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What Is a Blank Circuit Board?

Alex Newth
Alex Newth

A blank circuit board is a board without any contacts or pieces that is used for the creation of printed circuit boards (PCBs). Most blank circuit board units are known as copper-clad, meaning the board is coated in copper, which helps when the PCB has electricity going through it. The majority of blank boards are sold in standard sizes, but the user may have to manually cut down the board to make it ready for his purposes. There are several colors available for a blank board, but all of them work roughly the same in terms of effectiveness.

When someone is making a PCB, a blank circuit board is an essential item. Without a blank board, there would be nothing to accept the circuits and traces, which would prevent electricity and data from properly flowing through the unit. To use a blank board, the user typically prints a design on the board to represent the circuitry, and then he adds holes and hardware to make the board properly function.

Making a custom-size blank circuit board can cost a lot of money, so many hobbyists and businesses purchase boards in standard sizes.
Making a custom-size blank circuit board can cost a lot of money, so many hobbyists and businesses purchase boards in standard sizes.

There are many materials that can be used to make a blank circuit board, but the majority of them are copper-clad. This does not mean the board is just a sheet of copper, because there typically is silicon or other materials inside the board. It means the outside of the board is coated in copper, which is useful for the board. Copper is a good conductor and can stand up to heat rather well. This enables the board to work easily with the electricity flowing through it during use, so the board rarely will warp because of the heat.

Making a custom-size blank circuit board can cost a lot of money, so many hobbyists and businesses purchase boards in standard sizes. Depending on what the user is doing, though, the standard size may not work. To correct this, the board can be manually cut down without interfering with the board’s effectiveness.

A blank circuit board normally comes in a brownish copper color, primarily because copper is used in the board, but there are many other colors from which to choose. Other popular circuit board colors include red, blue and green. These boards typically have dyes or other materials that contribute to creating the different color, but they all tend to work about the same once the circuits are on the board.

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    • Making a custom-size blank circuit board can cost a lot of money, so many hobbyists and businesses purchase boards in standard sizes.
      By: Artwell
      Making a custom-size blank circuit board can cost a lot of money, so many hobbyists and businesses purchase boards in standard sizes.