What are the top FPC manufacturers in the world in 2024? What are the FPC manufacturer's capabilities? You can find answers quickly from this blog.
Top FPC Manufacturers in the World
FPC is a flexible printed circuit. Its other name is flexible PCB. The top 3 FPC manufacturers on the largest scale in the world are:
Avary Holding Co., Limited - Founded in 1999, it's a listed company in Shenzhen, China. It deals with FPC design, R&D, and manufacturing. Its FPC minimum hole aperture/trace width can be 0.025mm/0.025mm. However, it works only on FPC bulky production for giant OEMs (original equipment manufacturers).
Mektec Corporation - Founded in 1986, it's a Taiwan-Japan joint venture as a subsidiary of Japan's NOK Group. It provides FPC manufacturing, including the FCCL (flexible copper-clad laminate). However, it also only works for long-term and bulky production for giant OEMs.
Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. - It's a listed company in Japan. It provides bulky FPC manufacturing for smartphones. Like the top FPC manufacturers mentioned above, it only works for giant OEMs.
If you are one of the small & medium-sized OEMs, startups, business makers, and research institutes, it's unlikely for you to meet the requirements of the above top 3 FPC manufacturers.
However, you can work with a one-stop FPC manufacturer, PCBONLINE, that has R&D capabilities and produces FPC without a quantity limit. Founded in 1999, PCBONLINE has one FCCL factory, two large advanced PCB manufacturing bases, one PCB assembly factory, and an R&D team to provide DFM (design for manufacturing) to ensure the success of your FPC project.
For an FPC project, you must want to modify design defects and eliminate potential risks before putting your design into production. By working with PCBONLINE, you can make it.
PCBONLINE provides free DFM, including BOM (bill of material) check, PCB design, solving potential issues, reducing component procurement costs, etc.
PCBONLINE can do the R&D and take part in your project's early design stage, improving your design, reducing production costs, and preventing possible technical issues in the FAE (Field Application Engineer) stage.
From FPC prototypes to final product box build assembly, PCBONLINE provides one-stop R&D and manufacturing without a quantity limit.
For FPC projects that come to the bulky production stage, PCBONLINE refunds the fees of R&D, final product samples, and FPC assembly functional testing (which means they are free).
Affordable FPC manufacturing and assembly as PCBONLINE produces the FCCL, FPC, and assemblies as a source factory manufacturer.
High-quality FPC manufacturing and assembly certified with ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949: 2016, RoHS, REACH, UL, and IPC-A-610 Class 2/3.
PCBONLINE offers one-on-one engineering support throughout your FPC project and ensures the design and manufacturing success before FPC production. You can rest assured by working with PCBONLINE for FPC manufacturing and assembly under one roof. To get a quote for your FPC project, please email info@pcbonline.com.
Capabilities of the Top FPC Manufacturer PCBONLINE
An FPC project aims to be used in IoT systems, wearable devices, automotive modules, battery cell packs, smartphones, cameras, computers, industrial controls, medical equipment, aerospace electronics, biological equipment, and military electronics.
FPC projects used for middle and high-end applications require the FPC manufacturer to have powerful capabilities to meet the manufacturing demands. How do you know if an FPC manufacturer can meet your FPC project requirements?
Well, you can view the FPC manufacturers' capabilities in FPC.
The FPC manufacturer PCBONLINE focuses on electronics manufacturing for middle and high-end applications. Please feel free to see its FPC capabilities below and contact PCBONLINE to start cooperation on your FPC project now.
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FPC Specs
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PCBONLINE Capabilities
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Circuit layer
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1 to 8 for PI FPC, 1 to 6 for PET FPC
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FPC thickness
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Limit: 0.05mm
0.1-0.5mm (1-4L) 0.6-0.8mm (5-8L) |
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Tolerance of 1L FPC thickness (exclude stiffener)
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±0.03mm
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Tolerance of 2L FPC ≤0.3mm thickness (exclude stiffener)
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±0.03mm
(Normal ±0.05mm) |
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Tolerance of multilayer FPC ＜0.3mm thickness (exclude stiffener)
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±0.03mm
(Normal ±0.05mm) |
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Tolerance of multilayer FPC 0.3mm-0.8mm thickness (exclude stiffener)
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±10%
(Normal ±0.1mm） |
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Tolerance of FPC thickness (including PI stiffener)
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±10%
(Normal ±0.05mm） |
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Tolerance of FPC thickness (including FR4 stiffener)
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±10%
(Normal ±0.1mm） |
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Maximum finished FPC size
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7.8inch * 21.8inch (PI≥1mil)
7.8inch * 14inch (normal) |
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Minimum finished FPC size
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2mm * 4mm (no connection tab)
8mm*8mm (with connection tab) |
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FPC Material
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Adhesive flex core |
SF305: PI=0.5mil, 1mil, 2mil; Cu=0.33OZ, 0.5OZ, 1OZ
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Adhesiveness core |
Panasonic RF-775(Electrode Posited Copper):PI=1mil,2mil; Cu=0.33, oz0.5, 1oz, 2oz
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DuPont AP:PI=1mil, 2mil, 3mil, 4mil; Cu=0.5oz, 1oz, 2oz |
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Coverlay |
SF305C series: 0515, 0525, 1025, 1035, 2030 |
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TaiFlex FHK series: 0515, 0525, 1025, 1035, 2025 |
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Thermosetting adhesive |
TaiFlex series:AD=10um, 25um, 40um
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ShengyiSF302B:AD=25um, 40um |
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PI stiffener |
TaiFlex MHK series: PI=3mil, 5mil, 7mil, 9mil
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3M tape |
9077, 9460
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Min. inner layer line width/space （before compensation)
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Finished copper thickness 12um/18um: 3/3mil
