Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1183414
80 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2019 Flex Technology Advancing Almost Daily What the Flex? by Andy Shaughnessy, I-CONNECT007 I've been out covering industry conferences and trade shows lately. Most of the designers I meet are rigid board designers, but at every event, I run into a handful of designers who are designing flex and rigid-flex circuits. One thing I noticed: The flex folks can mo- nopolize a conversation without even trying. When a designer starts talking about using flex, maybe during a break at a conference, many of the rigid board designers gather around, bagels and coffee in hand, eager to hear more. The rigid designers often start lobbing questions at the flex designers, usually about the materials, process, and cost. They ask for business cards, and a recommendation for a good flex fabrica- tor to help get their plans off the ground. Flexible circuits still make up only a small minority of the total, but many designers and design engineers have their eyes on the flex space. They're designing boards for products