How manufacturers carry out the PCB assembly process?

Designing and development of PCB board comprise of many complex steps, which are necessary needed to carry out by experts. This is because of the complicatedness of the procedure, due to which it cannot be carried out by anyone, who is not skilled in this job.

Multiple stages are carried during the assembly service, which are discussed in detail in the document further.

Before heading on for the procedure, manufacturer jots down all the things that are needed to make it. Ordering of silicon, semiconductors and other necessary board things are collected. Once collection is done, process for the making of board is followed, which involves different steps. Following are few processes that are involved in PCB assembly services:

·      Binding of chips on board: Solder paste printing is the foremost step carried out by professionals. In other words, chips are bonded on the board by a pasting material.

·      Placement of chips on assembly line: Picking and placing of chips on the assembly line is done. The placement needs to be done perfectly on respective designed place so that device functioning is carried out appropriately.

·      Through-hole curing: In order to bind the chips properly on board, another method carried out immediately after soldering process is hole curing. Binding of chips is incomplete without this process, in order to solder it well on the PCB board.

·      Protective layer coating: To safeguard the board from dust, dirt and harmful material, a protective layer covering called conformal selective coating is to be done, once the soldering process is over. This process is carried out by machines in order to make a fine layer of covering on board.

·      AOI and AXI: Inspection is an important step to carry out, once the soldering, placement of chips, through-hole and protective layering is done. This step is carried out to ensure that everything has been done correctly and there are no flaws in the design of board. Automatic Optical Inspection and Automated X-ray Inspection are two methods to inspect the performance of board. 

·      Reconstruction: If during inspection, any defects occur, board is sent for reconstruction. During this process, all the steps that were carried out for the assembling of board are reversed back. The board is heated, chips are removed, and replacement of defected chips is done with the right ones.

Once the replacement is done properly, chips are soldered again and inspection process is carried out to ensure whether now the functioning of board is done properly or not.

Why customized PCB boards are preferred over readymade ones?

In the efficient functioning of electronic equipment, PCB (Printed Circuit Board) has a major role to play. The board comprise of electronic components that are etched on conductive pathways and tracks with a copper sheet.

Considering the rising demand of industries in today’s time, designing of PCB’s has entirely changed. Readymade boards are a thing of the past now, as customized boards are preferred these days, because of the compact design, convenience, efficiency, and functionality they provide. Moreover, these boards are stronger than readymade ones because of numerous holes drilled into it that makes it weaker for the running application of equipment.

Following are the PCB layout services carried out to design the board:

1.      Jot down all tools and materials

Before heading towards creating the board, tools and materials are to be gathered, which are as follows:

Tools:

·         Drill

·         Iron

·         Laser Printer / Photocopying Machine

·         Latex Gloves

·         Eye Protection

Materials:

·         Etching Solution (Ferric Chloride)

·         PCB Board

·         Small Piece of Cloth

·         Sanding Paper

·         Fine Tipped Marker

·         Ruler

·         Glossy Paper

2.      Creating design

Before making customized board, it’s important to prepare a layout, so that expert can work accordingly. PCB designing software is used for this purpose.

3.      Printing of layout

Once design is made, a printout should be taken on a glossy paper via a laser printer or photocopying machine.

4.      Ironing of design on board

To create the exact designed layout board, experts need to iron the layout on the board via a hot iron machine. Depending on the paper quality, which is used for layout, the iron machine temperature should be set accordingly. For example, if paper is thick, temperature should be at highest point and if not, it should be set on medium.

5.      Rubbing paper off the board

Paper needs to be removed from the board. This is done by soaking the board into water for about 2 to 5 minutes. Till the time paper doesn’t become soggy, it is rubbed well under the water. However, experts make sure to rub gently so that ink on the board doesn’t get removed.

6.      Sawing the excess board

After paper has been removed, excess board is to be sawed and edges of the boards are to smoothen with help of sanding paper. Finer is used ate the end for giving it a finished look.

