Creating a Flexible Board

You can transform a sheetmetal representation into a flexible PCB board.

Before you begin:
  • Create a product with an associated 3D shape representation in the Generative Sheetmetal Design workbench. For more information, please refer to the Generative Sheetmetal Design User's Guide.
  • Switch to the Flexible Circuit Board workbench.
  • You must create and activate an axis system. For more information, please refer to Generative Shape Design User's Guide: Defining an Axis System.

  1. Double-click the board representation.

  2. Click Create Flexible Board .


    • If the axis system is not compliant with the following rule: the axis system must be on top of the sheetmetal feature with Z-direction opposite to the material direction, a warning appears:
      Current axis system defined on Board is not compatible with Flexible Circuit Board.
Please define a compatible axis system as current or create a new axis system adhering to following rules:
- Axis system should be direct
- Axis system origin should be on top or bottom surface of the Sheetmetal feature.
- Z-direction of the axis system should be same as direction of vector from Board Bottom to top surface.

      Delete the invalid axis system and create a new one by clicking Axis System .

    • If no axis system has been defined, a warning is displayed:
      No axis system has been defined.
Select YES to create axis system automatically.
Select NO to EXIT the command.
Yes / No

      If you click Yes, a valid axis system will be created on the first sheetmetal feature found automatically and it will be set Current (which is compatible fo Export As IDF File). And you obtain:



    You can observe:

    • The axis system is created on the first sheetmetal feature found.
    • All the sheetmetal features turn green.
    • In the specification tree, the product icon changes into: .

    Note:

    • The Create Flexible Board command can be launched at any time to check the axis system.
    • If the board is already a CBD board (not a flexible board), an error message is displayed.
    • If all the parameters are correct, especially for axis system, a dialog box confirms the flexible board creation has been successful.