By Steve Bush 26th March 2019
Trackwise of Tewkesbury is claiming a world record – for creating what is believed to be the world’s longest multi-layer flexible printed circuit (FPC), which will span 26m (85 feet) within the wings of an unmanned aerial vehicle to distribute power and control signals.
It is a solar-powered plane, and the flexi is claimed to save ~60% of mass compared with an equivalent wire harness. It is one of over fifty FPCs supplied by Trackwise into this vehicle, which is being manufactured in the US.
Trackwise is using ‘improved harness technology’ (IHT), a patented reel-to-reel manufacturing technique. “Conventional FPCs are rarely more than two metres in length, primarily due to limitations of manufacturing processes. IHT overcomes these limitations, enabling FPCs of unlimited length to be produced,” according to the firm.
The UAV’s flexible circuit is based on a polyimide substrate, and is claimed to dissipate heat better than conventional wiring, which increases current capacity for a given weight of copper.
It can also increase reliability by reducing the number of connections, and improve circuit consistency.
“There are many applications emerging for long, lightweight FPCs, and aerospace is a natural fit: weight savings and high reliability are critical,” said Trackwise CEO Philip Johnston. “We’re also seeing growing interest from sectors including medical and automotive. For the latter, manufacturers are challenged to reduce vehicle weight to improve fuel efficiency at a time when there’s an ever-growing array of electrical and electronic circuits in their vehicles. In particular, electric vehicles are accelerating this trend.”
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