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Finished copper thickness 35um: 4/3.5mil
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Finished copper thickness 70um: 6/5mil
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Inner layer grid
(after compensation)
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Finished copper thickness 12um/18um: 5/5mil
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Finished copper thickness 35um: 6.5/5mil
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Finished copper thickness 70um: 10/8mil
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Min. inner layer annual ring width (IPC Ⅲ, before compensation)
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4mil (<4L), 7mil (4-6L), 9mil (7-8L)
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Min. distance between inner layer isolated pad and copper area (before compensation)
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3.5mil
4mil normal |
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Min. distance between inner layer conductor and outline
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8mil
10mil normal |
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Min. external layer line width/space before compensation
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18 finished copper thickness: 3/3mil
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35 finished copper thickness: 3.5/3.5mil
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70 finished copper thickness: 5.5/5mil
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Min. annual ring for PTH in the external layer
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<35um finished copper thickness: 3mil (<2mm); 4mil (2-4.5mm)
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35-70um finished copper thickness: 5mil (<2mm); 6mil (2-4.5mm)
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>70um finished copper thickness: 7mil (<2mm); 10mil (2-4.5mm)
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Max. tenting via diameter (for the tenting process)
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4.5mm
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Min. distance between NPTH edge to the external conductor before compensation
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5mil
6mil normal |
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Max. finished external copper thickness
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5oz
3 oz normal |
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Min. distance between the external conductor and outline
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8mil
5mil （Gold finger area） |
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Hole
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Max. board thickness for 0.15mm drill bit
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0.8mm
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Min. laser hole diameter |
0.1mm
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Min. finished half PTH via diameter |
0.3mm
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Min. gap between hole wall and inner layer conductor, before compensation |
5mil (<4L), 7mil （4~6L）, 10mil （7-8L),(after compensation)
6mil (<4L), 8mil （4~6L）, 12mil （7-8L) normal, (after compensation) |
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Min. NPTH tolerance |
±2mil (limit+0, -2mil or +2mil, -0)
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Min. space between via hole walls in different net, before compensation |
10mil
12mil (normal) |
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Solder mask |
Min. solder mask bridge (copper thickness ≤ 1oz) |
4mil (green), 5mil (white), 8.0mil (big copper area)
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Min. solder mask bridge (copper thickness 2-4oz) |
6mil, 8mil (big copper area)
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Min. solder mask opening (single side) |
3mil (partial 2.5mil)
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Solder mask opening of NPTH (single side) |
4mil
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Min. width of soldermask cover line (single side) |
2.5mil
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Min. solder mask legend width |
8mil
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Solder mask color |
Green
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Silkscreen color |
White/yellow
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Sliver paste |
Plugging hole size |
≤0.5mm (thickness≥0.3mm)
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Thickness |
10-25um
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Min. gap between silver paste and conducts |
20mil
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Outline
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Tolerance of Laser cutting |
±0.05mm
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Other |
Impedance tolerance |
Single-Ended: ±3Ω (≤50Ω), ±5% (>50Ω)
Difference: ±3Ω (≤50Ω), ±5% (>50Ω) |
Tolerance of stiffener tape |
±0.1mm
(Normal ±0.2mm)
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Tolerance of Coverlay |
±2mil
(Normal ±3mil)
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Min. distance between coverlay opening and conduct |
3mil
(Normal 4mil)
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Min. coverlay bridge |
8mil
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Hollowing board |
Finger length≤5mm; line width≥10mil; copper thickness≥1oz
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Min. E-test pad |
3mil
(Normal 4mil)
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IPC Class 3 |
Yes
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Min. distance between E-test pads |
2mil
(Normal 4mil)
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Certification |
ISO 9001 |
Yes
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ISO 14001 |
Yes
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TS16949 |
N/A
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ISO13485 |
N/A
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TL9000 |
N/A
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AS9100 |
N/A
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OHSAS18001 |
On planning
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QC080000 |
N/A
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SA8000 |
On planning
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UL number |
E306630
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UL number (Canada) |
N/A
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Other Certificates |
N/A
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Conclusion
The top 3 FPC manufacturers don't work for small to medium-scale companies, business makers, and research institutes and only work on long-term and bulky production orders. However, you can work with another top FPC manufacturer, PCBONLINE, which has R&D strength and powerful FPC capabilities, and you can ensure the success of your FPC project through PCBONLINE's DFM and one-on-one engineering support.
CCS Product Introduction - PCBONLINE.pdf
