Very VERY Thin PCB?

Brian Carpenter

I there·a company tha makes very thin PCB's that i can solder some SMD LEDS to that i can get to follow a contour?· I have a very cool idea in mind for this if i can find that..· thanks

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It's Only A Stupid Question If You Have Not Googled It First!!

Paul Baker

You should look at flex circuits. Advanded circuits has flex circuit fabrication services: http://www.4pcb.com/quickturn_pcb_flex_design_guidelines.htm

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LoopyByteloose

Whatever happend to the dispossible paper cellular phone? I believe that a woman in New York city was trying to bring it to market and that it was all printed on paper or thin flex plastic.

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"When all think alike, no one is thinking very much.' - Walter Lippmann (1889-1974)

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RickB

Look on ebay. There is almost always someone selling .005, .01, & .02 double and single sided pc bd. I bought a pkg of 20 pcs of .02 12" x12" for <$20.

Rick

Dave Paton

Thin PCBs (0.01 FR-4) and flex substrates (polyamide/polyimid, etc) have been aroudn for a while. The real question is what radius of contour does the board need to follow? It will almost certainly have to be a simple radius, since compound curves in solid materials are problematic at best. You'll also want to use the smallest LEDs you can manage to, to minimize surface distortion at the pads. I've done things like this a few times, including one of the first OLED flashers which was on a substrate so thin it could be wrapped around a pencil as proof of flexability, while it was operating (which I did). I'll be happy to answer anything I can.

-dave

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Brian Carpenter

What it is. I fly RC airplanes. Micro wings to be more precise. Others are flying them just covered in tape, but i vaccum bag mine with .5 oz glass. that said, i would like to make 4 5x7 LED matrix(es) for the under side of the wing and pit it between the glass and the foam. So it is mostly flat but i wnat to use very small surface mount descrete LEDs. The glass will Difuse and disperse the light making a night flying SPECTACLE. I looked at the site listed above but cant see spending $777 for this project. Lighter(weight) and Lighter(Lumens) is better.

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It's Only A Stupid Question If You Have Not Googled It First!!

bubblehead

Just thinking out of the box:

Skip the circuit boards and just draw the circuit on the wing itself using a conductive ink pen normally used to repair circuit board traces. Or use the sticky-backed copper tape sometimes used in making stainglass windows. Not sure how you could connect the LEDs. Is there a conductive glue? Maybe the aluminum filled epoxy?

Make a matrix with wires on the top surface running fore and aft, and the ones on the bottom running side to side, with the LEDs oriented more-or-less vertically in between.

RickB

Electricaly conductive epoxy, and silver and copper conductive paint exists. One very easy source for conductive paint, is a repair kit for a rear window defogger.

Rick

Dave Paton

Yup, I'm with the other guys. Conductive paint and careful masking get you there without any board at all. Easy and quick.

-dave

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knightofoldcode

There is a product called, "tape wire". I've seen it at places like SmartHome.

Here's a link to some:

www.smarthome.com/84722.html

I know the price is high, however look at the idea.... This same style material is used in doll houses (probably started out here originally), for running fake 110VAC outlets to the doll houses. I bought a 100' roll from my local hobby shop (HobbyLobby) for something like $12.

So, look around in your local hobby shop for this stuff, probably in the doll houses.

The wire is copper, and it's got a high bend radius. No doubt it could bend to around a pencil. It's got a piece of adhesive double sided tape, then the copper strands are layed in, then a piece of single sided adhesive plastic to cover the top. So, you peel off the underside and stick it on, then it's smooth. Once painted, it's hard to tell it's there.

I use it to install alarm contacts on windows.

Knight.

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Paul Baker

I think pads of the conductive tape will be nessesary for solder pads unless you use conductive epoxy to affix the LEDs to the conductive paint, I just don't see being able to solder directly to conductive paint.

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Dave Paton

Who said anything about soldering Paul

Small squares of Copper tape might be a good idea for the LED pads as well. Easy to solder to, and they'll hold the LEDs in place while painting. I'm just brainstorming here, but it seems like this is the most plausable way to get it done quickly and inexpensively.

-dave

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