Dyconex Videos and FAQ's

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Frequently Asked Questions

DYCONEX is the world's leading manufacturer of highly reliable, high quality and flexible PCBs for the medical industry, especially for medical implants. Biocompatible interconnect solutions are also one of the company's strengths. In addition, DYCONEX also produces rigid and rigid-flex substrates for various other industries.

In this section we provide the answers to the most frequently asked questions addressed to us. Always feel free to get in contact with us.

 

Videos

General FAQs

Engineering FAQ's

Videos

Ultra-thin Flexible PCBs in Endoscopes

We will show you how our flexible substrates solve major challenges in assembly and interconnection technology.

Biocompatible Substrates

What is the purpose of biocompatible substrates?

Lab-on-PCB Plattform

New cost-effective biocompatible substrate technology for Lab-on-PCB applications.

Modern Flex PCBs with Wrap Around

Take a look at the technological possibilities for flexible printed circuit boards with the wrap-around process.

Ultra-thin Printed Circuit Boards

See the benefits of our ultra-thin PCBs that fit any form factor.

General FAQs

What does DYCONEX do?

DYCONEX delivers cutting-edge interconnect solutions in flex, rigid-flex and rigid technology.  As a producer of sophisticated PCB solutions, we are committed to consistent quality and innovation. In order to meet  ever-increasing product requirements, DYCONEX relies on state-of-the art equipment and class 10,000 clean room technology.  
 

What are your core capabilities?

Our core capabilities lie in the production of highly complex HDI, high-frequency and high-reliability circuit boards for medical, high-frequency and semiconductor applications. 

Which markets do you target for sales?

Dyconex is a leading supplier of flexible printed circuits for medical, defence and industrial markets. 

How long have you been in the PCB business?

The company has been in the PCB business for more than 50 years.

Where are you located?

The company is located in Bassersdorf, Switzerland, near Zurich airport. 

Will DYCONEX sign a non-disclosure and/or non-compete agreements?

Dyconex takes customer confidentiality very seriously.  All proprietary information is protected by mutually signed non-disclosure agreements.

What are your payment terms and how do you ship the boards?

Our standard payment terms are 30 days net from the date of invoice. The products are shipped from our manufacturing site in Bassersdorf according to FCA Incoterms. 

What information is required for a quote?

In order to calculate the price and lead time for a quote, customers should submit a Gerber file with the design layout and provide additional technical requirements, such as materials and surface finish. 

How long is my quote valid?

Dyconex provides quotes that are valid for 30 days. Beyond this period, we re-assess the price and lead time and provide updated quotes.

Do you check my artwork?

Checking our customer's artwork is one of the most important tasks in the quotation phase. We verify that all relevant design data complies with our design rules and ensure the customer's design can be manufactured successfully. 

Which format files can you read?

Design files should be preferably provided in Gerber format. Simple designs can also be submitted in CAD file formats such as DXF or DWG. 

What do you do with my set-up and E-test cost?

All standard set-up and E-test costs are included in our quotations. It is possible to request customer specific E-tests, which are quoted separately.

How do you send the quote to me after submitting my online quote request?

Upon receipt of the design files, our commercial and technical teams will assess the feasibility, price and lead time. This information is collected and returned to our customers as a quotation in PDF format. 

Do you have minimum order requirements (MOQ)?

The required minimum order quantity depends on the size and shape of the printed circuit. It is communicated individually in each quote. 

How quickly do you respond to a PCB quote request?

Dyconex supports its customers in obtaining their printed circuit boards in the shortest possible time.

What lead times can you offer?

Lead times are calculated and communicated individually on each quote. Optionally, customers can order a hand-carry lot, where the order is moved through the production line with highest priority. 

What can I do if I receive unsatisfactory PCBs?

Damage caused during shipping should be communicated immediately to Dyconex in writing. Defects on the printed circuit boards should be communicated to Dyconex within the first eight days from receipt of the goods. 

Engineering FAQ's

Why should circuit boards be electrically tested?

Optical inspection alone is not sufficient to ensure full functionality of a PCB. Since the z-axes interconnect (vias), they cannot be 100% visually inspected with AOI or AFI. We visually inspect every layer fully and electrically test all our PCBs 100% to ensure that they are fully functional and reliable. 

