Metal Core PCB Manufacturing in the UK
For electronic assemblies that produce a good amount of heat, regular FR-4 laminates just don’t cut it. Metal core printed circuit boards (MCPCBs) overcome this issue by using a thermally conductive metal base instead of the usual fibreglass substrate, which can be aluminium, copper or a steel alloy, and transfers heat away from sensitive electronics and away from them efficiently throughout the board.
PCB Company UK produces single-sided, double-sided and multilayer metal-core PCBs for automotive, LED lighting, power electronics and industrial applications.
What Is a Metal Core PCB?
A metal core PCB is made up of three major layers:
- Metal base layer – This is typically aluminium (1.0mm – 3.2mm) or copper and is a heat sink, built into the structure of the board.
- Thermally conductive dielectric layer: A thin insulating layer (approx. 75 – 150 µm) which serves to electrically isolate the copper circuitry from the metal base and to supply thermal transfer.
- Copper circuit layer: Copper foil (1 oz–10 oz) that is etched with the pattern of your circuit.
Aluminium based MCPCBs have a thermal conductivity of 1–9 W/m·K, whereas copper core MCPCBs have much higher values — for designs with no compromises on thermal management.
What type of Metal Core PCB We Manufacture
The metal core PCBs that we manufacture are as follows:
Aluminium Core PCB
The most commonly used form of MCPCB. Aluminium core PCB is a very good compromise in terms of thermal performance, weight and cost. These boards are provided for LED modules, power convertors and motor controllers with moderate heat dissipation and moderate material cost.
Copper Core PCB
When aluminium gets to its limit, copper core boards take the place. Copper MCPCBs are also used in high power applications in the telecommunications infrastructure, heavy duty power supplies and automotive inverters, where the thermal conductivity is approximately twice that of aluminium. The compromise is weight and cost of materials, but for thermal sensitive designs, there is no other material that can compare to copper.
Steel Alloy Core PCB
Steel core boards (less common but useful in certain applications) have better mechanical rigidity and are used when the structure needs to be strong in addition to providing a moderate improvement over FR-4 in thermal properties.
Metal Core PCB Benefits
Metal Core PCBs have a number of key benefits:
- Superior thermal management – Heat transfers directly from the dielectric to the metal base, without the formation of hot spots, which results in longer component life and reliability.
- Extended component life with reduced operating temperatures – Electromigration, solder joint fatigue and capacitor degradation are low, increasing mean time between failures.
- Compact design potential – The board itself dissipates heat, so designers are often able to eliminate external heatsinks, saving on assembly size and weight.
- Metal substrates have predictable expansion and contraction characteristics, minimizing warpage during reflow soldering and long-term mechanical reliability.
- Higher thermal capacity also results in improved power density, which is essential for today’s electronics, which are becoming smaller and smaller.
The focus is on applications across UK Industries.
Wherever heat and reliability meet, metal core PCBs are specified:
- Street lighting, architectural luminaires, automobile headlamps, horticultural grow lights
- DC-DC Converter, Motor Drives, Solid State Relays, Inverters in Power electronics.
- Automotive: Engine control unit, battery management system, ADAS sensor module
- Industrial – Welding controllers, induction heating equipment, variable frequency drives
- Aerospace and defence – Radar modules and power amplifiers for extreme thermal environment
Our MCPCB Manufacturing Capabilities
PCB assembly applications can be supported with the following metal-core PCB specifications:
Parameter | Specification |
Base metals include | Aluminium, copper, steel alloy |
Metal thickness | 0.8 mm – 3.2 mm |
Copper weight | 1 oz – 10 oz |
Dielectric thickness | 75 µm – 200 µm |
Thermal conductivity | 1.0 – 9.0 W/m·K |
Board size (max) | 600 mm × 500 mm |
Surface finishes | HASL, lead-free HASL, ENIG, OSP, Immersion silver |
Solder mask colours | White, black, green, blue |
Aluminium PCB Applications
Metal Core PCB Design Guidelines
The design for MCPCB fabrication is different from the normal FR-4 design. We recommend:
Note: On single layer MCPCBs, through-hole vias must be carefully insulated; this is not a concern in multi-layer FR-4 stackups.
- Be careful with the thickness of the dielectric – thinner dielectrics will have better thermal transfer but worse voltage isolation. Resolve these requirements in the early stages of the design process.
- Consider CTE matching – The coefficient of thermal expansion is different for aluminium and copper circuitry; consider this when geometry of pad and trace on large boards.
The metal cores are suitable for V-scoring, and the aluminium or copper substrates need to be routed using suitable tooling.
What makes PCB Company UK so special for their Metal Core PCBs?
For more than 10 years we have been producing MCPCBs for British engineering companies, lighting designers and automotive Tier 1 suppliers. From a quick prototype (5 day turnaround) to a volume production of 50,000+ panels.
All boards are automatically optically inspected, electrically tested and thermally tested prior to dispatch. We are certified to ISO 9001 and operate to IPC-A-600 Class 2 and Class 3 acceptance criteria.
From single prototype LED aluminium backboards to production runs of copper core power modules, talk to our engineering team today. We offer free DFM analysis, material selection, stackup optimization and cost saving suggestions.
Please ask for a quote or contact the technical sales team to discuss your metal core PCB needs.