How to Audit SMT Assembly Factory?

There are huge many SMT assembly manufacturers worldwide. Many medium-big companies also launched SMT lines in purpose of assisting quick electronics delivery and quality control. How to audit and choose a reliable SMT assembly manufacturer from a long list? In this article, SMT industry insiders will give you professional perspectives to audit. In this case, your purchase cost will be smaller in long term cooperation.

1. Minds of Coordination

SMT assembly is only one process of electronic product manufacturing. Under well-equipped SMT machines and refinedprocess control, SMT assembly factory minds of coordination will 99% determine if PCB boards can be delivered in time, quality can be met with target requirements and defective boards can be repaired timely. These added-values will be beyond tiny price difference between different suppliers. Herein, how to audit the minds of coordination? Man is the central point. You can audit through conversations with boss and management, looking at their sincerity and resolution. What is more, you can also know the factory reputations and customer cases through third parties.

2. Quality Control

A variety of SMT assembly manufacturers are earning marketplaces by using very low prices, even with sacrifices of quality, such as reducing QC team numbers or lack of AOI devices to control quality. So, in order to audit the SMT factory, you have to specifically inspect the incoming material quality control at warehouse, in process control, QC positions, AOI devices working conditions and if engineer team sophisticated with quality process control and operation documents. Your product could be perfectly guaranteed only after a complete inspection and auditing.

3. Work Passion of Management and Staff

The passion of front end staff and management will decide high pass rate and conformity of your product, because product is made by man or machine operations by man. Try to talk with management and look at their passion and meticulous staff.

4. Now Give Up These Auditing

(1)Factory scale: unless your order is more than 100k, otherwise any one of SMT assembly manufacturers would finish your job.

(2)SMT machines: unless compacted components (such as down to 0201 chips) or complicated engineering method (such as PoP), otherwise common SMT machines would comply with precision well.

(3)Initial quote: do NOT deny a supplier only because of high initial price, otherwise you probably lose a great partner, because they have strict requirements of quality control, so the cost looks higher.

(4)Oral promises: do NOT only believe the promises, because they are easy to say. Selection of SMT assembly factory is a rational decision, not emotional one. Otherwise, you will come to a big risk thing.

Excellent company has long-term and stable PCB assembly factory, but bad one is always looking for new supplier and playing yesterday story. Now it is time to reflect on our purchase decisions. You can do good job of selecting SMT assembly factory through above principles.

The original link:  http://www.nod-pcba.com/news/66-en.html

Do NOT ignore 6 elements to purchase PCBA

PCBA plays core role as part of electronic products. Electronics reliability, adaptability and stability are crucially close with PCBA quality. Therefore, we have to focus on quality control of PCBA manufacturing while selecting a PCBA supplier and professionally inspect if every single PCB assembly complies with applications of electronic product. So, In the process of purchasing PCBA, we need to pay more attention to the quality control points of PCBA, and take a close look at every simple PCBA board in professional view.

1. Soldering Reliability of PCBA Components

Stability of PCB and components depends on performance of electronic products in user hand. After long time usage, electronic products probably endure severe conditions such as oxidation, heat radiation, collision and overload use etc., which will make them out of work although they passed test before delivery. What’s more, to use branding original components determines quality of electronic products as well. Many used or fake components will not work. So does for PCB. Some factors such as distortion, low thermal performance should be concerned about according to product application environment. All PCBAs should be under strict test.

2. PCBA Burn-in-test Performance Report

It is necessary to perform burn in test for batch order of PCBA, which means to place PCBA into upper limit conditions with test purpose of stability and reliability. Many companies ignore this step in order to save cost, which probably lead large number of defects while products in customer hand and big loss. Therefore, it is recommended to implement burn in test fixture according to test plan and request PCBA manufacturer to issue burn in test performance report.

3. Box Build Process Management

PCBA in box build process should be highly focused, because inappropriate operation will make components on PCBA board damaged although they were tested OK before box build. To purchase PCBA, we have to review the box build manual and guide in compliance with our requirements and supervise works to fulfill the task.

4. PCBA Cleanliness

PCBA cleanliness is huge important, because some solder splash, flux on PCBA surface will cause unpredictable defect risk in the future use of electronic products. That is why to ask PCBA manufacturer to perform professional ultrasonic clean of PCBA board and prevent any finger contact of soldering pads.

5. After-sale Ability Review to Purchase PCBA

Even the wise are not always free from error. There will be defective products for batch order manufacturing. In that case, PCBA manufacturer quick response and coordination of fixing problem are particularly important to customer.

6. Leave More Profits to PCBA Manufacturer

PCBA price is becoming transparent with high development of printed circuit board and SMT industry. You can avoid high cost as long as you compare several suppliers or calculate cost by yourself. However, profit is driving PCBA manufacturer to offer outstanding services. High profits will bring high attention. So, we have to give up concept of “always lowest price” during purchasing PCBA. Actually, we can get our cost reduced if providing more profits to PCBA manufacturer. Many Japanese companies did very well on this point.

To purchase PCBA involves audit of technology, management and services and needs professional multi-dimensions discernment, which will build a good start for success of electronic products.

