Flex PCB Max Current Handling Capacity

Thread Starter

Sinaan.O

Joined Jun 17, 2022
22
I want to design a board using Flex PCB. I can calculate the maximum current I can pass through a path on the PCB, but I couldn't find any documentation on how much current and voltage can pass through the flexible pcb. How can I learn this information?
 

ronsimpson

Joined Oct 7, 2019
3,037
Did you ask the people that make flex boards. Most have current calculators on the website.
pcb
I would use the same numbers as for a rigged PCB using outside layers not inside layers.
 

Thread Starter

Sinaan.O

Joined Jun 17, 2022
22
Yes, I tried the calculators and applications such as saturnpcb on the manufacturer's sites, but I was not sure because I could not see a section about flex pcb.
 

MrSalts

Joined Apr 2, 2020
2,767
Polyimide (amber color) Flex boards can handle the same or greater heat than an FR4 board. The cross-sectional area (copper thickness and trace width) determine current limit. Polyimide should have a CTI above 600v so anything up to 300v dc should be safe.
 

MrSalts

Joined Apr 2, 2020
2,767
There are Printed-circuit-board (PCB) design textbooks and IPC standards do a good job of discussing a PCB trace's dc current-carrying capability up to about 30 A. However, little if any reference material exists beyond this threshold, either in current or frequency.
Good luck on 30A with a flex circuit. Flexibility tends to decrease a lot as thickness increases.
 
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