Nowadays, the demand for hand-made products is sky-high. While most companies do not have enough manpower to complete the orders, they turn to assemblers in their homes. This helps them compete with foreign manufacturers and reduce costs. However, this profession is not for everyone. It requires certain personality traits and physical requirements to assemble electronic products.
Assembling electronic products at home is relatively straightforward, but some specialized tools are required. These tools often come with instructions for how to use them. Having good manual dexterity and fine motor skills is also essential. Electronic assembly need a strong hand, manual dexterity, and maximum coordination.
Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are devices that support and connect electric components in almost all consumer and industrial electronics
PCBs are an integral part of many electronic products. Although most users will not know that they are inside their equipment, PCBs are vital to the proper operation of the products. They also play an essential role in the manufacturing industry. While the number of PCB applications is huge, we can divide them into a few categories based on industry.
PCBs come in various shapes, sizes, and materials. They consist of fiberglass, composite epoxy, or another material. They consist of a single layer, but more advanced hardware may have multiple layers.
Common components on a printed circuit board
A printed circuit board is a board that contains different electronic components. The most common component is the battery. This component gives the circuit its voltage and stores a charge that mobile phones will use. The other common component is the light-emitting diode, which also takes charge from the battery.
A PCB can comprise a panel, several smaller boards, or one large. Smaller boards are difficult for automated circuit board handling equipment to handle, so it is essential to assemble these boards as one large board. This can also save you time.
Some of the most common devices found on a PCB electronic assembly include resistors, capacitors, diodes, transistors, and inductors. Some DIY electronic PCB projects call for a combination of these devices, while others require only one. Therefore, when creating a DIY electronic PCB project, it is essential to understand the electronics on a PCB to select the right components for your project.
How Surface mount technology helps to assemble electronic components
Surface mount technology allows manufacturers to mount electronic components on printed circuit boards more efficiently and precisely than through-hole methods. As a result, surface mount technology has several benefits over through-hole technology, including higher electronic assembly density, fewer soldering points, and a reduced defect rate. This technology also reduces labor costs and increases production rates.
Surface-mount components contain fewer leads. They are smaller as compared to their counterparts. As a result, they are ideal for automated handling. In addition, there are standard package sizes and shapes within the electronics industry, including the JEDEC, the leading industry standards body. By automating the inspection process, manufacturers can reduce the time and expense of inspecting individual electronics.
Thermally relieved pads
Thermal relief is a feature of PCB layout that helps regulate the heat transfer capacity of electronic PCB products. Without it, PCBs can experience localized hot spots at component terminals. Thermal management of PCBs involves the design of power planes, trace routing via placement, and using relief pads thermally.
Thermal relief helps the PCB retain heat, and it can help prevent soldering failures. Without thermal relief, circuit boards could experience a variety of electronic assembly issues. For example, some pins wouldn’t receive enough heat to properly solder, and other parts would be challenging to unsolder during rework. Therefore, thermal relief is a key part of circuit board design, and the layout engineer must understand its guidelines.
Soldering paste
If you’ve ever wanted to make your electronic PCB products, you might wonder what the steps are. The first step is to prepare the PCB electronic assembly. Next, we need to combine several parts before soldering the devices. Then, you’ll need to heat the electronics enough to melt the solder and flow it through the holes to the top side of the PCB.
First, you’ll need solder paste. This is a grey substance made up of tiny metal balls and alloys of tin, 3% silver, and 0.05% copper. It works by blending the solder with flux, a chemical that helps it melt and bond to the surface.
Next, you’ll need a soldering iron. There are two types of soldering guns: manual and wave. First, you’ll want to buy one that has a specialized iron and a large enough heating element to reach the components. Then, you can start soldering and assembling electronics one by one.
Before you begin electronic assembly, you’ll need to unpack the PCB. After that, the technician will remove the restraining pins from the top pressure plate. The remaining copper foil will make up the outer layers of the PCB.
Solder mask
Before assembling PCBs, you should understand the components and their functions. A PCB is a board made of a glass-reinforced epoxy laminate material, typically green in color but may be other colors as well. It is smooth and contains various electronics. The first step in creating PCBs is creating a schematic. After that, you can either borrow a ready-designed schematic or design your own using Cadsoft Eagle or other electronics design software.
Once you have your design, you need to print the printed circuit board’s inner layer. This includes the solder mask. This solder mask protects the copper from atmospheric moisture, which can cause short circuits and oxidation. This process will vary slightly depending on the type of soldering you choose.
