Elephantech Unveils General-Purpose Multilayer PCBs With SustainaCircuits™ Technology
[Company / organization] Elephantech Inc.
Technology and business model
Elephantech has been mass-producing SustainaCircuits™, innovative printed circuit boards (PCBs) that reduce copper usage by 70-80% using printing technology. However, until now, we could only develop relatively niche single-sided flexible PCBs, which account for only about 2% of the market. The application to general-purpose multilayer PCBs, which makes up 78% of the market, was highly anticipated but not yet realized, with plans for practical implementation after 2027.
We are pleased to announce that due to several technological innovations, we have successfully developed general-purpose multilayer PCBs earlier than expected. The main achievements are (1) compatibility with rigid substrates and (2) multilayer capability, enabling the replacement of the majority of PCBs worldwide.
This technology not only significantly reduces environmental impacts, including CO2 emissions, but also has the potential to reduce PCB manufacturing costs by over 1 trillion yen annually, primarily by reducing copper usage in general-purpose multilayer PCBs by 70%, which constitutes a large portion of their cost structure.
We are already working with multiple electronics manufacturers and plan to start providing prototypes in the first half of 2025.
Impact:Reduction in Copper Consumption
The resource with the most significant reduction impact through this method is copper. In the case of multilayer PCBs, copper consumption is substantial because copper foil is required for each layer, and through-hole plating also consumes copper.
In contrast, our method involves a process that grows copper only where necessary. While dependent on the pattern shape, this typically enables a reduction in copper usage by about 70%.
Reference URL
Elephantech Unveils General-Purpose Multilayer PCBs With SustainaCircuits™ Technology
