Printed Circuit Board Fabrication Services

Understanding Various Aspects of PCB Fabrication Services

PCB fabrication is one of the services that comes under the category of printed circuit board manufacturing. A combination of extensive knowledge, latest design software, and high grade equipment is the key to creating PCB’s of various types. These include single and double sided, multi-layered, and HDI products. In PCB fabrication, the manufacturer actually puts the design into place to create a tangible product.

What Does PCB Fabrication Entail?

PCB fabrication comprises a variety of aspects. This includes the facility, mounting technologies, manufacturing equipment, and testing equipment. These aspects are discussed in detail below:

• Facility: The bigger the facility, the more space a manufacturer will have to set up design, production, and testing equipment. For this reason, manufacturers spare no expense in finding a location that can house their entire infrastructure. 

• Mounting Technologies: The mounting technologies are one of the key aspects to the successful production of a printed circuit board. There are two types of mounting technologies:
  • Plated Through Hole: Also known as PTH or ‘thru hole’ technology, this is the traditional mounting scheme for PCBs. It involves attaching lead wires to electronic components, which are inserted into drilled holes on the circuit board. Soldered pads are mounted to the PCB on the opposite side. This is performed either manually, or by the use of automated insertion equipment. PTH was the replacement for initial assembly techniques such as point-to-point construction in the 1950’s. Today, it is primarily used for Dual Inline Packaging (DIP), and Pin Grid Array Packages.
  • Surface Mount Technology: Also known as SMT, surface mount technology was the solution for the demand for printed circuit boards of smaller sizes and weights. In this method, the leads are soldered directly to the circuit board. This allows the components to simply be mounted or placed on the board. Developed and introduced in the 1980’s, SMT has reduced the size, weight, and space occupied by the PCB in an application. The use of this method has resulted in an increase in the number of pins used in Integrated Circuits (ICs). It has also allowed for mass PCB production. 

• Manufacturing Equipment: The quality of the finished PCB depends on the equipment that the manufacturer uses. The following is a general list of equipment that most manufacturers will use:
  • Drill Routers
  • Industrial Ovens
  • PTH and SMT Lines
  • Acid and Solder Tanks
  • E-Cam Design Stations
  • Jump Scoring Machines
  • Hot Air Level Machine
  • Electrical Testing Machine
  • PTH and SMT Placement Machines
  • Exposure, Lamination, and Developing Equipment
  • Engineering and Programming NC-Cam Equipment

• Testing Equipment: The design of circuit boards can be simple as well as complex. Hence, in terms of testing and inspection services, PCB manufacturers utilize different types of testing equipment to complete the PCB fabrication process. The three most common types include:
  • Manual Inspection:This is the traditional form of inspection. Certified testers perform the inspection, where they thoroughly examine the product and its components. They ensure that the component placement and rigidity is accurate. They check whether the soldering has been performed to industry guidelines. They also ensure that the product’s functionality is up to industry standards and expectations. Customers choose this method as it is extremely cost-effective. However, it is also time consuming. 
  • AOI Inspection:Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) is a popular and preferred testing method. It involves using an optical imaging system for detecting defects. It can also be used to identify problems with PCB assembly and soldering. This process is known for its high speed and accuracy in terms of fault detection.
  • AXI Inspection:Automated X-Ray Inspection (AXI) is an updated variant of AOI. It also utilizes optical imaging as the inspection method. The difference between AXI and AOI is that the equipment uses x-rays to capture an image of the PCB. This allows the tester to inspect surface components as well as solder joints that are not visible to the naked eye. Manufacturers suggest this method when designing Ball Grid Array (BGA) printed circuit boards.

The PCB fabrication process ensures that the design and manufacturing of the circuit board is performed to high levels of quality and industry standards. This helps the manufacturers to provide PCB’s that will meet the need of an application, as well as the client’s expectations.