Aluminum pcb manufacturing vs FR-4 Board-What is the difference?

Know the Heat dissipation characteristics of Aluminum printed circuit boards

Aluminum pcb manufacturing has made led printed circuit board quite easy. The aluminum-based PCB circuit board is the most common plate in the metal PCB board. It is composed of an aluminum core with a standard FR-4.

It is simply composed of a three-layer structure of:

1. copper foil
2. insulating layer, and
3. metal core.

Because the aluminum-based PCB board has a heat dissipation layer, it has a good heat dissipation function. Moreover, it can effectively reduce the operating temperature of the component and extend the service life of the product.

The advantages of aluminum-based PCB circuit board compared with traditional FR-4 board:

1. Good thermal conductivity. 

The metal layer of the aluminum-based PCB board can:

• quickly dissipate heat
• transfer the heat of the device
• minimize the thermal resistance, and
• have good thermal conductivity.

2. More environmentally friendly.

Các Aluminum pcb manufacturing PCB board does not carry substances harmful to human health and the environment. Furthermore, it is more environmentally friendly than the FR-4 board.

3. High durability. 

The FR-4 board may be rocked, bent, cracked, etc. during production and transportation. The ceramic substrate is also more fragile. Similarly, the aluminum-based PCB circuit board makes up for the shortcomings of the FR-4 board and the ceramic substrate, has a longer durability. And avoids board cracks caused by production and transportation.

Higher performance. Aluminum pcb manufacturing

The circuit layer of the aluminum-based PCB board is formed by etching. Compared with the traditional FR-4 board, under the same line width and thickness. The current carried by the Aluminum pcb manufacturing (aluminum substrate) is higher than that of the FR-4 board.

Generally, the good heat dissipation function, insulation and durability of the aluminum-based PCB circuit board have laid its important position in the power hybrid IC. Aluminum substrates are widely used in industries such as:

• LED energy-saving lamps
• driving devices for automobile
• computers and other equipment
• audio equipment and power systems.

Why Aluminum pcb manufacturing is important?

If there is a light fixture that not only has low power and power saving but also has a simple and elegant appearance, then such a light fixture requires LED lamps. But in such lamps, the aluminum substrate is more important.

First of all, in terms of Aluminum pcb manufacturing structure, the aluminum substrate is mainly composed of three structures:

• a circuit layer,
• an insulating layer, and
• a metal layer, and each layer has its role.

And it has single-sided and double-sided. But the high-grade LED lamp board uses a double-sided aluminum substrate. And its main advantages include the following aspects.

• The material we used to make the circuit board is glass fiber. But because the LED lamps are very easy to heat. So the circuit board of this lamp is generally made of aluminum substrate. And it is characterized by fast heat.
• The second point is that, as a matter of principle, products such as LED lamps have good conductivity and are very prone to leakage. So, a good aluminum substrate also needs to have good insulation.
• Of course, the insulation of poor-quality products is not very good. So, we must choose high-quality products when choosing.
• The third point is that the Aluminum pcb manufacturing(substrate) can also reduce the size of the product and increase the speed of product assembly. Therefore, it is a very good thing for factories and users.
• The fourth point is that the aluminum substrate has replaced the ceramic substrate used before, becoming more durable.

Heat dissipation characteristics of Aluminum pcb manufacturing

The production of LED aluminum substrate has driven the development of the heat dissipation application industry. Due to the heat dissipation characteristics of the LED aluminum substrate, the aluminum substrate has the advantages of:

• high heat dissipation
• low thermal resistance
• long life, and
• voltage resistance.

With the improvement of Aluminum pcb manufacturing technology and equipment, prices have become low and performance is improving. Further expanding the application areas of the LED industry, such as:

• aluminum substrates for indicator lights of home appliances
• led aluminum substrates for car lamps
• aluminum substrates for street lamps, and
• large outdoor billboards.

