Last spring, our team tested a new drone gimbal. Mid-flight, it froze—camera tilted, forcing an emergency landing. Tearing it apart, we saw the issue: wires connecting motors to the controller were frayed and broken. “They couldn’t handle constant twisting,” our engineer Kai said.
We’d used rigid wires and a small rigid PCB—bad for gimbals, which twist, pivot, and rotate nonstop. Switching to rigid-flex PCBs changed everything. In two weeks, we had a prototype: rigid sections held components, flexible parts snaked through hinges, twisting without breaking.
This taught us: rigid-flex PCBs are the only way to build reliable drone gimbals—they blend stability and flexibility, fixing traditional wiring flaws.
Gimbals need free movement + steady signals. Traditional setups fail here:
-
Wires Break Under Twisting: Rigid wires fatigue after 200+ pivots. We tested ours—50% frayed by 180 movements, all broken by 250.
-
Rigid PCBs Block Movement: Our first PCB limited tilt to 45° (we needed 60°). Filing edges only helped a little—it still felt clunky.
-
Loose Connections Cause Signal Loss: Connectors wiggle loose mid-flight. Once, our camera feed went black mid-test—we barely landed safely.
Rigid-flex PCBs are built for gimbal movement:
Thin PI film with printed copper traces bends 10,000+ times without breaking. We used two flexible sections—one for horizontal rotation, one for vertical tilt. “No fraying, no frozen gimbals,” Kai said after 20 test flights.
Small FR4 sections (15mm×10mm) hold heavy parts (motor drivers, controllers) in “dead spaces” (near motors). They don’t block movement—our gimbal now tilts 65° upward.
No wires/connectors—signals flow directly through traces. We flew for 30 minutes straight: clear feed, no freezes. “Night and day from the first prototype,” Kai said.
-
Route Flex Sections Along Movement Paths: Map hinges first. We made ours 20mm long (enough to twist) and added a small loop for extra length when tilting. Too short = breakage.
-
Use Thin, Durable PI Film: 0.075mm PI (15,000-bend rating) fits 1mm hinge gaps. Our 0.5oz copper traces stayed strong after 10,000 bends.
-
Reinforce Transition Zones: Add a 5mm×3mm FR4 patch at flex-rigid edges (2mm on flex, 3mm on rigid). Without it, ours tore at 800 rotations—with it, 5,000+.
Our final prototype passed every test:
-
500 360° rotations: No breaks/loss.
-
65° tilt: Smooth, unblocked.
-
25km/h winds: Stable feed.
-
3 bumpy landings: Full functionality.
-
45-minute flight: Zero failures.
A drone photographer tested it: “Better than my $500 commercial gimbal—steady over a lake, in tall grass.”
Frozen gimbals taught us: traditional wiring can’t keep up. Rigid-flex PCBs are the hidden hero—flexible for movement, stable for components, reliable for flights. As gimbals get smaller/more powerful, they’ll only grow more essential.
Next time you see smooth drone footage, remember: a rigid-flex PCB is inside, twisting with every move—making that steady shot possible.
Founded in 2009, our company has deep roots in the production of various circuit boards. We are dedicated to laying a solid electronic foundation and providing key support for the development of diverse industries.
Whether you are engaged in electronic manufacturing, smart device R&D, or any other field with circuit board needs, feel free to reach out to us via email at sales06@kbefpc.com. We look forward to addressing your inquiries, customizing solutions, and sincerely invite partners from all sectors to consult and collaborate, exploring new possibilities in the industry together.
English
Wechat
+86 13670210335
+86 13670210335
E-mail