the connectors between them — enabling 3D packaging, eliminating assembly failure points and fitting electronics into geometries no other board technology can achieve.
One board that bends, folds and mounts components
A rigid-flex PCB combines rigid FR4 sections (for component mounting and connector termination) with continuous polyimide flex regions (for routing between rigid sections) — all in a single laminated assembly.
The critical advantage over separate rigid boards connected by cables or ZIF connectors is the elimination of those connectors. Every board-to-board interface in your assembly is a potential failure point — mechanical fretting, corrosion, tolerance stack-up and mating force fatigue all degrade connector reliability. Rigid-flex removes them permanently.
For medical, aerospace and wearable applications, rigid-flex also enables 3D fold geometries — the board conforms to the internal volume of your enclosure, rather than requiring the enclosure to be designed around a flat board.
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Three reasons engineers choose rigid-flex over multi-board assemblies
Rigid-flex changes the architecture of your product — not just the PCB type.
Eliminate Every Board-to-Board Connector
A single rigid-flex assembly replaces two or more rigid boards and the ZIF or board-to-board connectors between them. In a smartwatch, this means one board instead of three, and zero connector failure modes. In a surgical camera, it means continuous routing through the 3.5 mm scope shaft without a single connector in the signal path.
zero board-to-board connectors · reduced part count · lower field failure rate3D Packaging — The Board Fits the Enclosure
Rigid-flex boards fold, bend and wrap around internal structures. Avionics modules, satellite subsystems and wearable devices all use rigid-flex to pack electronics into fixed enclosure volumes that no flat PCB assembly can match. The fold geometry is designed as part of the PCB design, not approximated with cables and brackets.
3D fold geometry · mechanical integration · fits fixed enclosure volumeMass and Volume Reduction — Measurable, Not Estimated
Removing connectors, redundant PCB substrate layers and inter-board cables typically reduces assembly mass by 30–70% and volume by 40–60% compared to an equivalent multi-board assembly. For aerospace and wearable applications, these reductions are primary design requirements — not convenience features.
30–70% mass reduction · 40–60% volume reduction · aerospace & wearableFull rigid-flex PCB specification
Design and fabrication under one roof — no design-to-fab handoff. Fold geometry, transition zone and layer stack reviewed together.
Параметры изготовления
| Combined Layer Count | 2 – 20 layers (rigid + flex) |
| Flex Region Layers | 1 – 8 continuous flex layers |
| Min. Flex Bend Radius | 0.5 mm dynamic · 0.3 mm static |
| Flex Copper Type | Rolled Annealed (RA) for flex zones |
| Материал основания | Polyimide flex core + FR4 / High-Tg rigid |
Производительность и стандарты
| Via Types | Through-hole + buried/blind in rigid zones |
| Стандарт сборки IPC | Класс 2 по умолчанию - Класс 3 по запросу |
| Flex Cycle Rating | Millions dynamic · 100+ static |
| Отделка поверхности | ENIG / ENEPIG / OSP |
| Board Thickness (rigid) | 0,4 мм - 3,2 мм |
How rigid-flex PCB is manufactured
The most complex standard PCB construction — combining multilayer rigid and flexible processes in a single assembly.
Flex Core Preparation
Polyimide base with RA copper is patterned for flex region circuits. Coverlay is laminated to protect flex traces, leaving SMT pads exposed.
Rigid Build-up Lamination
FR4 or High-Tg prepreg layers are added over the rigid zones of the flex core in a precision multi-stack press cycle.
Drilling & Via Formation
Mechanical and laser drilling creates through-holes and blind vias. Only rigid zones receive blind vias — flex regions route continuously through all layers.
Finish, Test & 3D Verification
ENIG finish, 100% e-test and physical fold-to-form verification confirm the assembly fits its intended 3D geometry before shipment.
Where rigid-flex solves packaging problems
Any product with multiple PCBs connected by harnesses or connectors is a candidate for rigid-flex simplification.
Aerospace Avionics
Folded 3D avionics modules where mass and connector reliability are mission requirements.
Медицинские имплантаты
Rigid-flex for cardiac devices, cochlear implants and surgical cameras that must conform to body geometry.
Smartwatches & Wearables
Hinge-crossing rigid-flex replacing board-to-board connectors — reducing height and failure modes.
Cameras & Endoscopes
Multi-axis rotation in mirrorless cameras, action cameras and 3.5 mm endoscope shaft assemblies.
UAV & Drone Electronics
Flight controller boards that fold into airframe structures, reducing connector count and mass.
Military & Defense
Conformal assemblies for military radio, guidance and EW systems in fixed chassis volumes.
Satellites
Mass-optimised rigid-flex for satellite attitude control and deployable sensor arrays.
