Printed Circuit Boards
A circuit board is a mechanical support and electrically connects electronic or electrical elements with conductive pads, tracks and various other features electrically etched in one or more piece layers of non-metallic copper lamination on or between two or more thin sheet layers of an electrically conductive substrate. The layers may be made of many different materials including plastics, neoprene, silk, thermoplastic, epoxy, polyester, nylon, and polypropylene to mention a few. As the electrical components make contact with the board, the conductivity and durability of the board are changed by the electrical components and/or their location on the board.
All About Flexible Printed Circuit Boards
For example, when a circuit is used for the purpose of detecting magnetic fields, it is usually made of a conductive layer of copper traces which are connected to thin metal traces for electrical connections. These thin metal traces are bonded to several layers of sheet metals including sheet metal, sheet steel, brass, bronze, stainless steel and other alloys for the purpose of providing the minimum amount of friction to the circuits along the circuit boards. The thickness of the copper traces, which are used for the electrical connections, also affects the life of the circuit. Since these copper traces are very thin, the friction created during the operation of the equipment causes a short, which in turn shortens the lifespan of the circuit.
In order to maintain the effectiveness of printed circuit boards, it is important that all components are grounded. The grounding prevents the shorting between the conducting components and the components grounded. With a shorted component, it is possible for the electricity to travel into another component, which would result in a fatal accident. Therefore, it is important that the components of the boards are grounded to prevent any mishaps.