Auto market expression: Japanese cars involved parts fault Korean cars increased momentum

It has been two months since the March 11 Great Earthquake in Japan. Due to the series of impacts caused by the earthquake and the nuclear power plant crisis, the world has already experienced the shock, especially in the automotive industry. If we say that we can still eat inventories in March, and the problem of spare parts has not yet fully manifested, then in April it will be time for various problems to emerge.

Japan Market: Plunging to a Half-Dozen Decline Obviously, according to the Japanese automobile sales data released by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association on May 2, the sales of new cars in Japan fell by 51.0% in April compared with the same period of last year, and the sharp decline in sales was mainly attributed to Japan’s 3.11. The impact of supply chain disruption after the devastating earthquake and tsunami.

The association stated that this drop has set the highest number since the association began counting such data in 1968. The biggest drop before that was 45.1% in 1974, which was mainly influenced by the fluctuation of oil prices. According to data released by the association, total domestic sales of cars in Japan in April were 108,800. Previously, the association announced that in March Japan's total domestic car sales fell by 37% year-on-year.

Since more than 90% of the Japanese auto market is Japanese, the total sales of Toyota in April fell by 68.7% year-on-year to 35,557 units. Its high-end brand Lexus Sales volume fell 44.7% to 1656 units. Nissan's total sales fell 37.2% to 17,413 units. Honda sales also fell 48.5% to 18,923 units.

Emerging Markets: Excitement no longer appears to be the first to bear the brunt of the world's largest auto market - China. On the 10th, the latest automobile production and sales figures released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers show that in April this year, the domestic automobile production and sales completed 1.5353 million and 1.5520 million vehicles respectively, a decrease of 15.98% and 15.12% compared with the previous period, down 1.85% and 0.25% year-on-year. This is the first negative growth in the production and sales of the Chinese automotive industry since February 2009.

Of course, we cannot attribute all the causes of the downturn to the impact of the Japan earthquake. For example, the Chinese government has a great influence on the policy of restricting and restricting purchases in some cities, but there is no doubt that several Japanese car brands have Afterwards, compared with the momentum of the past, everything was frustrated. According to the statistics from the China Automobile Association, in April, the Japanese automakers sold 191,300 vehicles in China, which accounted for 16.75% of the total sales of domestic passenger vehicles, a decrease of 3.25 percentage points compared with March this year.

According to Reuters, data from the Indonesia Automotive Association (Gaikindo) showed that new car sales in Indonesia's domestic market in April 2011 fell by 7% to 60,702 units.

At the same time, the Philippine auto market, which has a very high Japanese car share, has also been hit hard. According to data released by the Philippines Manufacturers and Truck Manufacturers Association recently, car sales in the Philippines in April 2011 fell by 14% year-on-year to 1.18 million units, compared with 12,400 units sold in the same period last year. In the first four months of 2011, car sales in the Philippines totaled 48,100 vehicles, which represented an increase of 4.8% year-on-year.

Korean car companies: The rapid growth momentum is actually starting from last year. Due to its outstanding design, Korean cars have already performed well in the global market. Even the owners of South Korean auto companies can't stop pride: Please don't call Japan and South Korea car companies, but call Han-Japanese car companies.

The 3·11 earthquake was a heavy blow to Japanese cars, but it was an opportunity for Korean cars. According to statistics released by the top five automakers in South Korea, the global auto sales of Korean automakers reached 582,000 in April, a year-on-year increase of 39.1%.

According to Yonhapnewsagency, South Korea’s domestic car sales rose 2.8% to 126,000 units in April, while Korean auto exports reached 518,000 units, up 12.8% year-on-year.

Among the five major car companies in South Korea, Hyundai Motor Co., Ltd. has performed most prominently. It is reported that Hyundai’s total sales in overseas markets reached 341,000 in April, up 9.7% year-on-year. Among them, the company's domestic sales of cars rose 8.6% to 60,000 units, while its overseas markets sold 281,000 units, up 10% year-on-year.

This is followed by Kia Motors. According to reports, the company's total car sales in April was 206,000, an increase of 17.8% year-on-year. Among them, the company's domestic sales in Korea were 43,000, up 9.7% year-on-year, and its sales in overseas markets was 163,000, up 19.9% ​​year-on-year.

North American Market: Impact Reducing Energy Conservation Vehicles to Lead the Upswing For the North American market, although many parts also come from Japan, on the whole, for Americans, the impact is like being gently “scratched” and soon Upright body.

Comprehensive sales data showed that in April 2011, the sales volume of US light vehicles (mainly including passenger cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks) reached 1.179 million units, an increase of 18% compared to the same period of last year. This is different from the US auto market in 2010, compact cars and small cars. The speed of growth surpassed that of large pickup trucks and SUVs.

