What PCB materials are available in Seeed Fusion?
For the standard PCB service, Fusion provides 3 options; FR-4 TG130, Aluminium and Flexible PCB materials. For most purposes, FR-4 TG130 is more than sufficient. If you are not sure which material you need, then FR-4 is most likely sufficient.
FR-4 TG130
FR-4 refers to a grade of epoxy fiberglass material where the FR stands for "flame retarding". The TG130 refers to the glass transition temperature and indicates that this material will begin to deform at 130 ℃. FR-4 is the most common substrate material for rigid PCBs, particularly prototypes. In the PCB, the pre-preg and core will be made of this material.
FR-4 materials with higher glass transition temperatures are available in the Advanced PCB service. High TG FR-4 (TG170) boards can withstand deformation at higher temperatures of up to 170 ℃ and are suitable for extreme temperature applications.
Aluminium
Aluminium boards are widely used in LED arrays and power converters due to good thermal dissipation properties of aluminium compared to FR-4. A thermally conductive but electrically insulating dielectric material is laminated between the copper and aluminium layers, and the exposed aluminium side helps to radiate the heat from the circuit. Such single layer PCBs are available in the standard PCB service but multilayer aluminium PCBs are also available in Fusion's Advanced service. However, the price escalates rapidly when increasing the number of layers and the boards cannot dissipate heat as well, so we recommend you try to reduce the number of layers as much as possible.
Flexible (FPC)
Flexible printed circuits, as the name suggests, are flexible alternatives to rigid PCBs that allow for greater freedom of movement and bendiness. Consisting of copper traces combined onto a thin dielectric material, flexible printed circuits can conserve space and be bent to fit into tight spaces and are suitable for applications involving vibrations or a certain degree of movement (e.g. connectors). Flexible printed circuits up to two layers are available in the standard service. If you need four layers or rigid-flex boards, you can try the advanced service.
FR-4 TG130
FR-4 refers to a grade of epoxy fiberglass material where the FR stands for "flame retarding". The TG130 refers to the glass transition temperature and indicates that this material will begin to deform at 130 ℃. FR-4 is the most common substrate material for rigid PCBs, particularly prototypes. In the PCB, the pre-preg and core will be made of this material.
FR-4 materials with higher glass transition temperatures are available in the Advanced PCB service. High TG FR-4 (TG170) boards can withstand deformation at higher temperatures of up to 170 ℃ and are suitable for extreme temperature applications.
Aluminium
Aluminium boards are widely used in LED arrays and power converters due to good thermal dissipation properties of aluminium compared to FR-4. A thermally conductive but electrically insulating dielectric material is laminated between the copper and aluminium layers, and the exposed aluminium side helps to radiate the heat from the circuit. Such single layer PCBs are available in the standard PCB service but multilayer aluminium PCBs are also available in Fusion's Advanced service. However, the price escalates rapidly when increasing the number of layers and the boards cannot dissipate heat as well, so we recommend you try to reduce the number of layers as much as possible.
{{ "http://seeed.uservoice.com/assets/110628880/alboard.jpg" | embed }}
Flexible (FPC)
Flexible printed circuits, as the name suggests, are flexible alternatives to rigid PCBs that allow for greater freedom of movement and bendiness. Consisting of copper traces combined onto a thin dielectric material, flexible printed circuits can conserve space and be bent to fit into tight spaces and are suitable for applications involving vibrations or a certain degree of movement (e.g. connectors). Flexible printed circuits up to two layers are available in the standard service. If you need four layers or rigid-flex boards, you can try the advanced service.
{{ "http://seeed.uservoice.com/assets/110628985/FPC.jpg" | embed }}
Related Articles
Seeed Fusion PCB Assembly Service Quick Questions
日本語版 Q. What are the PCBA Open Parts Libraries? A. The Open Parts Libraries (or OPLs) are a catalog of locally sourced parts that are more affordable and more importantly, have a much shorter procurement time compared to imported components from ...What is the Seeed Fusion PCB Assembly (PCBA) Service?
The Seeed Fusion PCB service takes care of PCB fabrication only. To complete the device, you would need to search for and purchase all the components and solder each one yourself. To save you all the hassle, the turnkey Seeed Fusion PCB Assembly (or ...Seeed Fusion's Commitment to Environmental Safety
Seeed offers a wide range of options to Seeed Fusion customers whether you are looking for the most economical option for personal use or developing a product that needs to adhere to global environmental regulations. In this article, we cover some ...How do I prepare the Bill of Materials (BOM) file for Seeed Fusion PCBA Orders?
For Seeed PCBA orders, the Bill of Materials or BOM file should follow our template (you can download a template here). Otherwise, the system may not be able to read the file or may miss vital information. Accepted file formats: .xls, .xlsx or .csv ...Fusion PCB Specification
PCB Gerber Files 日本語版 The Gerber format is an open 2D binary vector image file format. It is the standard format used by the printed circuit board (PCB) industry software to describe the printed circuit board images: copper layers, solder mask, ...