Question
What is a heavy copper PCB?
Generally, printed circuit boards are used for low-voltage and low-power appliances to make them function properly. However, what kind of PCBs are used for high-voltage and high-power appliances?
Heavy Copper PCB Will Be A Good Choice.
In this post, you are going to learn more about heavy copper PCBs. This will include a more in-depth description of heavy copper PCBs, a few examples of where they can be found, and characteristics that make heavy copper PCBs different from the traditional ones.
Heavy copper PCBs have specifically printed circuit boards that are thicker and heavier for the sake of handling higher voltage and power.
To help you understand, the weight of traditional printed copper PCB ranges from 2 oz/ft² to 3 oz/ft²
But, heavy copper PCBs usually weigh between 4 oz/ft ² to 20 oz/ft².
Part 1: What Devices Need Heavy Copper PCB?
It is more difficult to manufacture heavy copper boards than other common boards. This kind of PCB is more suitable for communication power supply, medical equipment power supply, industrial power supply, new energy vehicles, etc.
Hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles have become ideal modes of transportation for many people now. As more and more people emphasize protecting the environment by reducing fuel use, electric vehicles have become a popular choice.
Part 2: Role of Heavy Copper PCB in Automobile
Do you know that electric cars are usually home to heavy copper PCBs?
It takes a lot of power to charge and run a whole car off of a battery.
Heavy copper PCB will be used for the outer and inner layers of automotive PCB. Compared with common PCB, heavy copper PCB can withstand the changes of high temperature, high frequency, and high electric current.
Heavy copper PCB is often used in solar panels, the collected solar energy can drive the car with maximum power through heavy copper PCB.
Part 3: Benefits of Using a Heavy Copper PCB
Heavy copper PCB has a high thermal and electrical conductivity level, so it can take the heat and the extra electrical power that is thrown its way.
Note
The conductivity is the resistivity. Metal "conductors" can be arranged in this order according to "conductivity" Silver→copper→gold→aluminum→tungsten→nickel-iron.
Because these PCBs are made with extra copper, they can also survive through several thermal cycles. Some other PCBs will wear down more quickly or even burn if put through the amount of heat heavy copper PCBs go through. Heavy copper PCBs not only do an excellent job of controlling temperature but also provide uninterrupted energy flow.
Heavy copper PCBs also tend to be smaller in size because they are usually layered. This means that they are made to be compact and to fit into devices that will require extra power.
Part 4: Matters Needing Attention in Heavy Copper PCB Production
To begin, there can be an issue in the etching process. It might be difficult to accurately etch the pathways into the PCB. One major issue it can cause is noise, which is the disruption or interference of an electrical signal. This happens when pathways are not deep or long enough, resulting in a spilling over of electricity.
Secondly, one important point in creating heavy copper printed circuit boards is inner layer alignment. Heavy copper PCBs are layered, so there are some problems in arranging these layers.
Finally, when manufacturing heavy copper PCB, we need to avoid the problem of delamination. When putting a number of layers together, a technician creating a heavy copper PCB must use a lamination process. The laminate is used to also fill voids. However, improper application of the laminate can cause issues on the board and can cause the board to fall apart.
Here is the capability of heavy copper PCB from PCBONLINE:
PCBONLINE is not as same as other PCB manufacturers such as JLCPCB and PCBWAY, PCBONLINE is dedicated to satisfying customers who require high standards and high-difficulty boards. And quote from PCBONLINE you’ll get technique support also. There are special managers in charge of your whole Gerber verification and provide the best suggestions for you.
