48 The PCB Design Magazine • June 2017
that was demonstrating with a flexible circuit.
All About Flex: FAQs for Extended-Length
Flexible Circuits
Extended-length flexible circuits are larger than
typically offered sizes in the interconnect industry.
The length of these oversized circuits can be any-
where from two to 10 feet or longer. A long, con-
tinuous flexible circuit can offer design advantages
over using normal sized circuits.
Ding Cheng of BYD Electronic: Embracing
the FPC Factory Model of the Future
The topic of the third issue of PCB007 China Mag-
azine is "The Wide World of Flex." Around this
theme, we asked one of the leaders of China's FPC
industry, Ding Cheng, general manager of the FPC
Division of Shenzhen BYD Electronic Parts Com-
pany, to share his perspective about trends in flex.
Weiner's World—April 2017
China's economy accelerated for a second-straight
quarter as investment picked up, retail sales re-
bounded, and factory output accelerated in
March. Gross domestic product increased 6.9% in
the first quarter from a year earlier, compared with
a 6.8% median estimate in a Bloomberg survey.
All About Flex:
Origami Interconnection
Origami is the art of folding paper; it was believed
to have originated in Japan, but historical evidence
suggests it existed in several parts of the world
during the same period. Origami artistry starts
with a flat sheet of paper and by making a series of
folds and creases, the result is a three-dimensional
figure.
The Right Approach: Finding the Next
Generation of 'Board Rats'
Owners of printed circuit board shops across the
country are united in their top concern for their
businesses: finding new talent. While this problem
crosses all industries, what is unique is the com-
plexity and learning curve of our business.
Standard of Excellence: The Advantages
of Flex and Rigid-Flex Circuits
Since their introduction, flexible and rigid-flex cir-
cuits have been steadily moving from the fringe of
electronic interconnection towards its center. To-
day, flex and rigid-flex circuits are found in count-
less products from the very simple to the highly
complex.
TTM Shines a Light on
Optical Interconnect
Are embedded optics on PCBs set to make a break-
through in the upcoming years? According to Dr.
Craig Davidson, VP of Corporate Technology at
TTM, it might be closer than you'd expect. In a re-
cent interview with the I-Connect007 team, Craig
outlines TTM's current pursuit of high-volume
manufacturing lines able to deliver embedded op-
tical interconnect and other insights.
Punching Out! Selling a Company—
Seeing it as a Triumph, Not a Defeat
Somehow, there is a still a stigma that selling a
company is a negative for the owner. Many people
think that there must be something wrong, other-
wise, they would not be selling. However, exiting
a business should be looked at as a triumph for the
owner, not a defeat.
Material Choices for High-Speed
Flexible Circuits
High-speed flexible circuits materials are now avail-
able from many suppliers. In deciding which mate-
rials to test or use, remember the tradeoffs the sup-
pliers made in categories we discussed: electrical
properties, mechanical/flex properties, and ease
of processing. A choice should only be made after
considering these options.
Flex Talk: Squink—Integrating Fabrication
and Assembly in One Package
When walking through trade show expos, I tend
to be drawn into product demonstrations on the
show floor. Recently, at IPC APEX EXPO, I stopped
in front of a piece of desktop printing equipment
PCB007
Highlights
