ENNOVI introduces a new flexible circuit board production process for low-voltage connections in electric vehicle battery interconnect systems

New automotive-grade flexible die-cut circuit (FDC) technology provides engineers with a highly sustainable, low-voltage collection circuit option for new battery designs without compromising performance.

Singapore (April 26, 2024) - ENNOVI, a partner in mobility electrification solutions, has launched a more advanced and sustainable production process for flexible circuit boards that can be used for low-voltage signal connections in electric vehicle (EV) battery interconnect systems. Although flexible printed circuits (FPCs) are commonly used in battery interconnect systems, they are the largest cost source for battery interconnect systems. ENNOVI's flexible die-cut circuit (FDC) technology provides a more cost-effective and sustainable solution that not only simplifies the production process but also improves the efficiency of continuous roll-to-roll production.

The industry currently uses a multi-stage batch photolithography process to produce flexible die-cut circuit boards . This process requires etching copper foil lines on the flexible circuit board, that is, using corrosive chemicals to dissolve the unwanted copper foil, but it takes a lot of time and energy to extract the waste copper from the chemicals afterwards, so it is difficult to achieve effective copper recycling. The die-cutting process can achieve rapid recycling of copper, so it is more popular than the chemical etching process.

The size limit of flexible printed circuit (FPC) is 600mm×600mm . In contrast, flexible die-cut circuit (FDC) has no length limit due to the continuous roll-to-roll production process. Under certain design conditions, flexible die-cut circuit (FDC) has similar performance characteristics to flexible printed circuit (FPC). This has been confirmed by strict internal dimensions, thermal shock tests, line resistance tests, temperature rise tests, insulation resistance tests and high voltage tests.

“The adoption of FDC technology for flexible circuit production is in line with our vision to innovate to create a sustainable battery value chain for the electric vehicle industry,” explained Gustavo Cibrian, ENNOVI Product Portfolio Director. “We are working hard to enable ENNOVI to deliver a CCS design solution that perfectly balances the cost, time and performance requirements of battery manufacturers, thus helping battery manufacturers to design at cost.”