Reliability is the spec
Aerospace and defense PCBs are drilled once and expected to run for the life of the platform — often 20+ years, through thermal shock and vibration. Scrap on a qualified lot is a program risk, not just a cost.
The consumables must hold three things:
- Stable geometry after long, sometimes harsh, storage.
- Clean exits on thick multilayer and rigid-flex.
- Traceability from lot to finished board.
The defense-grade combination
- UV Melamine 950 backup — anti-warp and flat, so it survives store conditions and keeps location on thick avionics stacks. Our recommended default.
- Back-drill aluminum — closes the stub on radar and comms links where SI is qualified.
- Aluminum entry 1100 H18 — the standard entry for large-format panels.
- Lubricant aluminum — coated first-entry for the dense RF and avionics vias.
Grade matrix
| Board |
Grade |
Role |
Note |
| Backup |
UV Melamine 950 |
Thick ML / rigid-flex |
Anti-warp, ~20% below laminate cost |
| Back-drill |
HW600 / HW900 |
Radar / comms links |
Stub CpK ≥1.33 / ≥1.67 |
| Entry |
1100 H18 |
Large panels |
Repeatable location |
| Entry |
Coated Al |
Dense RF |
Fine-via location |
Services for qualified programs
Full lot traceability and SGS / REACH / UL declarations ship with every order. Long-term grade locking is available so your qualified set never drifts. Engineering support covers the full stack-up.
📖 Further reading: Case Study: Supplying a High-Compliance Multinational PCB Manufacturer · Glossary: SGS certification definition →
FAQ
Q: Can you lock a grade for a long program?
A: Yes. Grade locking holds the same resin, density and thickness across the program life.
Q: Which backup for rigid-flex avionics?
A: UV Melamine 950 — our recommended default; its stability suits the mixed thick/flex stack and harsh store. Phenolic PHE is available on request for routing worktables and specific IC jobs.
Q: Is back-drilling supported on defense RF?
A: HW900 is qualified to CpK ≥1.67 for the stub-critical links.
