Design007 Magazine

90 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2021 It is axiomatic that bending and folding are fundamental to flexible circuits. e reality is that most flex circuit applications are ones where the circuit is made to conform to the confines of the package that contains it to meet product design objectives. is matter is oen glossed over but it is oen very important to get the flex circuit to take on a reasonably per- manent shape to facilitate its installation into a housing. Bending flex circuits for static, form-to-fit applications is common; however, getting the flex circuit to hold shape oen requires more attention and, in some cases, more processing. is is because flexible circuits, depending on the material used, have varying amounts of elastic memory; that is, the circuit will oen try to return to its planar shape. us, there is need in such cases to use some established design and process principles for more accu- rately and permanently shaping flexible cir- cuits to fit permanently in their application. e first principle of getting a flex circuit to hold shape is to maximize the metal con- tent of the design. is can be accomplished by increased metal thickness, total metal area in the design, or both. Metals, such as copper, have higher moduli of elasticity and tensile Shaping Flexible Circuits Flexible Thinking by Joe Fjelstad, VERDANT ELECTRONICS

• December 2021 — Design007 Magazine
• Feature Contents — The Art and Science of PCB Design
• Additional Contents
• Flex007 Contents
• Column — The Art of PCB Design: I Know It When I See It
• Feature Interview — PCB Design: Where Art and Science Intersect
• Column — 'Dealing' With PCB Design
• Feature Article — Will AI Replace the Art of PCB Design?
• Column — The Rise of Resin in IoT Applications
• Column — Leveraging Digital Twins to Optimize Electronic Systems
• Feature Interview — Field of Dreams: The Art and Science of Designing with Field Theory
• Article — Test and Inspection
• Feature Article — The Colorful World of PCB Design
• PCB007 Highlights
• Feature Article — The Art of Using Symmetry—and Asymmetry—in PCB Design
• Column — Best Practices for Solder Mask Application
• Column — High-Performance 3D Printed Circuitry
• Feature Interview — The Art and Science of DFM
• Feature Interview — The Art and Science of PCB Design—You Are the Best Tool
• Feature Column — Creative Minds Pushing Boundaries
• MilAero007 Highlights
• Column — Live or via Zoom, Knowledge Is All Around Us
• Column — Better Electronics Start With Better Training
• Short — Navigating the Supply Chain Storm With ICAPE
• Article — RealTime with… American Standard Circuits: Thermal Management
• Feature Article — Revving Up Design
• Flex007 Column — Shaping Flexible Circuits
• Flex007 Short — Elementary, Mr. Watson: We've Never Done It That Way Before
• Flex007 Highlights
• Flex007 Column — Challenges in Simulating a Wirebonded CoB on a Rigid-Flex PCB
• Flex007 Short — Flexible, Wearable X-ray Detector Doesn't Require Heavy Metals
• PCB Design007 Top Ten Editor's Picks
• Career Opportunities section
• I-007e Educational Resource Center
• Advertiser Index and Masthead