Printed circuit board assembly, or PCBA, is the act of soldering electronic components to a printed circuit board. This vital step transforms a circuit board to a printed circuit assembly, capable of intricate technological functions. The design and creation of a printed circuit board prototype is just the first step in a long production line to a fully functional, electronic “brain.”
The Parts Needed for Printed pcb manufacturing process Assembly
The first step is creating a printed circuit board, which is flat, and covered in a complex webbing of metal (usually copper) electronic connections called traces. Boards can be simple or complex; some circuit boards have many layers. The other raw materials and electronic parts needed include any given component, soldering materials, and equipment. For most projects, this means solder wire, past, preforms, flux, a safe soldering station, and inspection and test equipment.
Through-Hole Electronic Components
These components have leads at their base, which are inserted into holes created in the printed circuit board. These components require soldering in and around the holes, securing the equipment to the traces. There are two basic soldering methods, including:
* Wave Soldering—A printed circuit board assembly process in which a solder bar is placed in a high-temperature bath. In this bath, the bar remains molten and pliable. The high temperature creates a standing “wave” of molten solder. The printed circuit board makes contact with this wave, soldering the components in place. Before being run through the wave, the components are secured with glue and flux is applied. After the soldering process, the circuit board is cleaned and tested to ensure that all the components are attached and soldered correctly.
* Hand Soldering—Preformed at a much lower temperature, hand soldering uses solder wire, flux, and specifically designed and sized tips to place the solder around the leads stemming from the electronic components. Hand soldering is more often used for smaller work loads and repair jobs. A well-stocked and clean work station is a must to prevent debris from contaminating the solder or having the solder cool too much while searching for equipment.
Surface-Mount Technology
While through-hole technology is still used for larger components, surface-mount technology is revolutionizing printed circuit boards. Surface mount takes a little more time, because special pads have to be installed. These solder pads are thin layers of tin-lead, or gold-plated copper that are covered in flux and soldering particles before the matching components are applied. Usually these boards are placed on the conveyor belt of a reflow soldering oven, where the temperature is slowly raised until the entire board is hot enough to melt the soldering compound. The temperature is either controlled with heat lamps, or hot gas convection.
As with through-hole technology, the boards have to be washed at the end of the soldering process to ensure the the soldering connections are true and clean. As a final step the boards are visibly inspected, and any last minute adjustments are made.
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