Nowadays, thin, lightweight, and compact flexible circuits are gaining traction, and this is expected to be a long lasting trend. This is mainly because electrical and electronic devices or parts are getting smaller. This innovative flex assembly is a game changer and already finds applications across industries such as medical, defense, and more. Unlike printed circuit boards, these products remain flexible, whether they are single-sided or multilayered.
In flexible circuits, the traces and components are made of a copper laminate core of polyester, polyimide, or PEN, which reduces space, increases bendability and creates versatility, these can be either adhesiveless or adhesive-based laminates. This is far more cost effective than conventional rigid printed circuit boards (PCB). Flexible Circuits have very few joints and interconnects, which makes these flex circuits structurally stable and functionally reliable. Despite their small size, they can accommodate extremely intricate and complex designs and high-density traces. Flex assemblies offer several advantages, and hence find applications across industries. This post focuses on some unique applications of flexible circuits across industries.
Application of Flexible Circuits Across Industries
Flexible circuits work well in many application areas and can be useful to OEMs across industries. OEMs can get customized flex circuits to suit their requirements in every way. Here are some of the application areas.
- Automotive: The volume of vehicle manufacturing across the world has increased over the last few years. Hence, the same applies to automotive components. To meet this rising demand, automakers have tried various experiments to manufacture automotive parts with multiple features on the same assembly. Most of these parts are manufactured using flexible circuit assemblies. Also, there are LED strips used in lighting systems of vehicles which utilize flexible circuit assemblies. Another segment here is automation in vehicles, which includes locking systems of doors and windows, infotainment systems, reverse sensors, airbag opening, engine RPM, speed indicators, and many other intricate portions of vehicle interiors. Flex assembly in the automotive sector is used to make intricate parts across these industries.
- Medical: Nowadays, many healthcare devices such as automated drug delivery systems, health monitoring wearable devices, insulin pumps, and so on are used at home. Majority of these have a flexible circuit assembly embedded inside which helps users wear them on the go and monitor their health 24/7. Flex circuit assembly in the medical sector offers improved and instant diagnostic abilities in various scanning and ultrasound equipment. Since these are thin circuits, they are embedded within cables or wires that may connect the medical equipment with the patient. This also finds uses in respiratory apparatus, air filters, and more which comprise a microprocessor.
- Aerospace and Defense: Flexible circuits are widely used in aerospace and defense applications due to their advantages, such as weight and space savings, form-factor adaptability, vibration and shock resistance, temperature tolerance, signal integrity, and so on. Flex circuits are lightweight and thinner compared to several traditional rigid PCBs, which make them an ideal choice for applications where every ounce and inch matter, such as avionics and cockpit electronics, communication systems, sensors and surveillance equipment, and so on.
- Consumer Electronics: While PCBs are still used in several electronic devices, flexible circuits also find applications in consumer electronics and have gained traction over the years. It is used in wearables, handheld devices, smartphones, and so on. Aside from this, you can find flexible electronics in speakers, earphones, portable display devices, touch controls and LED strips which are in various devices such as television, refrigerators, computers, and so on.
- Health Tech: Health tech or med tech is a major segment of electronics picking up pace in the market and are estimated to grow at a high rate over the next few years. Flex assemblies in health tech include the ones that go into medical devices meant for home-based monitoring of blood pressure, glucose, and other parameters. They are a part of electronic stethoscopes, remote patient monitoring systems, assistive devices, smart prosthetics, smart patches, and so on.
- IoT: Internet of Things is a crucial segment of electronics that facilitates inter-device communication that can be remotely controlled through a smartphone. Most of these devices and their inner components are small, and this has increased the demand for flexible circuits. Some of the applications of flex circuit assemblies in IoT are smart sensors, thermostats, connectors, and so on used in various electronic products.
Widely Used Products Made Using Flexible Circuitry
Here are some commonly used products that have advanced and evolved over the years due to the use of flexible circuits. All of these products are part of one or more of the above industry segments.
- Flexible batteries: Usually, we know batteries that are round or cylindrical, which means they have a definite shape. Flexible batteries are actually flexible and can be bent based on the device shape. These batteries are becoming popular because they have a huge capacity and can be rechargeable. They are used in many wearables and robotics.
- ABS systems: This stands for anti-lock braking systems, which are used as a safety mechanism in vehicles and aircraft. ABS systems prevent a vehicle from skidding when brakes are applied suddenly to a vehicle running at a high speed. Flexible circuits ensure connectivity or power to electronics in ABS systems.
- Thin-film solar cells: These are solar cells with multiple thin layers of photovoltaic material on a flexible substrate. Here, the active semi-conductor layer is thinner than regular solar cells.
- Connected vehicles: This is a crucial part of IoT as well as intelligent transportation systems. In this, a vehicle is connected to the systems outside of it on the road or in other vehicles through internet. One can share hotspot and access the internal devices in the car, and this connectivity is bidirectional. These connected vehicles utilize sensors, advanced electronics, communication systems, and data processing capabilities to improve efficiency, safety, as well as the overall driving experience of users.
- Lighting, heating and air conditioning: Flexible circuits find their way in LED lighting systems, flexible heaters, boilers, and HVAC system components. Flexible heaters are thin film-like heaters used in several industrial applications for even or targeted surface heating.
- Remote health monitoring: Flex circuits enable devices to remotely monitor health through telemedicine, in non-clinical settings, or at home. This is a classic application of IoT where sensors in devices are used to gather accurate health-related data of the patient. This is also useful in case of chronic health conditions and when the doctor and patient are in two different locations.
- Electronic wristbands: This is a wearable device, which when worn on your wrist can offer output regarding exercise regimen, physical activity, heart rate, and more. Electronic wristbands with flexible circuits are widely used by soldiers because they provide comfort and flexibility during missions.
- Smart beds: Nowadays, flexible circuits are used in smart beds or connected beds, which are fitted with sensors and electronics that ensure more personalized and comfortable sleeping experience. The sensors on the smart beds can gather information regarding sleeping patterns, sleep quality, heart rate, breathing pattern, and movement in bed. These sensors are usually incorporated into flexible circuits and integrated on smart bed designs.
- Human-wearable biometrics: This is a wearable device used for correct biometric identification and it senses the physical and behavioral characteristics of a person. Based on some of these unique characteristics, it helps identify a person. Such sensors may be fitted in smartwatches, smart glasses, and so on.
- Energy conversion devices: Flexible circuits are used in various energy conversion devices to improve their form factor, versatility, and performance. Flexible solar panels, wearable energy harvesters, thermoelectric generators, piezoelectric energy harvesters, flexible fuel cells, and so on are some energy conversion devices featuring flexible circuits. Flexible circuits can be bent around the device surfaces, which helps improve their energy capture.
If you are an OEM specializing in design and development of any of the above mentioned products, you may require a flexible circuit to enhance efficiency of the final system or product. However, assembling components on flexible circuitry is a complex task requiring specialized equipment and technical expertise. Ensure you partner with a reliable flex circuit manufacturer for your flexible circuit applications. Automated Assembly Corporation™ is a known player in this industry. Automated Assembly® has state-of-the-art automation equipment and a facility that enable these operations. The company specializes in assembling ultra-lightweight and compact flexible circuits which have been used in RFID, Medical, Automotive, LED, pharmaceuticals, and other crucial markets. Also, the company has many proprietary processes for manufacturing flexible circuitry such as Roll To Roll “R2R” Assembly (SMT-Flex®), R2R SMT assembly on PET substrates and many more. For any further information regarding our flexible circuit processes and applications, you can contact their team today via phone or email.
