What are the important things to know about PCB assembly

The printed circuit board assembly or PCB assembly process is a complex sequence of steps that transforms a PCB design into a functional electronic product. It requires coordination between the PCB fabrication house, component suppliers, and the assembly factory to source all required materials.

The assembly process itself consists of soldering surface-mount components and through-hole components to the fabricated PCBs using solder paste printing, pick-and-place machines, wave soldering systems, and manual soldering. Each step introduces opportunities for defects if not executed properly.

That's why comprehensive testing and inspection are critical at multiple stages: after SMT assembly, after through-hole assembly, and as a final quality control check. Electrical tests validate connectivity and basic functionality, while automated optical inspection examines every joint for potential soldering defects.

When done correctly, this complete printed circuit board assembly process results in a high-quality and reliable circuit board assembly, ready for installation in an electronic product. Careful attention to quality controls and process validation is essential, as small flaws in assembly can lead to field failures down the line. The investment in diligent assembly practices pays dividends through increased product quality and reliability.

Popular methods for PCB assembly

SMT - Surface mount technology (SMT) is a method of attaching electronic components to printed circuit boards using a paste or glue. Surface mount technology has been widely used in the electronics industry since the 1970s, but it has recently become popular with hobbyists and DIYers who want to build their electronics projects without having to solder them.

The main advantage of surface mount technology is that it allows for a more compact and efficient design than traditional methods because there are fewer connections between components, which means less wasted space on the PCB or wasted time when trying to connect wires correctly.

THT - Through hole technology or THT is a method of component placement used in the manufacture of printed circuit boards (PCB).

In through hole technology, components are mounted on a printed circuit board by passing their leads through pre-drilled holes in the board and soldering them to the copper traces on the other side. The technique provides for easy assembly and repair of electronic devices but is less suitable for miniaturization than surface mount technology (SMT).

Reasons to outsource printed circuit board assembly

Because of the size and complexity of printed circuit boards (PCBs), it’s often more cost-effective to outsource their assembly. You can also save time by outsourcing the assembly instead of doing it in-house.

Outsourcing your PCB assembly can offer you numerous advantages:

Speed – It can take a long time to make a PCB, particularly if you need several layers. By outsourcing your PCB assembly, you can get it done quickly and have your product ready to ship in time for the market.

Cost – Outsourcing your circuit board assembly is often cheaper than doing it yourself. You won’t have to invest in expensive equipment or hire a team of engineers if you outsource the job instead. This will save money on both labor and materials costs.

Quality – When you outsource your circuit board assembly, quality control becomes much easier because everything will be handled by an experienced third party who knows how to handle sensitive electronic equipment with care. You won’t have to worry about any mistakes or damage during shipping and handling when outsourcing this job to an expert company that has been doing this for years!

Choosing the right company

There are many factors to consider when choosing the right printed circuit board assembly services. The first thing to consider is how complex your circuit boards are and whether you require surface mount technology or through hole technology. You also need to know about the materials that your circuit boards are made from and whether they can be used with solder reflow or wave soldering.

You should also think about how much volume you need, as this will determine how long it will take for your order to be manufactured, shipped, and delivered. It’s also important to consider the price of each type of service, as well as any additional costs associated with these services.

When choosing printed circuit board assembly services, you should look at all these factors so that you can choose which company offers the best value for money and quality service.

Learning all about PCBA

A PCB or commonly known as the printed circuit board is inclined to associate & support different types of electronic elements with the assistance of conductive fundamentals. The majority of the electronic parts are etched over the PCB or could be integrated in what is called the substrate. Printed circuit boards could have 1 or 2 copper layers, based over which they could be known as single or dual-sided. More often than not, the chief insulating substrate employed in printed circuit boards is FR4 glass epoxy. PCBs are majorly utilized in the electronic market, not including the plain products which could work otherwise. Below are a few of the other things which you are required to know.

A deeper comprehension of printed circuit boards

PCBs, as stated, is an imperative in the electronic market. Whilst there are other options for instance point to point construction, PCBs are efficient and very useful for varied types of production requirements. More often than not, PCBs are available in a comprehensive array of dimensions, and are tailor-made to fit your particular requirements. PCBs need a design endeavor on part of the fabricator to obtain the correct type of circuit. In the long procedure of developing electronic items, PCBs are greatly efficient & reasonably priced in comparison with some of the other wiring elements. In case the printed circuit board does not have any elements integrated in it, it’s called soldered wiring board. Nevertheless, the PCBA industry is a multimillion industry with a big number of fabricators & businesses comprised at different levels. 

Discovering a trustworthy PCB fabricator

When you are talking about PCBs, you need to locate a fabricator you could depend on. You should know and check certain things prior to you could pick a provider that matches your needs.

