Instrumented puncture impact characterization of composite laminates for printed circuit board applications

Abstract One sided copper glass/epoxy laminates for printed circuit board (PCB) applications were examined using an instrumented puncture impact technique. The effect of the diameter of the support ring, the initial impact velocity, and the preence of a stress concentrator on the impact parameters were evaluated. The orientation of the copper film with respect to the impacter was also varied. The PCB laminate showed brittle failure under the different conditions examined. Results showed that a higher degree of toughness was found for the condition where the copper layer was directly impacted by the dart. The maximum force and the total impact energy were found to be independent of the strain rate. The effect of a stress concentrator on the impact parameters was also found to be minimial. Total impact energies were found to be in the range of 8.8 to 12.6 J for the different testing conditions.