According to data collected by DesRosiers Automotive Consultancy (DAC), Canadian Association of International Automobile Manufacturers (AIAMC) and Canadian Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association (CVMA), light vehicles (including passenger cars and SUVs) in the Canadian market in April 2011 And sales of pickup trucks rose 6.9 percent year-on-year to 149,900 units from 147,700 units in the same period last year. The Canadian automotive market hit its best monthly sales since May 2008.

European markets: policy withdrawals “slump” The European market, although mature, has basically become a market that manufacturers are about to give up. Coupled with successive government plans to abolish the government’s stimulus spending, the European market is still “stumbling”.

The Italian Ministry of Transport recently announced that new car sales in the Italian market in April 2011 fell by 2.2% year-on-year to 157,300 units, which was a decrease from March. It is reported that in April 2010, Italian car sales fell for the first time due to the cancellation of the automobile scrapping subsidy policy by the Italian government. As of April, Italian car sales fell for 13 consecutive months. At the same time, the French Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CCFA) announced that sales of new cars in the French market in April 2011 fell by 11.2%, and the number of new cars registered for passenger cars was 169,400. Data show that from January to April 2011, the sales of new cars in the French market increased by 4%. It is understood that the decline in French car sales in April was mainly due to the cancellation of the government's new car consumption stimulus plan.

Fr4 PCB

PCB Material Fr4 Substrate PCB Board Manufacturing Service

As you know, the printed circuit board plays a vital role in electronic products, so you need to consider how to choose the right material in your PCB manufacturing. JHYPCB can offer you the lowest possible costs and the very finest in high-quality PCB fabrication and high-quality PCB assembly. However, there are many different types of PCB materials, such as FR-4 material, HDI material, Rogers PCB material, and so on. In general, we use the standard FR-4 material for the printed circuit boards to reduce product costs, which is a good option because FR-4 material is affordable and useful for many applications. However, FR-4 material is not the only type of PCB material; comparing to PCB material, FR-4 material, and Rogers material is essential.


Fr4 PCB Material
PCB Material Fr4


What is FR4?



FR4 is a standard defined by the NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) for a glass-reinforced epoxy resin laminate.

"FR" indicates the material is flame-retardant, and the "4" indicates woven glass-reinforced epoxy resin. Single or double-sided PCB structures consist of an FR4 core and top and bottom copper layers. Multilayer PCB boards have additional prepreg layers between the center core and top and bottom copper layers. The core consists of a substrate with copper covering, also referred to as a copper-clad laminate(CCL). The core, laminate, and prepreg may all be FR4 with the copper sheets between the signal and ground layers. FR4 is the most common material grade that comprises fabricated circuit boards.

FR-4 or FR4`s properties and characteristics make it very versatile at an affordable cost. Before the explosion of multilayer PCBs, there were many alternative board materials to FR4. These included FR2, CEM 1, and CEM 3, which were paper-based. However, the strength of FR4, especially for multilayer PCB boards, was a significant factor in separating it from alternatives to become the industry standard. Therefore, Most PCBs are made using FR4 as the base material.


FR4 materials and characteristics



Its glass transition (TG) is 115°C to 200°C for the High TGs or HiTGs, depending on the manufacturing methods and the resins used. A standard FR-4 PCB will have a layer of FR-4 sandwiched between two thin layers of laminated copper.

FR-4 uses bromine, a so-called halogen chemical element that is fire resistant. It replaced G-10, another less resistant composite, in most of its applications.

FR4 has the advantage of having an excellent resistance-weight ratio. It does not absorb water, keeps high mechanical strength, and has an excellent insulating capacity in dry or humid environments.


Examples of FR-4



  • Standard FR4: as its name indicates, this is the standard FR-4 with heat resistance of the order of 140°C to 150°C.
  • High TG FR4: this type of FR-4 has higher glass transition (TG) of around 180°C.
  • High CTI FR4: Comparative Tracking Index higher than 600 Volts.
  • FR4 with no laminated copper: ideal for insulation plates and board supports.
  • There are more details of the characteristics of these different materials later in the article.


Factors to consider when choosing the thickness



  • Compatibility with components: even though FR-4 is used to produce many types of the printed circuit, its thickness affects its components. For example, THT components are different from other components and require a thin PCB.

  • Space-saving: space saving is essential when designing a PCB, particularly for USB connectors and Bluetooth accessories. The thinnest boards are used in configurations in which space-saving is crucial.

