Defining Printed Circuit Board Assembly and Ways to do it [2021]

by Darrin Hein Marketing

There are mainly 3 assembly processes of the printed circuit board, namely SMT, PTH, and electro-chemical assembly. 

 

As a manufacturer, you have to be technically extremely robust when you deal with the business of assembling circuit boards for your clients. Expertise in using various technologies makes you more competitive in the market. On the other hand, if you are a client in need of such services, it is essential to have some knowledge about certain terms. 

 

The core definition

 

Printed Circuit Board Assembly is a thorough process, where different electronic components are connected with various wirings of well-structured printed circuit boards. The assembling procedure is considered the final stage of the manufacturing process before the PCB board is used to make the specific electronic device operational. 

 

Ways of conducting the process

 

There are different types of Printed Circuit Board Assembly procedures, each with a sequential series of technical steps. The infrastructure, expertise, client needs, budget, etc are different factors that determine the nature of the method a manufacturer applies.

 

The Surface Mount Assembly Process (SMT)

 

As the title of the technique suggests, in SMOT, the PCB surface is used as a base to mount various electronic components. It is a very effective way to lower the overall expenses for the manufacturer. Moreover, it has the provision for optimal usage of PCB space.

 

Before the beginning of the process, the panel design of the PCB should be well-defined. Also, manufacture specifications meeting the client demand are ascertained. The machines are set accordingly. 

 

The components to be mounted are available in different forms in the market. They are found in reels or tubes. The electronic components are also available in tray forms. 

 

The SMT service generates the CPL file when Gerber data is the only data available to the manufacturer. The process goes through the stages of solder paste inspection and component placement, along with conclusive soldering and testing.

 

The Plated through-hole Process (PTH)

 

In the implementation of PTH technology, two kinds of lead components are delicately inserted through the circuit board’s copper-plated hole. The two types are axial and radial components. 

 

In the case of axial lead components, they are placed close to the PCB circuit board. Some examples are fuses and LEDs.

 

The high-density PCB boards generally use radial components. Less circuit board space is occupied. 

 

You might want to know the specific benefits of PTH technology. The first benefit is simplifying the prototyping procedure and making it very manageable for the manufacturer. The second benefit is the mechanical bonds connecting various components are extremely strong due to the attributes of the technology. Tolerance for high-level power supply is also created by PTH. The overall durability of the components within the PCB board is also quite reliable. 

 

The process of electro-mechanical assembly

 

The other name for the process is box-build assembly. There are several types of elements used in this method. For example, the concerned manufacture uses things such as wire harnesses, cable assembly components, moulded plastics, etc to efficiently conduct the whole process. 

 

It is one of the more advanced ways of assembling the printed circuit boards, involving electricity and specific chemical solvents. The result is a highly efficient product. Costs could be marginally higher than other technology applications. Expert manufacturers have full-proof knowledge of this assembly process. A lesser amount of time is taken to finish the soldering step in this case. 

 

Discuss with the manufacturer

 

While placing an order of PCB production in bulk, it is wise to have thorough discussions with the manufacturer. Gather informative details about the process. Ask questions to clear doubts, if any. Go ahead with the deal when you are convinced about it. 

Resource: www.evernote.com/shard

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Created on Sep 20th 2021 22:06. Viewed 216 times.

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