Our Company

Compufab Inc. has manufactured PCB stiffeners for over 33 years and has over 200 long time satisfied customers, worldwide.  Some of our customers include GE, GTE, Siemens, Honeywell, and Northrop Grumman.  Over 1.5 million Compufab printed circuit board stiffeners have been installed on PCB's to date.

Our PCB stiffeners are manufactured in the USA and are RoHS compliant.

The Compufab PCB stiffener does not lock the customer into specific mounting hole locations on the PCB, such as other stiffeners with fixed fastening solder tabs.  Our PCB stiffener is universal and allows the customer to use one unique stiffener for multiple PCB applications with various mounting hole locations.  This makes the Compufab PCB stiffener a significant cost saving item.

Compufab PCB stiffeners do not have multiple fixed mounting points that individually must be bent over to fasten to the PC Board.  Compared to solder tab type stiffeners, if all solder tabs are not bent over and fastened properly, the stiffener is ineffective.  By using the Compufab PCB stiffener, the stiffener is connected to the board with structurally sturdy machine screws or rivets.

Compufab will also provide any custom length at no additional charge to the customer.

The Compufab PCB stiffener is an aluminum bar which can function as a bus bar to conduct electrical current across the printed circuit board.  Aluminum has 62% of the current carrying capability of copper, but is much lighter in weight and significantly less expensive.  Screws or rivets fasten the bus bar to the PCB and transfer the current throughout the stiffener from one end of the PCB to the other, as well as providing stiffening qualities to the PCB.

Our PCB stiffener can also be used as an extraction handle when mounted on the rear of the printed circuit board.

Global trend in miniaturization is getting bigger. Miniaturization has presented a new challenge to the printed circuit board assembly process. Miniaturization of printed circuit boards has created a new application for PCB array panels. The panelization process of multiple small circuit boards requires stiffening of the panel to prevent sagging during the soldering operation, especially for PCB's with components installed on 2 sides of the PCB. Sagging presents problems with solder paste application and the scoring/separation process. In order to maintain flatness of the panel, stiffness is required at the front, rear and the sides of the panel carrying strips, also known as the break away strips. Stiffening may be required at the center of the panel as well. The Compufab PCB stiffener is ideal for preventing sagging. In many cases, the Compufab PCB stiffener is reusable for use in multiple applications.