PCB assembly services involve the procedure of soldering or assembly of electronic parts to a printed circuit board. PCBAs are critical for engineers working on products from cars to cell phones and many other electronic devices.
The printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) process is the heart of every electronics manufacturer. The process involves taking a bare PCB and assembling electrical components to create a fully functional product.
PCB assembly is a complex process that requires precise coordination, highly trained technicians, and specialized equipment. Due to the high cost of precision equipment, most electronics manufacturers prefer to outsource their board assembly to contract manufacturing (CM) companies that specialize in the work.
The PCB assembly service is the procedure of assembling a printed circuit board. It includes PCB designing and manufacture. It includes:
- Manufacture of bare PCBs.
- Soldering of components onto the PCB.
- Conformal coating onto the printed boards to protect them from environmental hazards.
Some of the benefits of this service are:
- It helps in reducing the costs associated with manufacturing products. The manufacturing time is also reduced.
- It promotes a low-risk environment for your business and also helps in promoting a good reputation in the market.
There are different methods of PCB assembly. The most popular ones are:
- Through-hole method (THT)
- Surface mount technology (SMT)
- Mixed technology
- Ball grid array (BGA)
Among the aforementioned 4 methods, SMT and THT are the most common ones:
Surface Mount Technology
SMT is a method of assembling an electronic circuit by mounting components directly onto the surface of printed circuit boards (PCBs). SMT is often referred to as “surface mount devices” because that is what it uses — devices — instead of components with leads. SMT has become the dominant method for low cost, high volume electronics manufacturing.
Through Hole Technology
THT is a process where the electronic components are placed on one side of a PCB and the leads are placed through holes in the board. The excess wire is cut off on the backside, and then the board undergoes wave soldering to solder all components in place. This form of assembly allows for more robust construction, but at cost of production time, as each component needs to be inserted into its hole separately.
How to pick reputed PCB assembly services?
Whether you’re a manufacturer or an individual, if you have an electronics product, it’s crucial that you hire the services of a reliable company that can offer high quality PCB assembly services. That’s because all your electronics products must be assembled correctly the first time to minimize the chances of issues with their functionality.
Here are some tips that can help
Find out about their experience – The first thing to consider when looking for a reputed company is their experience in the industry. The last thing you want is to work with a company that will carry out ‘trial and error’ your product. A good company should have sufficient experience in handling all aspects of PCB design, testing and assembly.
Experience means they’ve worked with countless other clients and they understand how to best approach your project. They should also have state-of-the-art tools and equipment that they use in their work. This will ensure speed, quality and consistency of results no matter what you need.
Find out about their capacity
Another important consideration when looking for a trustworthy company is their capacity to handle your project based on its size and complexity.
Price
No doubt, price plays a key role when you have a limited budget. Ensure that the company does not burn a hole in your pocket. Comparing the prices of a few companies would be a great idea.