The successful development of the LED aluminum substrate will become a service for indoor lighting and outdoor lighting products. So that the LED industry will have a wider market in the future.

Aluminum pcb manufacturing industry overview

The LED aluminum substrate product project covers the entire industry of lighting products, such as:

• commercial lighting and
• indoor lighting.

On the whole, the Aluminum pcb manufacturing will maintain rapid development in the next few years. And the export value will increase steadily. But the export growth rate will decline. Due to the continuous economic development, domestic sales have ushered in a period of rapid growth.
However, the rapid development of China’s Aluminum pcb manufacturing industry in the past five years has also caused fierce competition to this day. Due to LED lighting-related technologies and heat dissipation performance, LEDs have developed slowly in the domestic market. And most of the LED lighting is used for export.

In this respect, LED aluminum substrates have been continuously developed with space and time. Under the vigorous guidance of the country in the future, LED aluminum substrate technology will be more and more perfect, And domestic demand will be greater and greater.

What is the structure of Aluminum pcbs ?

I believe that most consumers are not very aware of this question. Because they are not very familiar with LED aluminum substrate, so I will share some common knowledge about the structure of aluminum substrate.

For example, we all know that the primary source material in Aluminum pcb manufacturing is metal plate materials. And many circuits are installed on its surface. And the primary component of aluminum substrates is divided into copper foil materials for heat conduction and insulation effects. Layers and metal substrates, and its structure can also be divided into three different layers:

The first layer

which is what Aluminum pcb manufacturing generally call the LED aluminum substrate circuit board. Its effect is equivalent to the PCB circuit board made of copper materials that we often see. And it needs uniform coverage on its circuit board. The upper layer of copper foil, but the thickness of the copper foil also has a certain scale, generally before 1-10oz.

The second layer

is the insulating layer. Its primary source material is the insulating material. Therefore, in addition to the insulating effect. It also has the effect of insulating and preventing heat conduction.

The thickness of the insulating layer also has a specific scale. It is generally at 0.7 It is between 5mm and 0.15mm. Its selected production skills have passed the core skills of the national UL skill certification.

The third layer

is the bottom layer, which is what Aluminum pcb manufacturing generally refer to as metal substrates. Its primary source is aluminum materials. Some manufacturers can also choose brass materials as the source materials for metal substrates.

How to use aluminum-based copper clad laminate?

Instructions for Aluminum led pcb manufacturer

Aluminum-based copper clad laminate performance:

1. The greater the power density of the module, the better the thermal conductivity of the aluminum substrate. And the lower the thermal resistance.
   2. The greater the current carrying capacity, the greater the thickness of the aluminum substrate conductive layer Increase.
   3. The insulation breakdown voltage of the aluminum substrate meets the requirements of the electrical insulation performance of the module.
   4. An Aluminum pcb manufacturing companymust maintain minimum insulation barrier between the edge of the circuit board.
   5. In the process of drilling, punching, cutting and other mechanical processing of aluminum substrates, be careful. Not to break or contaminate the insulating and thermal conductive layer close to the conductor.

What does impact Aluminum pcb manufacturing quality?
With the rapid development of the electronics industry, The requirements for the flatness of the processed Aluminum pcb manufacturing board are getting higher and higher. The bending, twisting and flatness of the aluminum-based PCB are affected by the structure and quality of the mechanical processing tools such as:

• punching and cutting,
• as well as the insulation and heat conduction layer of the circuit layer.

Conclusion Aluminum pcb manufacturing

With the advancement of technology, the quality and requirements of Aluminum pcb manufacturing are becoming higher and higher. From single-layer plates to multi-layer plates to metal substrates, and from FR4 to High Tg .

Halogen-free, HDI , ceramic substrates and other high-hardness plates, and circuit boards with high-power heat dissipation requirements, such as:

• LED backlight modules and
• street lights
• LED liquid crystal panels etc., require aluminum substrates and copper substrates

The bottom plate of other metal materials use to solve the problem of high power heat dissipation.