Flexible PCB?

Are there any solutions or features with-in Solidworks that would be
useful in the design of flex circuit boards. We currently dont have a
sufficient way to create flex board w/out using the paperdoll method.
I have been looking in to what could help solve this problem. We'd
love to have a model that can represent the entire assembly from the
housing all the way down to the electrical components on a flexboard.
Like to see a flex board in its bent state then be able to make a
"flat pattern" of sorts for creating a drawing for dimensioning and
producing

All thoughts and ideas and examples are appreciated.

ADAM

 

Adam,

What is a flex board and how does it work?

Dennis

 

SolidWorks is fairly good for modeling flex circuits. Just think of them as
very wimpy sheet metal. Sketched bends allow you to bend them flat on
themselves. Flat patterns work great. The hard part is when you get a model
back from the EEs. We use Protel and the EDA-Desktop interface to generate a
solid model from the electrical design. It doesn't understand flexes, so the
parts are all brought in fixed. You have to play games to get the parts to
move properly when you bend the flex. (Mating all the components is not much
fun!)

Jerry Steiger
Tripod Data Systems
"take the garbage out, dear"

 

Maybe this is a good use for the Deform feature?

Mike Wilson