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- November 25, 2022
- PCB knowledge
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- 10 mins
Why PCB thickness is important and how to choose proper thickness for PCB
In order to keep printed circuit board (PCB) durable, professionals take into consideration a wide variety of aspects and circumstances during the manufacturing process. The thickness of the PCB is one of the many aspects and variables that experts in the field pay close attention to.
When a consumer or a client contacts a professional about a requirement for a PCB, the expert gathers each and every piece of information there is to know about how and when the circuit will be employed. The scan and the complete information allow one to establish the precise thickness of the PCB that is necessary to fulfill the requirements of the customer.
What is standard PCB thickness?
It is possible for the PCB thickness to be as little as 0.010 inches (0.25 mm) or as much as 0.060 inches (1.52 mm) (1.524 mm).
There are numerous circuits that retain the thickness of 1.3mm or 2.0mm, despite the fact that the conventional PCB thickness is often set at 1.6mm, which is the most popular way used. The PCB thickness depends on a number of things, such as how many circuit layers it needs and how much room there is for those layers.
In addition, other considerations include the material’s stiffness, mechanical strength, and heat dissipation qualities. Because of this, industry experts strongly advise getting all of the relevant information on the PCB size.
Why PCB thickness is so important?
★ Offer overall rigidity to PCB
Boosting the overall rigidity of your PCB by increasing its thickness is one way to do this. This is helpful in a lot of different situations, but especially when your PCB might be put under stress.
★ Increase overall functionality of PCB
In general, PCBs that are thicker than those that are thinner have a longer lifespan than the former. This may be very important in mission-critical applications that need to be very reliable over a long period of time.
★ Strengthen and provide good support to PCB
The PCB thickness is related to how strong it is. A PCB that is thicker is better than one that is thin. This could be a very important thing to think about if the PCB is going to be put under a lot of load or stress.
★ Give PCB a solid base to stand on in tough circumstances
Provided all other factors are held constant, PCBs that are thicker have a tendency to have a higher weight than those that are thinner. This added weight may be beneficial in some applications, such as airplanes or spacecraft, because weight is a primary issue in these types of vehicles.
Factors influence the design of PCB thickness
PCB thickness is largely dependent on a few factors that we will discuss below.
1.Desired adaptability, circuit dimensions, and overall weight
The size, flexibility, and weight of a printed circuit board (PCB) are mostly determined by what it will be used for. Thinner circuit boards are unquestionably more flexible and lighter in weight than thicker ones. On the other hand, boards that aren’t as thick don’t have as much resilience and are more likely to break than those that are.
When it comes to applications where durability is the most important thing, experts in the field strongly suggest using PCB layers that are much thicker. PCBs that are thicker can hold more weight and withstand a wider range of conditions. This makes them an excellent choice for providing support. This is the main reason why you need to know a lot about the flexibility, weight, and size of PCB thickness and make a decision about them.
2.Thickness measure values of PCB board
In the process of figuring out the thickness of the PCB layer, measuring the thickness of the PCB layers is also very important. When figuring out how thick the traces are on a PCB, the main goal is to protect the PCB from any kind of accidental damage. When current flows through PCB traces, heat is produced.
As a result, the temperature of the PCB circuit rises to a very high level. The way the PCB works and how long it lasts are both hurt by the high temperature. It is for this reason that the path that current takes through the PCB should be sufficiently thick so that it does not affect the performance of the PCB.
The standard way for experts to figure out the PCB measuring value for the trace thickness is to figure out the amount of current and the temperature of the current. Professionals almost always use a calculator to figure out the thickness of PCB traces because it gives them precise and accurate measurements about thickness.
3.Suitable materials choice for a circuit board
The materials used in the manufacturing process of any circuit have a large impact on its efficiency and accuracy, and this is a critical factor in both of these factors. Even though professionals work with a wide variety of materials, they always highlight the need to pay attention to material qualities. Because certain materials cannot withstand the effects of thermal environments and, as a consequence, have a significant impact on the thickness and performance of PCBs.
4.Determine the signal’s intensity and type.
PCBs may store a variety of signals, and it is on the basis of these signals that trained experts choose the sort of material that will work best with the board’s thickness. PCBs can be of varying thicknesses. For example, high-power signals need wider traces and a thicker layer of copper on the board.
5.Environmental considerations
The PCB material category and the amount of thickness that a single circuit can handle are two of the factors that influence the resistance and performance of a PCB. Experts use a variety of thicknesses, each of which is chosen based on how the circuit works.
As a point of comparison, a circuit board with thicker copper traces doesn’t work well in places where the temperature is high.
How to choose the proper thickness?
It is also very important to figure out the PCB thickness which you need. Because changes in PCB thickness can affect how the device works as a whole, experts in the field say that decisions about PCB thickness should be taken very seriously.
★ Availability of suitable advanced equipment
The very first and most important step in the PCB thickness process is to make sure you have all the tools you need to do the job. Sometimes professionals need to use advanced techniques with advanced levels of machinery. This is the main reason why manufacturers must have these tools available.
