Price Compare: metal core PCB v’s fr4

Fr4 PCB is a very conventional PCB type of electronic industry.
In LED industry Fr4 PCB not use first widely, its metal core PCB uses more widely.
That is the reason why many people don’t know metal core PCB but call it as LED PCB.
Due to thermal management, metal core PCB has to consider more heat than conventional PCB design process.
Add the metal material also not so cheap.
Resulting in most metal core PCB board is more expensive than the FR4 PCB board.

Heat Performance compares: metal core PCB v’s fr4

In traditional electronic PCB design theory, electronic transfer is the first, then the layout.
Metal core PCB design is more than above two points, add consider a PCB heat transfer.
You know in LED lighting applications, heat increase is the biggest problems.
If you choose high performance metal, this situation may change.
By the way, most metal core PCB heat performance is better than FR4 PCB.

The stack up of metal core PCB board VS.Fr4

We have compared the price and performance, this part we will discuss about construct or stack up of metal core PCB.
Metal core PCB have three layer stack up.
And FR4 stacks up depend on each application, it can have 1, 2, 3 or even more later.
In three layer stack up of metal core PCB, the dielectric layer is most different from fr4 PCB.
Metal core PCB has high heat management most reason is it have dielectric layer.

Application compares: metal core PCB VS FR4

Fr4 PCB application has widely than metal core PCB.
But in LED industry, most engineers will choose metal core PCB for new projects.
For example, a single layer metal core PCB stack up, base is metal core, top is the copper, dielectric layer is in the middle. MCPCB is used instead of traditional FR4 or CEM3 PCB because of the ability to efficiently dissipate heat away from the components. This is achieved by using a Thermally Conductive dielectric Layer.

Source: http://4mcpcb.com/metal-core-pcb-vs-fr4-four-parts-detail-comare-report.html

The most common Hybrid Metal Core PCB types

Hybrid Metal Core PCB manufacture process

• Posted on 23 Jun 2016
• By David
• In aluminum pcb

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First of all, David have to introduce a new PCB definition: Insulated metal substrate (IMS).
Its construction has a sub-assembly of non-thermal material, and usually this Hybrid Metal Core PCB manufacture processis independent.
In a ‘Hybrid’ IMS construction a “Sub-assembly” of a non-thermal material is processed independently.

New Hybird Metal Core PCB manufacture process is different

Some creative MCPCB manufacturers make a Hybrid IMS PCB bonded to the aluminum base with thermal materials.
That’s the reason why so many hybrid Metal Core PCB boards have difference when compares with before manufacture process.

Why we add aluminum base in metal core PCB manufacture process?

If you have read our aluminium PCB board article, you will find the aluminium layer can decrease the temperature of products.
Bonding this layer to an aluminum base with thermal dielectrics can help dissipate heat, improve the rigidity and act as a shield.
Due the metal core PCB manufacture process, some fabrications may use metal alloy instant of aluminium base.
By the way, even the metal alloy core PCB cheaper than metal core PCB, but the latter was recommended due to the reliability.

The most common Hybrid Metal Core PCB types

Now, more engineer prefers to choose hybrid metal core PCB, but most of them don’t know the full name of this board.
David just wants more guys know the truth of MCPCB, and introduce the most common hybrid aluminum PCB.
The most common construction is a 2-Layer or 4-Layer Sub-assembly made from conventional FR-4.
Click the link to read: The hybrid aluminum PCB manufacturer tells you its secret

Source: http://4mcpcb.com/hybrid-metal-core-pcb-manufacture-process.html

Copper core PCB is different from the standard metal core PCB

If you have read our articles about the metal core PCB, you may know it’s good heat dissipated performance.
Today we are going to discuss a similar one named copper core PCB.

A new test of copper core PCB

There were many tests during the PCB manufacturing process, but if you visit a copper core PCB factory, you many see some difference testing.
Into a 4,2mm thick stack-up we have implemented two 1,8mm solid-copper-cores with additional heat-sink-blind-vies.
In between, complex signal layers are running just like on a standard 4-layer multilayer PCB.

The design of copper core PCB heat management

You know metal core PCB has good heat management performance.
During copper core PCB design process, you should consider more factors than MCPCB design.
This is a combination of a complex multilayer layout and high-performance heat-management.

Source: http://4mcpcb.com/copper-core-pcb-is-different-from-the-standard-metal-core-pcb.html