What should be shown in the drill file: drill diameter or finished hole diameter?

The drill file contains the locations and hole diameters should always indicate the finished hole diameter. 

What classification do you produce?

  • We produce PCBs according to the standards from the Institute for Printed Circuits (IPC). Most of our PCBs are produced according to IPC Class 3, which has the strictest requirements. 
  • The standard class can be manufactured according to the standard lead time table. The advanced class may require some additional quality control steps or special process attention, which could cause deviation from the standard lead time. Products within a leading-edge classification will require an engineering review before beeing produced and the standard lead time may deviate considerably.    

What solder masks do you use for PCBs?

Our PCBs are manufactured with photoimagable solder masks, ensuring the highest feature resolution and pattern fidelity.

Are there any other colour options for the solder mask?

Solder masks are available in green (standard), and white or black (optional). 

What are the benefits of LCP vs polyimide?

Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) is a thermoplastic substrate material for Flexible Printed Circuits (FPC). Compared to conventional polyimide substrates, LCP exhibits extremely low water absorption, excellent high-frequency properties and requires no adhesives to build multi-layer stacks. This is especially beneficial for applications where high frequencies or biocompatibility is required. Although polyimide itself can be biocompatible, the adhesives between a multilayer flex are generally not considered biocompatible.    

What are lines and spaces and why is this such an important size?

Lines and spaces designate the smallest possible width of traces and the gaps between them. It is an indicator for the degree of miniaturisation. We produce leading-edge PCBs with lines and spaces down to 15 µm, which is about 20 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.     

How to reduce the cost of circuit boards?

The two major factors that influence the cost are the number of prints that fit on a production panel, and the yield, i.e. how many good prints are on the panel. Our engineers will guide you in selecting the optimum print size and stack build-up to minimise your cost.         

Can you manufacture my PCBs from a CAD file?

  • The DYCONEX tooling department uses the CAD/CAE program UCAM from Barco ETS: https://www.ucamco.com/en. The following file formats can be processed. The ranking refers to the data import speed and data quality. We prefer the Gerber, Barco UCAM and ODB++ PCB formats. Standard CAD formats are .hpgl and .dxf and the required data encoding is ASCII. 
  • However, this usually requires additional technical communication with our engineering team. We also offer design services for customers without in-house design capabilities. 

What is the maximum size PCB you can produce?

The maximum size for a PCB is 418 mm x 266 mm.

What is the minimum board thickness you can process?

We can produce ultra-thin PCBs from flexible polyimide sheets with a thickness of only 12.5µm. On a rigid PCB our minimum glass reinforced thickness is 30 µm.

What is the maximum thickness?

Multi-layer PCBs can be produced with a total thickness of up to 3 mm. 

What copper thickness do you use and are any other thicknesses available?

Our standard copper thickness is in the range of 10-20 µm. Optional thickness is available from a very thin copper thickness of 3 µm for very fine digital traces up to 80 µm for high current applications. 

What are NRE costs and what does this include?

Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) costs include the following items: 
‐    Design data preparation from single prints to production panel layout 
‐    Design rule checks 
‐    Design modifications for cost optimisation 
‐    Design modifications for improved reliability 
‐    PCB stack build-up consulting 
‐    PCB material consulting 
‐    A team of dedicated and highly qualified engineers is at your disposal 

Can you provide material properties?

Yes, we have a wide range of materials available with varying dielectric properties and would be happy to advise you on your project. 

Can you handle controlled impedance requirements?

Yes, we use Polar Software simulation tools and Time-Domain Reflectance (TDR) measuring equipment to manufacture PCBs with critical impedance requirements. 

What certifications do you have?

Our PCB production site is ISO 9001 certified. We are also certified for medical devices (ISO 13485) and for the aerospace industry (EN 9100).  In addition to these production certifications, we observe other approvals and standards such as:  
‐    ITAR/EAR registration by MST USA 
‐    RoHS and REACH compliance 
‐    IPC standard manufacturing and testing 
‐    Certified 60 Black Belts and IPC qualified employees (CIT | CIS) 

Can you build RF PCBs?

Yes, we have many customers in the telecom, aerospace, and defence industries who require Radio Frequency (RF) range PCBs.