Light emitting diodes or LEDs are considered the best alternative to many traditional lighting solutions like mercury bulbs, sodium vapor lamps, metal halide lights, and so on. LEDs are a type of solid-state lighting that uses semiconductors to convert electricity into light. They help reduce energy usage by as much as 80% and last longer than traditional lights. Nowadays, these lighting solutions are supported by printed circuit boards. These boards are made of materials like fiberglass, which take away the heat from LED bulbs and prevent them from getting damaged. How do LED PCBs differ from other printed circuit boards? What materials are used in their construction? Why are they advantageous?
Popular LED Printed Circuit Board Materials
Mainly, LED PCBs are made up of three types of raw materials. They are as follows:
- SCEM-1 PCB Raw Material: This material comprises cellulose and is made by combining two layers of woven glass fabric, phenol compounds, and epoxy resin. The cellulose is positioned between the layers and impregnated with the epoxy resin to create a layer of PCB.
- CEM-3 PCB Raw Material: Another raw material is CEM-3 PCB which is a combination of copper foil and a glass fiber cloth. In this raw material, the copper film is impregnated with epoxy resin for effective results.
- FR4 PCB Raw Material: FR4 is an advanced PCB base material produced from a woven glass fabric and flame-retardant epoxy resin. The beneficial part of this material is it absorbs the minimum amount of water and has excellent adhesion to copper that, which makes it ideal for challenging industrial applications.
Advantages of LED Printed Circuit Boards
LED printed circuit boards have gained immense popularity in the global market due to the following reasons:
- Small PCB Size: LED printed circuit boards are generally smaller and lighter in weight than traditional PCBs. Owing to their size, PCBs are used in many electronic devices. In addition to this, small PCBs require less circuitry for effective performance.
- Color and Brightness Control: Each LED PCB chip can be adjusted according to the desired brightness level. Along with this, with the help of customization, one can choose different colored LEDs as per the application requirement.
- Generates Less Heat: As compared with other fluorescent bulbs, LED PCBs generate less amount of heat. This ensures better product quality and prevents them from getting warm.
- Long Shelf Life: A single LED PCB is produced using multiple LED chips, which helps them last longer than traditional bulbs. These chips remain unaffected by energy fluctuations and do not damage easily.
LED printed circuit boards have made electronics much more simplified and effective. You can augment the benefits of these PCBs by sourcing them from trusted manufacturers like Rigiflex Technology. It is one of the leading printed circuit board manufacturers in the US and specializes in various types of PCBs, including LED printed circuit boards. The company provides LED PCBs to clients in the medical, automotive, computer construction, and telecommunications industries.
