Question: About a year ago, I had a flex circuit design that was about 16" long. We now need a flex circuit that is 25" long. We thought the cost would go up by about 25% due to the length increase, but instead we are getting quotes that are three to five times the cost of the previous design. Why is this? Answer: To understand the reason why the circuit cost has risen so much, you need to understand the manufacturing processes and equipment that are most affected when circuit size increases. Every manufacturer has its unique equipment set and processing techniques, so some fabricators may not struggle as much as others with longer flex circuits. (This is probably why you are seeing the large cost spread on quotes.) You will probably find that with most Asian manufacturers, the price jump will start in the 14" to 16" length. This is because the standard panel sizes used in Asia are quite a bit smaller than panel sizes used in the US. In the US, the big price jump usually starts around 22". I will go through the different operations that affected most by large circuit size.
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