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What does SMT stand for in electronics?
Micro-assembly, high-density assembly, and three-dimensional assembly technologies are developing rapidly. Reports indicate that the global adoption of through-hole assembly technology in electronic products is declining at a rate of 11% per year, while the adoption of SMT surface mount technology is increasing at a rate of 8%.
The miniaturization of technology is advancing at an increasingly rapid pace, leaving us in awe. A contributing factor to the shrinking size of electronics is the use of appropriate automated SMT (Surface Mount Technology) assembly processes. This method, instead of using standard components connected by wires (through-hole), allows for smaller components to be populated on the circuit board, which are mounted directly onto the surface.
The term "SMT" may be familiar to electronics enthusiasts, but some may not know exactly what it means. In fact, we have long been inseparable from the use of this surface mount technology, and traces of SMT technology can be found on various consumer electronics PCBAs such as mobile phones, laptops, refrigerators, and televisions.
What does SMT represent in manufacturing?
Surface Mount Technology, commonly abbreviated as SMT, is a technology often used in conjunction with THT (Through-Hole Technology) during circuit board assembly. This high-precision electronic assembly technology is used to attach or solder surface mount components to PCB pads. The workflow is roughly as follows.
First, solder paste is applied to the PCB pads. Then, by heating the printed circuit board until the solder paste melts, surface mount components (SMDs) are accurately placed on the solder paste-coated pads. After cooling, an electrical connection is established between the component and the printed circuit.
SMT Process Concept
In the SMT process, we often use two high-temperature soldering processes to complete the soldering of components: reflow soldering and wave soldering. So, in the SMT production line, what are the respective roles of reflow soldering and wave soldering, and what are the differences between them? This section will answer these questions for you.
For reflow soldering, solder paste is first pre-applied to the pads, and then heated to melt the solder paste. This heating process establishes an electrical interconnection between the leads or solder terminals of the pre-placed electronic components on the pads and the PCB pads. This process essentially achieves the purpose of soldering electronic components to the PCB. Reflow soldering is typically divided into three separate stages/zones: preheating zone, heating zone, and cooling zone.
In short, the reflow soldering process can be summarized in the following steps: solder paste printing > component placement > reflow soldering > PCBA cleaning
Regarding wave soldering, this is a batch soldering process that first uses a special pump to eject molten solder into a solder wave. Then, the leads of the electronic components to be soldered pass through the solder wave to establish an electrical interconnection between the electronic components and the PCB. The wave soldering process can be divided into these four steps: jetting, preheating, heating (in the tin furnace), and cooling.
These are the steps summarizing the wave soldering process: plugin > flux coating > preheating > wave soldering > edge trimming > PCB assembly inspection.
History of Surface Mount Technology
The development of SMT technology can be divided into four stages, and the following section will explain each period and its important characteristics:
Stage One: 1960 to 1975
This stage marked the advent of circuit boards, a historic moment that changed the electronics manufacturing industry. In this stage, humanity transitioned from using primitive breadboards to using PCBAs, completely entering the era of miniaturization. Representative works of this stage include calculators and quartz watches.
Stage Two: 1976 to 1980
This was the stage when SMT technology became mainstream. Before this, THT technology was mainly used for circuit board assembly, but with the popularity of small-sized electronic products around the world, SMT gradually began to replace THT. Using this PCB assembly technology allows for smaller and more functional electronic products. Representative works include cameras, video recorders, and digital cameras.
Stage Three: 1980 to 1995
PCBA boards have become indispensable products in the electronics manufacturing industry, and companies have begun to vigorously research and develop production equipment to improve product cost-effectiveness. VLSI is a good electronic product produced during this period.
Stage Four: 1995 to the present
Micro-assembly, high-density assembly, and 3D assembly technologies have developed rapidly. It is reported that electronic products using through-hole assembly technology are declining at a rate of 11% per year globally, while electronic products using SMT are growing at a rate of 8%.
Technological development has always been the mainstream of the world. Therefore, whether it is committed to building automated, intelligent, and flexible production lines or using new SMT assembly technologies to serve customers, Foshan Technology has always advocated keeping pace with the times. As an electronics manufacturing industry practitioner, understanding the development history of PCBs is very important and can help your company find the right direction for transformation.
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