Amphenol Trackwise is a leading manufacturer of roll-to-roll flexible printed circuit board (PCB) solutions. We produce continuous flexible circuits in virtually unlimited lengths from our advanced manufacturing facility. Our continuous manufacturing process supports high-performance power and signal transmission for demanding sectors including automotive, aerospace, industrial and medical devices.
Traditional flexible circuit fabrication relies on static, flat-bed panel processing. In a conventional setup, circuits are limited by the physical dimensions of the manufacturing sheets, typically capping out under one meter. This requires panel-by-panel handling, manual transfers, and introduces geometric constraints for large-scale systems.
Roll-to-roll flexible PCB manufacturing (commonly referred to as R2R processing) bypasses these physical limitations. Traditional methods involve feeding individual sheets through separate imaging, plating and etching stations. Instead roll-to-roll feeds the base substrate continuously from a 50m input reel through a fully automated production line and wound onto an output reel.
By treating the circuit as a continuous sheet rather than a collection of separate panels, R2R flex circuit manufacturing improves the production of flexible electronics. This automated process enables the production of flexible PCBs of unlimited length. It allows fine circuit traces to be produced over virtually unlimited lengths, making roll-to-roll manufacturing ideal for large and complex systems that require power and signal transmission across extended distances.
Copper-clad polyimide is loaded onto a continuous input reel.
The substrate passes through imaging, etching and plating stages.
Circuit features are formed continuously along the moving sheet
Coverlay, surface finishes and protective layers are applied.
Circuits are wound onto an output reel for assembly and testing.
Continuous roll flex printed circuits introduce massive efficiencies across your entire product lifecycle.
Because the substrate moves continuously through automated etching and plating processes at a constant speed, manufacturing conditions remain consistent throughout the production line. This produces uniform trace profiles, spacing and dielectric properties across an unlimited length, ensuring reliable electrical performance from start to finish.
Manual assembly of wire harnesses or separate flexible PCB sheets can introduce inconsistencies and human error. By producing circuits on a continuous reel, manufacturers can use automated reel-to-reel systems, making assembly faster, more cost-effective and highly repeatable.
Using a continuous manufacturing process, Amphenol Trackwise can produce single-sided, double-sided and multilayer flexible circuits in virtually unlimited lengths. This enables signals and power to be routed across entire vehicle chassis or aircraft wing spans without relying on intermediate connectors, reducing weight and removing potential points of failure.
Replacing traditional wire harnesses and multiple connector assemblies with a single continuous flexible circuit can significantly reduce system weight, particularly in aerospace and electric vehicle applications.
Reducing the number of connectors, solder joints and mechanical interfaces helps minimise potential failure points and improve long-term system reliability.
Optimising a design for roll-to-roll flexible PCB manufacturing starts before production begins. The engineering team at Amphenol Trackwise works closely with customers during the design phase to ensure layouts, materials and manufacturing requirements are aligned from the outset.
By considering roll-to-roll production requirements early in the development process, we can help maximise manufacturing efficiency, improve yields and support a smoother transition from prototype to volume production.
For more information regarding replacing shielded twisted pairs with flex, please visit our White Papers page to download the PDF.
In theory, however long you require The question really is how long do you need a circuit to be? Currently, our record is 100m of a 2-layer circuit, however, the process is designed for length unlimited.
Materials depend on the end requirements of the circuit. The majority ot circuits are made with a PI substrate and copper conductor, however, we have access to a large variety of other materials should the environment demand it.
There are two ways to look at the benefits of roll-to-roll manufacturing: those who need a long flex, and those who need a number of identical flex manufactured to exacting standards.
Lighter, smaller, more repeatable, more reliable, easier to assemble and cheaper to mass produce.