7.      Clean and etch the board

Excess paper or board is removed off well and then etched with an etching solution called Ferric Chloride.

8.      Rinse the board

To clean the etching solution properly from the board, PCB is rinsed under the tap water.

9.      Drill the holes

Lastly, drilling is done with a drilling machine on the copper side and cleaned well before soldering the components on it.

6 Most Valuable Benefits of a Reliable PCB Assembly Manufacturer

PCB abbreviated as Printed Circuit Board is a mandatory component in the electronic industry. Yes, it is hard to imagine electronic industry without PCB because every electronic device must have these circuit boards in order to function properly. These boards are available in wide variety varying from simple to complex circuits. Hence, it becomes critically important to look for a firm that can design electronic boards of different sizes and can provide you material for production purposes as well. 

If you find a reliable manufacturer, you can enjoy the following benefits:

1.       Prototyping is an essential part of the designing in order to make sure that a flawless circuit board is created. Skilled staff of the firm will perform this procedure in order to detect errors or simply just to find out if there is still any room for improvement.

2.       You can rely on these manufacturers to design a board according to needs of your business or as described by you. Their expert designers can offer you valuable suggestions as well in order to improve the quality.

3.       Testing of the manufacturing boards is mandatory for them to perform before they actually hand over the boards. Experts of the organizations perform testing to give you assurance that the board must deliver desired outcomes that you are intending.

4.       A reliable manufacturer would always able to meet your shipping deadlines. These organizations have capacity, resources and certified staff to satisfy your shipping deadlines without making any compromises.

5.       Cost-effective pricing is another valuable feature of these experts and they will provide you information on what is included in the manufacturing fees.

6.       To add more, you can expect latest technology, good standards and high quality measures from these trustworthy manufacturers.

 How to find an authentic firm?

You can get on the web and look for a trustworthy manufacturer to get your requirements fulfilled. Check their reputation on the web and read what others have to say about their services. Make a list of the authentic organizations you find and request them for an online PCB assembly quote, as it will give you an opportunity to compare the prices with other manufacturers. Avoid being a victim of those who run a sham business just to add more money in their account, Referrals can be extremely helpful, use them if you have any.

What is the role of testing in prototypes PCB assembly?

Before the designing of a product, it is crucial to produce a prototype. Sample model of the actual circuit board is defined as prototype and it is designed to give an impression that how an actual PCB will look and function. Any fault in the design of PCB can lead towards a major loss, especially if boards manufactured are in large numbers. Creating prototype is not the end of work because there is a need to perform testing and inspection part to make sure that it will work as perfectly as its intended to.

Testing a prototype is an important part of the process as it lets the manufacturer to evaluate the practicality of a design. It also helps to identify potential flaws, allowing the firm to make required improvement.

Testing of prototypes is mandatory for number of reasons; some of the most important ones are as below:

·         It gives clients an opportunity to evaluate the design and express their views about it. Before carrying out further work, suggestions are taken into the account.

·         At times, testing process can identify few safety issues. Hence, it can be tested to ensure that it maintains certain safety standards.

·         Testing is important to ensure that the design meets with relevant regulations and legislation.

·         Process of testing can also help in identifying a component failure. It means that there may be a need for a component redesign instead of changing the entire product.

·         Testing a prototype is a valuable aspect as it gives clients and manufacturers a perfect opportunity to work and move ahead together.

·         Performing this process is also important against similar designs as it may lead towards other critical improvements.

·         This process also enables to use options and suggestions for critical improvements from other specialist designers. It can play a valuable role in achieving successful outcomes.  

In the electronics sector, it is mandatory for the manufacturers to create a model of the circuit boards to evade defects in the mass production. The main reason behind creating prototypes is that it’s faster and cheaper to revise.

However, when looking for prototype PCB assembly services, it is necessary to look for a reputable contract manufacturer. Check their reputation on the web and make sure that they use approved parts only and perform all required testing and evaluation procedures.