Numerical-experimental characterization of the dynamic behavior of PCB for the fatigue analysis of PCBa

In today's highly digitized and mechatronics-based world, the need for reliable and cost-effective electronic components has become essential. The reliability of these components is not only based on their electrical and circuit aspects but also on their structural properties. This paper presents a study carried out on two-layer Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) of rectangular shape, which are representative of many industrial applications. The aim of this study is to compare different numerical models, developed in Ansys Workbench and in a FEM software specifically designed for circuit boards, with experimental tests to determine the most interesting ones for further studies on Printed Circuit Board Assemblies (PCBAs). The comparison includes both static and dynamic behaviors, tested through isostatic bending tests and dynamic analyses with a shaker and a fiber optic laser. The models developed are capable of reproducing statics and dynamics of PCBs with varying degrees of accuracy and numerical complexity. However, increasing the details of the models does not always correspond to an increase in accuracy in reproducing the dynamic behavior. Prior to the experimental dynamic analysis, the influence of constraints’ modeling strategies and damping on the first eigenmode was studied, and the results were used to set up tests and simulations to achieve more consistent results. Future work will extend the dynamic characterization to PCBAs by populating the studied PCBs with components, and continue with the study of predictive models for their structural reliability.