metal-core-pcb
Metal Core PCB manufacturers.We offer Metal core printed circuit boards.Copper base (copper core or heavy copper) – The copper core boards feature. The finished Metal PCB thickness from 0.2mm(7.8mil) to 7.5mm(295mil).
When the temperature of a PCB assembly starts rising, the owner of that board begins to sweat profusely. Clearly, they feel the heat more than the components on the board do. Jokes apart, don’t lose your cool, metal cores are here for you. Metal core PCBs are used where high amounts of heat are generated in the circuit and therefore the heat needs to be dissipated quickly to avoid damage to the components.
The rapid development of the LED industry, especially in high-power LED lighting, has raised concerns about heat dissipation. These LEDs are usually mounted on PCBs and thus can create problems within the circuit. Without the right technique, heat dissipation will hinder the performance of electronic devices that run on high-power. The implementation of metal cores in these kinds of applications proves to solve this problem.
A metal core printed circuit board (MCPCB) also known as thermal PCB, incorporates a metal material as its base as opposed to the traditional FR4, for the heat spreader fragment of the board. Heat builds up due to some electronic components during the operation of the board. The purpose of the metal is to divert this heat away from critical board components and towards less crucial areas such as the metal heatsink backing or metallic core. Hence, these PCBs are apt for thermal management.
In a multilayer MCPCB, the layers will be evenly distributed on each side of the metal core. For instance, in a 14-layer board, the metal core will be at the center with 7 layers on the top and 7 layers at the bottom.
MCPCBs are also referred to as insulated metallic substrate (IMS), insulated metal PCBs (IMPCB), thermal clad PCBs, and metal-clad PCBs. In this article, we will be using the abbreviation MCPCB to avoid ambiguity.
Why metal core PCBs? Accumulation of too much heat in printed circuit boards lead to malfunctions in the devices. Electronic devices that generate a considerable amount of heat cannot always be cooled using conventional fans. Conductive cooling through metal core boards is an ideal option. In conductive cooling, the heat is transferred from one hot part to a cooler part by direct contact. This works well since heat constantly seeks to move to any object or medium that is cooler.
Advantages of MCPCB.These boards possess the ability to integrate a dielectric polymer layer with high thermal conductivity for lower thermal resistance. The higher the conductivity of the material, the faster the heat transfer.The metal boards can be etched to control heat flow away from components. Boards with aluminum, tend to be lighter in weight than ceramics. Metal substrates are long-lasting and are more conductive than epoxy products.Metals are non-toxic and are recyclable. Implemented in high vibration applications. The components don’t fall off since the core reduces the vibration.
Thickness of the dielectric layer and the metal core:
The core is made up of a metal plate of a particular thickness that dissipates heat. The thickness is in the range of 30 mils to 125 mils. The copper foil thickness is around 1oz. to 10oz.
The metal core or the metal backing plate is the thickest material in the board. The most frequently used thicknesses are 0.6mm, 0.8mm, 1mm, 1.2mm,1.5mm, and 3.2mm. 5.0mm. The metal layer offers rigidity, maintains the circuit flat, and provides sufficient thickness so that it’s compatible with the mounting hardware implemented on standard boards. The exposed metal plate side of the board isn’t coated with a surface finish or solder mask.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us with info@alcantapcb.com , we will be happy to help you.