Flexible Printed Circuit Geometry
Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 4:07 pm
I have a geometry question I can't solve and I can't google. I don't even know what to google or what to search in this forum.
I am making a flexible printed circuit (FPC) to connect current collectors in a battery pack. This FPC has traces on it that go back to a circuit board that senses the voltage of lithium batteries.
We are riveting this circuit to the current collectors. We want the FPC to be longer that a straight line to the rivet holes so that the FPC will bend upwards. This will form a "wave" or "bow" "arch". We want the bow to be a certain height and width. The bow allows tools to go into the module. If the FPC was dead straight the tools wouldn't be able to go in and tighten some screws with out damaging the FPC.
So, Imaging taking a piece of paper, put your two fingers on the paper starting with your fingers parallel and wider than 30mm apart. Now slide your fingers closer together, the paper will bow upwards. Keep moving together, so that an arch/bow/wave forms that is exactly 5mm high. Your finger edge should be 30mm apart. See attached pic.
I am on SW 2021.
The sample part is uploaded.
This part MUST be formed in sheet-metal feature, it MUST flatten. Otherwise it would be hard to manufacture. we need the flattened pattern.
The question is, how, in SolidWorks, or in geometry, would the shape of the bow be formed? Yes, I can just guess, but that's not why I'm here.
Problem, I tried forming a spline, but sheet-metal will not work (at least spline don't work in SW2021).
If a spline can be formed, I could make it a construction line and then fit radii into it to make the sheet-metal feature work. But I don't know how to know what kind of spline would form?
I have some dimensions that must be kept. See attached drawing. The hatched area on the FPC will have stiffeners in it, so consider them as "fixed geometry". The 30mm & 5mm dims are the important dims.
Also, there will be other arches on this FPC that may have different heights and widths. So, I need to be able to "scale" the geometry.
Thank you for any help you may give me....
I am making a flexible printed circuit (FPC) to connect current collectors in a battery pack. This FPC has traces on it that go back to a circuit board that senses the voltage of lithium batteries.
We are riveting this circuit to the current collectors. We want the FPC to be longer that a straight line to the rivet holes so that the FPC will bend upwards. This will form a "wave" or "bow" "arch". We want the bow to be a certain height and width. The bow allows tools to go into the module. If the FPC was dead straight the tools wouldn't be able to go in and tighten some screws with out damaging the FPC.
So, Imaging taking a piece of paper, put your two fingers on the paper starting with your fingers parallel and wider than 30mm apart. Now slide your fingers closer together, the paper will bow upwards. Keep moving together, so that an arch/bow/wave forms that is exactly 5mm high. Your finger edge should be 30mm apart. See attached pic.
I am on SW 2021.
The sample part is uploaded.
This part MUST be formed in sheet-metal feature, it MUST flatten. Otherwise it would be hard to manufacture. we need the flattened pattern.
The question is, how, in SolidWorks, or in geometry, would the shape of the bow be formed? Yes, I can just guess, but that's not why I'm here.
Problem, I tried forming a spline, but sheet-metal will not work (at least spline don't work in SW2021).
If a spline can be formed, I could make it a construction line and then fit radii into it to make the sheet-metal feature work. But I don't know how to know what kind of spline would form?
I have some dimensions that must be kept. See attached drawing. The hatched area on the FPC will have stiffeners in it, so consider them as "fixed geometry". The 30mm & 5mm dims are the important dims.
Also, there will be other arches on this FPC that may have different heights and widths. So, I need to be able to "scale" the geometry.
Thank you for any help you may give me....