PCB assembly is a crucial step in producing an electronic device. It’s a process that consists of several automated and manual steps. To ensure a smooth assembly process, you need to choose the right PCB manufacturer for your needs. The key is to find a manufacturer that offers turnkey PCB services, which includes both manufacturing and assembly. This will allow you to save time and money while still getting the high-quality product that your project requires.
The first step in the printed circuit board manufacturer process involves preparing the substrate for the rest of the board. The substrate is the base material that gives the circuit board rigidity. It’s then coated with copper on one side (or both sides, if it’s a double-sided board). The copper is what allows the components to connect to each other, via soldering.
Once the substrate is prepared, it’s ready for the next step: laying out the surface mount components. To do this, the substrate is placed into a machine that uses a stencil to lay down small metal or plastic blobs of solder paste in specific locations. This paste is where the unique parts of the PCB will connect to each other. Once the paste is laid down, a robot picks up each component and places it in its designated location. This is a largely automated process, as humans tend to get fatigued when working with tiny pieces of equipment for long periods of time.
Depending on the design of the board, the surface mount components may be connected to each other via pins that extend from the surface of the substrate. These are known as plated through-hole (PTH) pads, and they’re the main reason why PTH boards are generally slower than SMD boards. These aren’t required for all projects, however, so the choice is up to you.
Once all the SMTs are in place, a heating process is used to solidify them into place. This is called reflow soldering, and it’s a necessary step in ensuring that all the components are securely fastened to the substrate. It’s important that the temperature profile is properly controlled during reflow soldering to create strong bonds and maintain consistency.
Once the reflow soldering is complete, a range of inspection processes can be performed to check for proper placement and soldering. This can include AOI and X-ray inspections, as well as manual inspections by eye. If the board has through-hole components, they’ll be inserted into their designated holes at this point, as well. After a final quality inspection, the assembled board can be tested to see whether it functions as intended by the customer’s specifications. Then, it can be shipped out for distribution and use!