What is their proficiency? All printed circuit board fabrication services are not the same, & hence, specialization is a trait you can’t do the negotiation on. You also need to appreciate their customer base, since that could state loads about the type of work they have carried out so far. For instance, in case a firm has worked with customers in the arena of telecommunications, aeronautical & medicine, they would certainly have more experience as compared to somebody that has worked with just 1 or a couple of firms in the same industry. 

Costing & testing. PCB fabricators are looked forward to be transparent & greatly honest with their customers as far as quality tests are taken into view. In case needed, they should be eager to talk about their testing procedure in detail. Further, the costing must be as flexible as feasible.

Printed Circuit Board Assembly: Why outsourcing it is a better idea!

It usually doesn’t seem rational to invest in costly fabrication equipment in case you just wish to spin some prototypes and rather outsource you're (PCBA) printed circuit board assembly & prototype fabrication to a dependable vendor.

A few contract fabricators would provide a quick quote system over their site for the fabrication of circuit boards & assembly of prototypes. This would bank your time whilst comparing different vendors. Ensure that the quote mechanism facilitates you to fill in all of the details, for instance, board material, thickness, copper thickness, milling, and much more in order that you could get a precise quote without any surprises afterwards.

Often the price per board would lessen down as quantity augments. This is owing to the pretty high setup price of circuit board fabrication & element assembly. A few vendors would employ a mechanism where they join boards from various clients. This manner the setup price would be distributed among various clients. When you fabricate an item, you certainly don’t wish to have to fabricate a big quantity of boards straight away whilst you enhance your design.

One constraint with little quantity prototypes though is that the selection of materials & material thicknesses would be restricted. In case you are employing a particular material then opportunities are there will not be any other clients employing the same material. Besides, lead time plays an extreme role in measuring price. A longer lead time facilitates the fabricator more liberty in slotting your fabrication. This is usually reflected in lower prices than you would observe in the quoted segment. Certainly in case you are in a hurry and wish to be moved to the zenith of the pile you would require spending more dollars.

Ensure that your contract fabricator would support the file set up for the fabrication that you offer. The most popular format for printed circuit board fabrication is the Gerber format nevertheless a few vendors would also embrace board files from popular PCB software items. A few suppliers also provide in house Printed Circuit Board design. Even in case you create your board yourself, choosing a vendor with design services might provide resourceful if there is an issue with your files. In this scenario, your vendor could make rapid changes that would neglect expensive delays.

To make certain that your circuit boards would function well, be certain that your vendor is quality certified & provides the tests & board inspection procedures which are needed. Please note down, nevertheless, that particular tests, for instance, ICT testing calls for extra time and price to prepare appropriate test fixtures.

Circuit Board Repair & Manufacture

Nowadays, circuit board repair has turned out a challenging yet important task. Enhanced technologies have improved the circuit board from a plain part to a fine pitched element which calls for complex repair or rework. Printed circuit board manufacture & design is a costly procedure. Hence, clients choose to repair their circuit boards instead of having a new one developed for their applications. A range of materials is utilized to design and fabricate circuit boards. Counting over the kind of materials, PCB repair could include an array of procedures. A few of the fundamental procedures are below mentioned.

PCB Repair Procedures

Heating: The board is heated in order that it would be simpler to carry out successive repairs. There are 4 manners wherein the board could be heated. The board could be baked to take out moisture, and make it simpler when carrying out etching repairs. Preheating is performed to enhance bond of new materials over the board. Thermal equipments are known to be utilized.

De-lamination & injection: This procedure is employed when the coated base material is required to be estranged from the epoxy. The region for repair is made dirt free, & a micro drill is utilized to make 2 holes on a region free of circuitry & elements. The board is heated to take out moisture. Fresh epoxy is incorporated into the holes. The warmth in the board assists the epoxy to envelop the void region. The epoxy is then cured to make certain continuous board utilization.

Coating Elimination: This method is carried out when defects are discovered in the shielding coating. There are various kinds of removal procedures based over the kind of coating. The taking away of polyurethane is defined in this write up. Market certified solvents are utilized to carry out spot or entire coating removal. The region for removal is highlighted with tape. A stripping solution is used to the relative region. A stick made of wood is then utilized to remove the coating from the board. The region is then cleaned & put aside to get dried up.

Legend Marking: Ink stamp as well as epoxy ink is utilized to make new markings over the printed circuit board. The region is made dirt free & the faulty legends are taken away utilizing a knife. The suitable marking characters are put over the ink stamp. The epoxy ink is then used onto the characters. Then utilizing the stamp, the characters are placed into the board since one will carry out whilst offering a fingerprint. The ink is then used to facilitate the characters to be eternally fixed over the printed circuit board.