Where is the bend radius measured for unbounded flex circuit?
The bend radius will be wherever the center of the bend is. You also have to look at a secondary bend radius where the puckering is. Typically you want to make sure that puckering is not dropping that bend radius, and becoming a limiter. You have to look at the application, how tight you are trying to bend it, and how much distance there is between the rigid areas. We typically measure the bend radius at the actual bend itself, and make sure the associated puckering doesn’t cause a secondary bend radius concern. Are there any tougher materials than pure copper? Well, there are many materials that are tougher. Inconel for instance is a very hard metal. However, you are going to get a lot of resistance, and you are going to basically make a heater if you put any kind of current through it at all. Really from a toughness standpoint, rolled annealed copper is probably your best bet because it is soft and has high elongation. It can stand an awful lot before it breaks. Keep track of what yo
