The modern electronic world largely relies on Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) as its mainstay. This ingenious invention has paved the way for advancements in various electronic products. A PCB is a medium that transmits current through copper pathways, and it facilitates heat dissipation, keeping the tiny yet highly complex electronic devices on it intact.

　　PCBs house various electronic components such as ICs, transformers, emitters, etc. Once these components are mounted on a PCB, it is called a PCBA. Therefore, the PCBA manufacturing process follows the stages of solder paste, component pick and place, soldering, and final inspection.

　 　What is the difference between PCB and PCBA?

　　During our long tenure in the PCB industry, we have seen most people consider PCB and PCBA as one and the same thing. Therefore, before we delve into the PCBA manufacturing steps, let's clarify your confusion.

　　A PCB is a bare board with copper or other metals on it, acting as a base for heat dissipation. Additionally, it also transmits and conveys data electronically. When the PCB is built, it is a bare component.

　　In the PCBA manufacturing process, this bare PCB will serve as the base for mounting various electronic components. These components include transistors, resistors, ICs, emitters, etc. Once the electronic components are mounted on the PCB, it is called a PCBA.

　　You must use soldering to complete the PCB assembly.

　 　Steps to follow in PCBA Manufacturing Process

　　Almost all PCB and PCBA manufacturers follow a standard process to manufacture a PCBA. FX PCB is no exception. Our process includes applying solder paste on the PCB base, placing the electronic components in the correct position, soldering them to the PCB, checking for accuracy, final inspection, and delivery to the client.

　　The entire process is closely monitored to ensure 100% accuracy in the manufacturing process. Furthermore, automated engineering ensures the entire step is fast and timely in delivery.

　　 Solder Paste Application:

　　When you get your PCB, you are tempted to add components immediately. But this is not possible, nor is it a practical idea. You must inspect the printed circuit board and add solder paste where necessary.

　　Usually, you must use a solder stencil to add solder paste to the component pads.

　　If you don't know what solder paste is, here's a short answer -

　　It consists of flux and small solder particles, forming a paste-like substance. The process is similar to printing, depositing solder onto a screen. First, the solder stencil is placed where you want to add the solder paste. The screen has holes through which the PCB can be seen. Then, the flow channel will move on the solder stencil.

　　A small amount of solder paste will pass through the screen holes and stay above the PCB substrate. You must control the solder deposition to ensure that the component pads are not clogged with excessive solder paste.

　 　Pick and Place Process:

　　This process has two steps to follow -

　　Properly add solder paste to hold the components.

　　Feed the entire board into the pick and place process.

　　The solder paste uses its tension and viscosity to hold the components in the correct position, preventing movement. Additionally, you must ensure that the board is free from vibrations, otherwise, the components will move and come off their positions.

　　Then, in the final stage, the board passes through the pick and place machine. It has reels to hold the components. As the board passes through it, the reels will correctly position the electronic components on the board. It follows a pre-designed model for each PCBA.

　　Some machines add glue in a dot-like manner to add security to the components. This is especially important for wave soldering. Although the connection between the components and the board is strong with glue, it makes any repair process difficult.

　　You must correctly drive the PCBA design information and program it into the pick and place machine. Otherwise, the assembly will be inaccurate.

　 　Soldering Process:

　　After adding all the necessary electronic components to the board using the pick and place machine, you need to solder them. Our engineers and workers will pass the component-added PCB through an automated soldering machine.

　　Many manufacturers will use wave soldering, but it has become an outdated process today. More importantly, Surface Mount Components (SMCs) are not suitable for wave soldering. Therefore, most PCBA manufacturers use reflow soldering technology.

　　Note: If the assembly follows wave soldering, no solder paste handling is needed. Wave soldering will add the necessary soldering material to the board.

　 　Testing and Feedback:

　　After soldering, the entire assembly process of the PCB with its components will be thoroughly observed and inspected. Manual inspection is not a viable option here. Surface Mount Components (SMCs) have hundreds of different components, and you cannot manually inspect them.

　　FX PCB uses Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) for detailed and most accurate detection of soldered components. There are inspection machines that can check the solder joints and report where components need to be re-soldered.

　　Finally, the entire PCBA assembly undergoes testing before delivery. There are many ways and methods to test the entire PCBA assembly. Furthermore, monitoring the component output after soldering is also important. This will determine whether the entire assembly process is satisfactory.

　　Manufacturers use optical inspection to find out if there are any connection failures in the components. Once the inspection is complete and the performance is satisfactory, the PCBA is packaged for shipment.

　　In this guide, we have simplified the PCBA manufacturing process, thanks to our engineering output. The entire process is optimized to keep defects at a lower level. Therefore, FX PCB follows and exceeds standards to provide you with higher quality PCB and PCBA manufacturing at a more competitive price.

　　You can leverage PCB assembly for mass equipment production and achieve lasting performance with perfect PCBAs, thereby boosting your business.