Industrial Robotics
Joint-crossing flex in collaborative robot arms and autonomous mobile robot sensor assemblies.
Rigid-flex quality — verified at both rigid and flex disciplines.
Rigid-flex boards must satisfy both IPC-6012 (rigid) and IPC-6013 (flex) criteria simultaneously. Our transition zone microsection — included on every qualification lot — confirms the interface integrity that field reliability depends on.
- IPC-6013Rigid-flex PCB qualification standard
- IPC-A-600 Класс 2 / 3Критерии приемлемости
- ISO 9001 : 2015Управление качеством, прошедшее аудит третьей стороной
- RoHS / REACHСоответствие требованиям ЕС по опасным веществам
Методы контроля и испытаний
- 100% Электрический тест - летающий зондВсе сети, все доски
- 100% AOI - все слоиАвтоматизированный оптический контроль
- Flex Cycling — Bend ZonePer IPC-TM-650 2.4.34 on qualification lots
- Microsection — Flex-to-Rigid TransitionTransition zone integrity verification
- Coverlay Peel StrengthPer IPC-TM-650 2.4.9
- X-Ray — Buried Via RegistrationLayer alignment in rigid zones
- TDR Impedance±5% on controlled rigid-zone lines
- 3D Form CheckPhysical fold and fit on qualification lot
Rigid-flex boards we have built
Real 3D packaging challenges — solved with rigid-flex.
Folded Avionics Module — 12-Layer
3 rigid zones + 2 flex regions, IPC Class 3, polyimide, fitting a 55×35×12 mm enclosure for a flight data recorder.
Passed DO-160 vibration and thermal qualification first attempt. Replaced 3-PCB + 2-connector assembly, reducing mass 38% and eliminating 2 connector failure modes.
3.5 mm Endoscope Camera Rigid-Flex
8-layer rigid-flex for a 3.5 mm scope — image sensor, LED driver and connection ribbon in one continuous assembly, biocompatible ENIG.
First-build physical fit confirmed at 3.5 mm diameter. EU Notified Body accepted regulatory documentation at first review.
Smartwatch — 0.55 mm Total Stack
6-layer rigid-flex, 0.55 mm total, 200,000 dynamic flex cycles at hinge, biocompatible ENIG, 0.4 mm BGA on SoC zone.
Watch case thinned 0.6 mm vs previous connector-based design. Zero coverlay delamination in 2-year production run.
Common questions about Rigid-Flex PCB
Technical questions about rigid-flex design, fabrication and transition zone engineering.
Traces in the flex region must run perpendicular to the bend axis — never parallel. Parallel traces in the bend zone experience pure tensile or compressive stress during bending and will fatigue and fracture. Perpendicular traces experience lateral stress, which the RA copper grain structure handles well. Our DFM review checks trace orientation in every flex region before fabrication begins.
In your Gerber/ODB++ package, include a separate layer defining the rigid and flex zones (typically called 'Flex Area' or 'Bend Region'). In your fabrication drawing, specify the bend axis, nominal bend radius, static vs dynamic flex classification, and stiffener requirements. Our DFM template provides a checklist — contact us for the latest version before starting your layout.
The flex region can have 1–8 continuous copper layers. Most wearable and medical rigid-flex designs use 2 or 4 flex layers. More layers in the flex region increase stiffness and require a larger minimum bend radius — our engineers calculate the required radius based on your copper weight and layer count during the DFM review.
Yes — blind and buried vias are available in the rigid zones. The flex region uses through-connections that continue as copper traces on the flex layers. Standard through-hole and blind/buried vias in rigid zones allow the same routing flexibility as a standard HDI rigid board. Microvias in rigid zones require additional press cycles and are quoted per design.
Dynamic flex regions are qualified to continuous bending through the specified bend radius over the specified number of cycles. We do not qualify fold angle directly — instead, the qualification is expressed as bend radius + cycle count. A 90° fold at 0.5 mm bend radius and 1 million cycles is a standard dynamic flex qualification. For other fold angles, the bend radius is the controlling parameter: smaller radius = higher stress = fewer cycles to failure.
Yes — for new rigid-flex designs, we offer a physical qualification unit fold verification service. The first-off board is folded to the nominal assembly geometry and photographed in the folded state. This confirms the board fits the intended enclosure before production quantities are released. Dimensional check reports are available on request.
Get your rigid-flex design reviewed — today.
Send your assembly drawing and schematic. Our rigid-flex engineers review your 3D fold geometry, transition zone and layer stack within 8 hours.
- Обзор DFM включен в каждый запрос
- Подписание NDA по запросу - стандартная практика
- Ответ в течение 8 рабочих часов
- Доступен 48-часовой экспресс-прототип
- Для получения предложения не требуется никаких обязательств
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