Next, you will need to solder the electronics. This is not a complex process, but you must practice soldering to get a perfect result. Also, don’t forget to use a multimeter to check for connections; you can use a de-soldering gun and isopropyl alcohol if necessary.
Drill hit
If you want to make your electronic PCB products, it is possible with the right tools. A drill with a carbide bit is ideal for this application. Carbide bits are made of tungsten steel and are ideal for electronic circuit boards, SMT, molding, and telecommunications applications. This type of drill is super-sharp and does not bend easily. These drill bits also come in a plastic case to protect your hands and equipment.
Before drilling the PCB, you should understand the recommended drill sizes. You need a drill diameter of 0.3mm or wider than the component you’re trying to install. For example, a 0.5mm component requires 0.8 mm holes. You may also want to invest in a quality vertical drill stand, which can help you get the right size of holes.
Electronic assembly inspection
Inspecting electronic PCB products is an important part of the manufacturing process, as it can help detect problems early, thus reducing costs and lead times. Automated inspection systems can detect surface defects, as well as tilts, skews, and co-planarity problems. They also can test the PCBs to determine compliance with a standard.
The manual inspection involves comparing the traces of the PCB to the design documents and verifying that the traces meet the requirements. The types of defects detected during manual inspection depend on the board type and circuits mounted on it.
Visual inspection is also essential to ensure PCB products are free of obvious defects. The visual inspection takes place after many other steps in the electronic assembly process.
Electronic components Testing
Testing electronic PCB products is a great way to learn more about the different circuits of your device. If you don’t have a background in electrical engineering, you may want to hire a professional technician to help you. Although manufacturing processes have improved over the years, there is still room for error. If you’re unsure of the quality of a PCB, there are several DIY methods you can use to test it.
One of the first steps is to assemble electronic products for compatibility with your circuit board design. Many electronic products rely on the PCB to connect the components. You can do the testing by putting two or more electronic boards together. This checklist can also save you time. Having a checklist for your PCB design can help you save money by reducing the number of full-scale assemblies thrown away. It’s a waste of materials and money to send full-scale assemblies to landfill.
Applications of PCB Assembly
PCB assembly services are necessary for a variety of industries. Depending on the application, different PCB assemblies may have different requirements. For example, PCB assemblies may need to be resistant to high temperature, abrasion, vibration, and rough handling in specific industries.
Phones and Computers
PCBs are used in a variety of consumer electronics products. They can be simple with a few components or complex with many layers and multiple interconnections. As computers and mobile phones become smaller and more powerful, PCBs have become increasingly difficult. As a result, PCB assembly is an essential part of these products. Increasingly, PCBs are also used in medical equipment.
Computer electronics include personal computers, desktops, laptops, gaming PCs, and tablets. Home appliances are also reliant on PCBs. Televisions, alarm clocks, air conditioners, microwaves, coffee makers, and other tiny parts use PCBs in their circuitry. Similarly, high-powered industrial equipment uses PCBs. These machines are often subjected to rough handling and harsh chemicals.
Security
Besides other machines, PCBs are also needed for security systems, alarm systems, electronic door locks, and motion sensors. Moreover, PCBs are used in many different types of telecommunication equipment, including high-frequency amplifiers, frequency boards, and mixing decks.
Automotive applications
Automotive applications of PCB assembly involve the assembly of printed circuit boards. These circuit boards are responsible for almost everything inside smart cars, so they must be robust and easy to repair. In addition, they need to resist component-aligned flux, which is the movement of components across layers in a PCB. The length between the layers of a PCB determines its resistance.
Aerospace applications
In aerospace PCB assembly, solder paste is applied precisely to various components. The application process uses stencils, which ensure that the solder paste is applied in the correct positions and not at the wrong angle. The assembly process is fully automated and uses robotic machines to ensure precision and accuracy.
Medical devices
PCB technology helps improve the quality of medical care. It has also made accessing health care services and ordering medicines much easier. It has also been instrumental in medical research, allowing researchers to gather information and develop new medicines faster. Medical devices are an excellent example of this technology at work.
Choosing PCB Assembly Factories
PCB assembly factories are larger facilities that make and assemble circuit boards for electronics. The process is fairly simple and includes several manual and automated steps. It begins by assembling the base material, or PCB substrate.
PCB assembly factories can also offer a variety of value-added services. For example, a company specializing in through-hole PCB assembly has well-trained technicians. The team uses specialized equipment to perform tasks like automatic insertion of axial components and double wave soldering. It can offer value-added services like surface treatment, labeling, and conformal coating.
