Hold-Down Tabs

Hold-Down Tabs, or Hold-Down Copper Pads, are extensions of the copper pad and are used to help keep the pad during soldering processes both in flexible circuit assembly and rework. Stress from bending/flexing can cause issues with the copper pads maintaining adhesion to the base material. The addition of copper extending under the coverlay will help maintain the adhesion of the pads. Whenever possible, design pads larger than the access holes. If space is critical, add hold-down tabs. Hold-down tabs are especially important for single-layer circuits, because a single-layer circuit does not have the added strength of plated through- holes. A variety of hold-down tab designs are available.