  • Design and flexibility: most manufacturers prefer thick boards to thin ones. Using FR-4, if the substrate is too thin, it would be at risk of breaking if the board dimensions were increased. On the other hand, thicker boards are flexible and make it possible to create V-grooves.

  • The environment in the PCB that will be used must be considered. For an electronic control unit in the medical field, thin PCBs guarantee reduced stress. Boards that are too thin - and therefore too flexible - are more vulnerable to heat. They can bend and take on an undesirable angle during the component soldering steps.

  • Impedance control: the board thickness implies the dielectric environment consistency, in this case, FR-4, which facilitates impedance control. When impedance is an essential factor, the board thickness is a determining criterion to be taken into account.

  • Connections: the type of connectors used for a printed circuit also determines the FR-4 thickness.

The Different Types of FR-4 Available From JHYPCB



JHYPCB STANDARD FR-4 MATERIAL PROPERTIES


  • High Glass Transition Temperature (Tg) (150Tg or 170Tg)
  • High Decomposition Temperature (Td) (> 345º C)
  • Low Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) ((2.5%-3.8%)
  • Dielectric Constant (@1 GHz): 4.25-4.55
  • Dissipation Factor (@ 1 GHz): 0.016
  • UL rated (94V-0, CTI = 3 minimum)
  • Compatible with standard and lead-free assembly.
  • Laminate thickness available from 0.005" to 0.125"
  • Pre-preg thicknesses available (approximate after lamination):
    • (1080 glass style) 0.0022"
    • (2116 glass style) 0.0042"
    • (7628 glass style) 0.0075"

Standard FR4

  • FR4 SHENGYI family S1000H
  • Thickness from 0.2 to 3.2 mm.
  • FR4 VENTEC family VT 481
  • Thickness from 0.2 to 3.2 mm.

FR4 High TG

  • FR4 SHENGYI family S1000-2
  • Thickness from 0.6 to 3.2 mm.
  • FR4 VENTEC family VT 47
  • Thickness from 0.6 to 3.2 mm.

FR4 High IRC

  • FR4 SHENGYI family S1600
  • Standard thickness 1.6 mm.
  • FR4 VENTEC family VT 42C
  • Standard thickness 1.6 mm.

FR4 with no copper

  • This material is an epoxy glass with no copper, designed for use in insulation plates, templates, board supports, etc. They are manufactured using Gerber type mechanical drawings or DXF files.
  • Thickness from 0.3 to 5 mm.

The Difference Between FR-4 Material and Rogers Material


1. FR-4 material is cheaper than Rogers material.
2. Comparing to FR-4 material, Rogers material is great with high frequencies.
3. FR-4 material has a high Df or dissipation factor than Rogers material, suffering more signal loss.
4. In impedance stability, Rogers material has a wider range of Dk values than FR-4 material.
5. For dielectric constant, FR-4 features a Dk of about 4.5, which is lower than Rogers material with around 6.15 to 11.
6. In temperature management, Rogers material has a less variation comparing to FR-4 material.


When is FR4 Not the Best Material For Your Board?


FR4 is indeed a good standard or default option for your board material in most cases. However, there are cases where FR4 is not the best material for your board, as listed below.

  • If lead-free soldering is required

If your boards will be distributed in Europe and must adhere to The Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) or your client necessitates that lead-free soldering be used, then you may want to explore other material options. This is due to the fact that reflow temperatures for no-lead PCBA(Lead-free PCB Assembly) may reach as high as 250°C, which substantially exceeds the Tg for many versions of FR4.

  • If high-frequency signals are used

At high frequencies, FR4 boards are not able to maintain a constant impedance and reflections may occur that negatively impact signal integrity. This is a consequence of the relatively high value for dk.

  • If the board will be exposed to extremely high temperatures during operation

It is also ill-advised to use FR4 if the PCB will be required to operate in an environment under extremely high temperatures. An example would be near the engine compartment of an aerospace vehicle.


FR4 is rightly the most used material in PCB construction. Boards made from FR4 are strong, water resistant, and provide good insulation between copper layers that minimizes interference and supports good signal integrity. However, at high frequencies and in environments, FR4 is not the best material to use for your boards. At JHYPCB, the industry leader in fast, high-quality PCB Prototype and low-volume manufacturing, we are capable to meet your board material needs for any case. We will work with you to help you select the materials that will best implement your design intent.

And to help you get started on the best path, we furnish information for your DFM checks. If you are ready to have your design manufactured, Try to contact us via email.

Fr4 PCB, Fr-4 Substrate PCB, PCB Material Fr4, Fr4 PCB Material

JingHongYi PCB (HK) Co., Limited , https://www.pcbjhy.com

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