Heavy Copper Printed Circuit Boards
Epec has been building heavy copper circuit boards with traces and copper planes of up to 6 ounces for more than 20 years. Our expertise is in producing at a reasonable cost heavy copper PCBs that are of proven designs. Our engineering team can work with you to review your design to make sure that they can be manufactured with the highest quality at the best overall cost.
Be sure to check out our blog post on heavy copper circuit board strength and survivability for additional information.
Industries Served Using Heavy Copper Circuit Boards
- Welding Equipment
- Solar Panel Manufacturers
- Power Supplies
- Automotive
- Electrical Power Distribution
- Power Converters
- Military
Contacting Your PCB supplier for Heavier Copper Circuit Boards
Knowing when to contact manufacturing for heavier copper circuit board designs will help save cost on your product. Redesigns can quickly sink your budget. Having a willing manufacturing service to help you succeed at the prototyping level is a win for both of us as a team.
Materials are costly, and lead times are typically longer for heavy copper laminates and not always in stock. As a leading manufacturer in heavy copper PCBs, we understand the process and what is needed to get the job done right the first time.
When designs are too tight for processing and scrap happens, we all lose. We have engineering available 24/7 to process DFM and to provide feedback information to you on what changes need to be made to help us both succeed. Engineering will process your design for manufacturing request and provide a detailed response, including photos and locations of possible troubled areas.
Engaging with your printed circuit boards manufacturing service is critical to the success of your prototype or production orders going smoothly.
Heavy Copper PCB Capabilities
Consider the following capabilities when thinking of using heavier copper designs. Provide information to production about the PCB. What is the end product the part will be installed into? Will it be exposed to the elements, extreme heat, or extreme cold or water?
Prototyping is common in heavy copper product, UL approvals, and timelines. Knowing more helps us to help you succeed. Is this going to be an ongoing project for years to come? We have several options for production to produced small to large volume, or, is it a small one-time buy?
Explore stocking programs, EAU cost savings, and Kanban. All options are available at Epec.
- Maximum Number of Layers = 20
- Laminate - FR-4 (All Tg Ranges), Teflon, Ceramic
- Finished Thickness = 0.020" - 0.275"
- Green, Blue, Red, Black, Clear and White Solder Masks & Legend Inks
- Minimum Soldermask Clearance - 6 mils
- Minimum Solder Dam Width - 5.5 mils
- Hot Air Solder Leveling (HASL)
- Immersion Gold (ENIG) & Immersion Silver
- Blind & Buried Vias
- Minimum Drill Bit Hole Size = 0.012"
- Minimum Holes Size - 0.008" +0.005"/-0.008"
- Maximum Hole Aspect Ratio = 10:1
- Maximum Copper Weight = 6 oz. (UL Approved)
- Controlled Impedance +/- 10%
- Minimum Silkscreen Line Width - 8 mils
Production Minimums
Below is a set of guidelines for data design to follow when it comes to layout. Not all circuit boards are alike, so not all designs fit into all production facilities. For these reasons, we have created a top-notch supply chain to produce all your heavy copper PCB requirements. Following these rules will allow for manufacturing to produce your PCB with standard process setting, decrease time to produce, and minimize fallout.
Measured in Inches | Hoz | 1oz | 2oz | 3oz | 4oz | 5oz | 6oz |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Min. Conductor Width | 0.004 | 0.005 | 0.006 | 0.007 | 0.008 | 0.009 | 0.010 |
Min. Conductor Spacing | 0.004 | 0.006 | 0.008 | 0.012 | 0.014 | 0.017 | 0.020 |
Min. Pad to Pad Spacing | 0.004 | 0.006 | 0.008 | 0.012 | 0.014 | 0.017 | 0.020 |
Min. Conductor-to-Pad Spacing | 0.004 | 0.006 | 0.008 | 0.012 | 0.014 | 0.017 | 0.020 |
Min. PTH Annular Ring | 0.006 | 0.006 | 0.008 | 0.009 | 0.011 | 0.013 | 0.014 |
Min. VIA Annular Ring | 0.006 | 0.006 | 0.008 | 0.009 | 0.011 | 0.013 | 0.014 |
Min. Distance - Hole to Board Edge | 0.010 | 0.010 | 0.010 | 0.010 | 0.010 | 0.010 | 0.010 |