Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1520956
74 PCB007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2024 A special case of rigid board applications is when you would like to bend the board but don't need it to flex. We have called this case "bend-to-install" or sometimes "semi- flex" (Figure 1). Many electronics applications are in this class of assembly, as illustrated: • Rigid board needing height adjustments • Automotive lighting • Industrial cameras • Engine control units • Hand-held portable units Bend-to-Install Semi-flex FR-4 Elements of the Bend-to-Install e beauty of bend-to-install is that it is made from standard FR-4 materials and pro- cesses. What's important are the design rules/ constraints and the materials selected. e important attribute is that the portion of the board that will be permanently bent will be thin, with thinner glass and a resin system that is not prone to cracking or that has been thinned by final fabrication. Figure 2 illustrates some of the technology Happy's Tech Talk #29 by Happy Holden, I-CONNECT007 Figure 1: Semi-flex: Bend-to-install applications 1 .