Engineering tip: Use FR-4 High TG PCBs for prototyping

The TG of a Printed Circuit Board is the temperature where the polymer transitions from a hard grassy material to a soft, rubbery material. With most applications a PCB with a normal TG (glass transition) temperature of 145°C – 150°C will suffice. However, especially with power applications or PCBs with a high density, a PCB with a higher TG should be used. myProto advises to choose a printed circuit board with a higher TG in prototypes.

myProto delivers different PCB materials, but FR-4 is the most used material with a default TG at 145°C – 150°C. The other option being 170°C – 180°C. For prototypes we advise you to choose 170°C – 180°C. It often happens that PCB assembly prototypes need rework. With desoldering and resoldering PCB’s can become damaged. Overheating may cause the solder pads to loosen or the tracks to come loose. When you choose a higher TG you minimize the chance of damage. With larger series, when rework is not necessary, a standard TG with normal applications will suffice.

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