Apr22
How to Define Cosmetic Quality Standards for Plastic Parts

How to Define Cosmetic Quality Standards for Plastic Parts
Caption: Cosmetic scratches on plastic parts

Before products are put into inventory after final assembly, electronics manufacturing factories always perform quality inspections to ensure product quality. In terms of functional performance, most products go through 100% function testing, so pass/fail decisions are usually very clear—unless there are intermittent functional issues. In those cases, it’s still relatively easy to identify good versus bad units. Cosmetic (appearance) judgments, however, are a very different story. Disputes happen all the time. How does your company deal with these situations?

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Apr15
Common Ways to Connect FPC to PCB: What Actually Works

Common Ways to Connect FPC to PCB: What Actually Works

As electronics keep getting smaller and more advanced, the need to connect flexible printed circuits (FPCs) to rigid PCBs continues to grow. In this article, Workingbear will walk you through the most common methods used in the industry today—and share some practical insights from real-world experience.

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Apr08
How I Troubleshoot Hidden Open Circuits in FPCs

How I Troubleshoot Hidden Open Circuits in FPCs

Flexible printed circuits (FPCs) are widely used because they can bend and fold. They’re perfect for compact products or for connecting signals between different PCBAs. But there’s a downside. As usage increases—especially in applications with repeated motion—FPCs can develop open circuits or intermittent connections over time.

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Apr02
Root Cause Analysis: Why FPC Traces Break

FPC-open-circuit-failure-analysis&solutions800x436.png

Recently, my company started seeing an increase in field returns caused by open circuits in flexible printed circuits (FPCs) inside the terminal. After digging into several cases, the root cause turned out to be broken copper traces. So what’s going on?

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Mar26
How to Design FPC-to-PCB Connections for Better Assembly (DFx)

How to Design FPC-to-PCB Connections for Better Assembly (DFx)

As electronic devices keep getting thinner and more compact, FPCs (flexible printed circuits) are used more and more. In some designs, FPCs even replace traditional PCBs. But no matter how advanced FPC technology becomes, it still needs to connect to a rigid PCB in the end—and most of the time, that interface is a connector. That’s why designing FPCs for manufacturability (DFx) is so important.

Early on, Workingbear thought FPC design was mainly about getting the layout right and choosing the correct stiffener thickness under the gold fingers or edge board contacts—making sure it’s not too thick to fit into the connector or too thin to stay secure.

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