Heavy copper pcbs are printed circuit boards with 3 or more ounces of finished copper in the inner and/or outer layers.Thick copper/customized heavy copper pcb also known as Power Supply PCB is manufactured with its copper weight between 3-20oz/ft2. Copper with weight above 20oz/ft2 are also possible and are referred to as extreme copper. The increased copper weight combined with a suitable substrate with thicker plating for the through holes transforms the once unreliable and weak PCB into a durable and reliable wiring platform. 

How Are Heavy Copper PCBs Made?

Rocket PCB utilizes a unique process referred to as “Laminated Deposition”. This combination of processes allows extreme copper thickness requirements to become very practical and cost effective. The process utilizes heavy base copper that delivers consistent and reliable high power circuits when placed in our plating and etching systems, allowing us to produce well-defined track edges, finer lines, and finer spaces.

Adavantages of Heavy Copper PCBs

Elimination of complex wired buss configurations

Optimized use of exotic high temperature materials with lower probability of circuit failure

Ability to incorporate multiple copper weights on the same layer of circuitry (layer count reduction)

Increased current carrying capacity

Increased endurance to thermal strains

Added copper plating in the heat vias (thermal resistance reduction)

Selective areas plated with heavy copper can function as a heat sink or interface to cold plate (built-in heat sinks)

 Integration of high-current circuits and control circuits on a single PCB

Applications of Heavy Copper PCBs

Demand for heavy copper-clad circuits in automotive, computer, industrial controls, and military is growing very fast. More than 80% of the existing PCB manufacturers are limited or not capable of producing reliable heavy copper printed circuit boards.

Solar power converters

Safety and signal systems

Renewable energies and storage pumping plants

Torque controls

High power rectifiers

Overload relays

Power converters for railway systems

Power line monitors

Traction converters for rail applications

UPS systems

Electric vehicle charging (commercial and industrial)

Protection relays

Excitation systems for power regulators

Position control systems

Power grid switching systems

HVAC systems

Energy storage and power grid back up

Nuclear power applications

Line reactors

Hydro-electric plants

Surge protectors

Fuse blocks

Welding Equipment

Weapons control systems

Radar systems

The driver behind the demand of copper PCBs is ever increasing power, performance, and cost requirements. Known in the industry as the copper pcb manufacturers, Rocket PCB has been manufacturing PCBs with heavy copper plating since 2002 and we are capable of producing 20 plus ounces of finished copper and reliably spray coat a protective and consistent solder mask with imaged nomenclature. An extreme copper circuit could utilize 6 oz. in the hole walls and 20 oz. surface copper.