Rigid-flex PCB manufacturing for complex electronics
Rigid-flex eliminates connectors, shrinks enclosures, and survives vibration — but only when the fabricator understands the process. Rigid-flex is where RCT's engineering depth shows most.
Reliability and space, by design
Fewer failure points
No connectors or cables between rigid sections — the interconnect is the board, tested as one unit.
3D packaging freedom
Fold the circuit into the enclosure instead of designing the enclosure around the circuit.
Vibration & shock resistance
Flex zones absorb mechanical stress that cracks solder joints on connector-based assemblies.
Proven in demanding products
- Medical devices — patient monitors, surgical tools, imaging systems where reliability is regulatory.
- Aerospace & defense — avionics, guidance, and comms with shock/vibration requirements.
- Wearables — folding main boards that make compact industrial design possible.
- Cameras & optics — gimbal interconnects and moving-sensor flex tails.
- Industrial control — hinged enclosures and space-constrained control heads.
Rigid-flex fabrication summary
| Layer | 1 – 36 layers rigid-flex PCB |
|---|---|
| Max board size | 2 – 4 layers: 500 × 1100 mm · ≥ 8 layers: 500 × 950 mm |
| Outline tolerance | ±5 mil |
| Final thickness | 0.2 mm – 7 mm |
| Min thickness (per layer count) | 2L 0.2 mm · 4L 0.4 mm · 6L 0.6 mm · 8L 0.8 mm · 10L 1.0 mm · > 10L 0.5 × layers × 0.2 mm |
| Thickness tolerance | ±10 % |
| Impedance control | ±10 % |
| Min trace / space — inner | 0.5 oz 1.5/2 mil · 1 oz 3/3 mil · 2 oz 5/7 mil · 3 oz 7/8 mil |
| Min trace / space — outer | 1/3 – 0.5 oz 3/3 mil · 1 oz 4/4 mil · 2 oz 5/7 mil · 3 oz 7/8 mil |
| Inner copper weight | 1/3 oz · 0.5 oz · 1 oz · 2 oz · 3 oz · 4 oz · 5 oz · 6 oz |
| Min finish hole | 6 mil (mechanical) · 3 mil (laser-drilled) |
| Min hole tolerance | ±3 mil |
| Inner layer registration | ±2 mil |
| Min hole ring — inner | 0.5 oz 5 mil · 1 oz 6 mil · 2 oz 8 mil · 3 oz 12 mil |
| Min hole ring — outer | 1/3 – 0.5 oz 4 mil · 1 oz 5 mil · 2 oz 7 mil · 3 oz 10 mil |
| Aspect ratio | 12 : 1 |
| Silk screen color | White, black, green |
| Solder mask color | Glossy: green / white / blue / black / yellow / red · Matt: green / black / blue |
| Solder mask thickness | ≥ 2 mil |
| Min solder mask dam | 4 mil |
| Hole plug diameter | 10 mil – 24 mil |
| Warp & twist | ≤ 0.75 % |
| Surface finish | ENIG · Imm Tin · Imm Ag · OSP · Gold Finger |
| Accept standard | IPC Class II · IPC Class III |
First rigid-flex project?
Read our Rigid-Flex DFM checklist, then send your stackup for a free engineering review before you commit to fabrication.
Request DFM Review →Flex & Rigid-Flex PCB samples
A selection of recent builds from our Shenzhen fab — scroll horizontally to see more.
Complex rigid-flex? That's exactly what we build
Send your design — stackup review, DFM report, and quotation within 24 hours.