★ Extra cost parameters
Industry experts strongly recommend figuring out the budget and costs that will be needed for the PCB thickness technique. The most cost-efficient option should be chosen based on the various cost considerations. When actual spending is more than what was planned, this is often because there wasn’t enough monitoring.
Due to the fact that the standard PCB thickness is more expensive, it is important to evaluate both the cost of the solution and the benefits that it offers. This is the main reason why experts in the field strongly advise taking into account each and every issue and using the results of these analyses to decide how to plan a budget.
★ Overall completion time of PCB thickness
Standard PCBs have all of the major features, and there is a very small likelihood that they will be altered in the future. While the selection of the thickness of the custom PCB is subject to great change once a certain amount of time has passed. When the thickness of the custom PCB is changed, not only does the cost of the project go up, but it also takes longer to finish.
If design changes and customer needs are difficult, these experts say to think about turnaround time and make a solution fit the customer’s needs. This will require you to move away from the standard PCB thickness.
How to calculate the PCB thickness and layer arrangement?
The PCB thickness is an important factor in how well your circuit board works overall. The requirements for the circuit’s components determine the accurate PCB’s thickness. This is a completely independent factor. The PCB thickness will affect how effectively your board can remove heat, how robust the board is, and how large the gaps between traces are allowed to be.
★ Calculating the PCB thickness can be done in a number of different ways, including the following:
1.Use a typical PCB calculator.
You can find a lot of different calculators online that you can use to input the measurements of your board and determine the thickness using those dimensions.
2.Use a ruler or caliper.
If you have a physical template of your board, you may use a ruler or caliper to determine the thickness of the board.
3.Implement the procedure outlined in the IPC-2221.
This is a more complicated approach that takes into consideration the trace width, the amount of copper used, as well as a few other parameters.
When you have determined the PCB thickness , you can next move on to figuring out how the layers are arranged. The way the layers are put together will depend on how many layers are needed, what kind of parts are being used, and the size and shape of the board.
★ The following configurations of layers are the most common:
1.Single-sided:
This is the most basic sort of printed circuit board, and it just has one side of the board covered with components and lines.
2.Double-sided:
A double layer PCB is one that includes components and traces on both sides of the board. Vias are used to connect the traces on one side of the board to the traces on the other side of the board.
3.Multilayer:
This kind of PCB comprises three layers or more, and it has components and traces on both sides of the board. Vias are used to connect two layers next to each other on an inner layer, while plated holes are used to connect two layers next to each other on an outer layer.
The thickness of copper on PCB
Copper has a lot of long-lasting qualities that make it easier for experts to measure the PCB thickness.
The performance of a PCB is significantly affected by the copper plating thickness. The thickness of the copper affects how well it conducts electricity and heat. If the copper is thicker, the board will be able to handle more power and heat. But because thicker copper is also more expensive, there needs to be a balance between how much it costs and how well it works.
Most experts agree that an ounce of copper is the best way to measure the amount of copper. The application of 1 ounce of thickness is recommended for at least one reason: a very thin coating of copper makes it easier to finish the surface.
Factors should be considered when ordering PCB thickness
If you have made the decision to buy PCB thickness, there are a few things that industry professionals strongly advise you to think about before making a purchase decision.
★ An Appropriate Option for the Application:
The first step in making a purchase is choosing an application that fits all of the needs and requirements. If you wish to utilize the application in a high-temperature environment or if you are going to be dealing with a device that draws a lot of power and generates a lot of heat.
In this situation, industry professionals strongly advise using a significantly thicker PCB. This is because a PCB with a lot more thickness is able to absorb heat more effectively.
★ The minimum number of layers that a PCB must have
Because the number of PCB layers directly affects the PCB thickness, it is extremely important to take into consideration the needed number of PCB layers. The layers also have some space between them, which has some influence on the performance of the PCB as a whole.
★ Time commitments involved in the production process
Time required for each phase of PCB production varies with the complexity and specifics of the individual project. From one way to make something to another, the minimum and maximum trace width and spacing requirements might be different. It’s possible that the widths of these traces will also alter the PCB thickness.
It is possible for the PCB thickness to be as little as 0.010 inches (0.25 mm) or as much as 0.060 inches (1.52 mm) (1.524 mm).
- Offer overall rigidity to PCB
- Increase overall functionality of PCB
- Strengthen and provide good support to PCB
- Give PCB a solid base to stand on in tough circumstances
- Availability of suitable advanced equipment
- Extra cost parameters
- Overall completion time of PCB thickness
Conclusion
There is a direct correlation between PCB thickness and circuit performance. When it comes to durability and thermal stability, thicker PCBs are the norm. Thicker PCBs are better than thinner ones because they don’t need as much solder mask and are less likely to bend and warp. Unless you’re cautious, they might potentially make your project heavier than it has to be. Price, efficiency, and size will be weighed against each other to find the best PCB thickness.