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Crucial Preparations before SMT Assembly

It is crucial to do preparations before PCB assembly process during stage of whatever prototype or mass production, which highly determines smooth online manufacturing in avoidance of suspending SMT line to find appropriate components. As you know, efficiency is the lifeline for SMT assembly process. Hence, manufacturers should figure out and fulfill refined process control. Let us look at some crucial preparations.

1. Printed Circuit Board Files (Gerber in particular)

Standard files include 4 layouts at least: PAD, drilling, soldering mask and text screen.

Better in panel

Board edge: 10 mm spacing bottom and top

Mark hole: two holes on right and left with diameter 4 mm and 5 mm spacing boarder.

2. Bill of Material (BOM)

Part model, brand, MFR and reference link

Separate list of SMD and THT components used on top and bottom side

3. Auxiliary data

Board used for oven temperature test

Naked boards

Stencil used for solder paste

4. Warnings

SMD components should not be packed in bulk or slice.

Major parts such as IC should not be used before.

Despite all above preparations, human is more than machine in terms of completing SMT assembly process with magnificent quality.

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Big Differences of LED SMT Mounter

LED SMT mounter is designed and exclusively applied for LED industry with principal features such as multiple nozzles, high efficiency and user-friendly control. However, the precision of LED SMT mounter (usually 0603) can not be competent with common SMT machines (with precision up to 0201 or even 01005). In addition, common SMT mounters have been widely used with strong flexibility and compatibility. A variety of SMD components could be picked up onto the right position, but LED SMT mounter can be only used for LED lamp assembly process.

LED lamp is usually linear type and goes into LED SMT mounter through the track. Up to 32 nozzles will pick up lamps and place them onto assigned positions. There is no camera inside and it is not necessary to ensure high precision. A little bit displacement of lamp could be acceptable. Only easy online programming and configuration of axis and space are needed.

Importantly, the price of LED SMT mounter is huge cheaper with utmost same workflow and high speed.

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Analysis of trivalent chromium using in PCB electroplating

There are still many weakness of trivalent chromium electroplating , such as unstable plating, sensitivity to impurity, high cost, dark color of film and so on. These must be consider except especially in the following aspects.

1. Difficulty in thickening of plating.

The thickness of trivalent chromium plating just be few microns normally, it only apply to ornamental plating. This is mainly due to that the electroplating condition being change as the time of electroplating. During electroplating, cathode current density and the time could be controlled, while the solution PH and temperature does not. So the solution PH and temperature are the main reason why the plating can not be thickened.

2. Difficulty in anode choosing.

Because of unstable plating and sensitivity to impurity, the solubility material usually can’t be chosen for anode. But trivalent chromium is easy to be oxidized to hexavalent chromium by the insolubility anode .It cause the plating change accelerates. At present, the study about trivalent chromium in China almost use the graphite as anode. The following is the graphite’s disadvantage:

(1). The electrode being oxidized to carbon dioxide because that the unstable in the bath solution.

(2). The plating solution could be polluted by the carbon residue which from the anode collapsing

(3). After oxidizing, anode thinning causes that the internal resistance rises and the distance between anode and cathode increases.

3. Complicated solution composition.

Domestic scholars proposed a new electroplating system—Oxalic acid salt – ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid system. It’s a complicated formula of the system, with the disadvantages such as small range of the temperature and current density, the graphite anode. During the actual process, it is difficulty to management and maintenance due to complicated composition.

The original link:  http://www.nod-pcba.com/news/54-en.html

Analysis of three reasons for PCB copper rejection

In terms of PCB copper loss (also often said that the rejection of copper) defect, PCB plant says that this is caused by bear and asks for compensation. According to years experience in dealing with customer complaints, common reasons of PCB copper rejection are the following:

1. PCB factory process factors:

(a)copper etched over, electrolytic copper foil used on the market generally sided galvanized steel (commonly known as ash foil) and single-sided copper (commonly known as the red of the foil), a common rejection of copper is generally above 70um copper galvanized foil, foil and 18um reddening following ashing foil basic none appeared bulk of the rejection of copper. Customer circuit design is better than etching line, if the copper foil after the specification change and etch parameters unchanged, resulting in a copper foil in the etching solution too long the residence time. Zinc was originally due to active metal, copper on the PCB when a long soak in the etching solution, will lead the line side excessive erosion, causing some of the fine line backing zinc layer is completely reacted with the substrate detachment, namely copper off. Another case is PCB etching parameters is no problem, but after etching poor washing and drying, resulting in a copper etching solution also will face surrounded PCB residues in untreated for a long time, will produce excessive side etching copper rejection of copper. This is usually expressed as concentrated in a thin line on the road, or a period of wet weather, the entire PCB will appear similar to the bad, look at it with the grass roots ripping copper contact surface (the so-called rough surface) color has changed, normal copper color is not the same, see the bottom of the original copper color, thick line at the copper peel strength is also normal.

(b)collision occurs locally PCB process, copper wire by external mechanical forces from the substrate. This poor performance is poor positioning or fixed directional, there will be significant copper twisted off, or the same direction to scratch / impact marks. Look at the copper foil peel bad hair surface, you can see the color of copper matte is normal, there will be no adverse side etching, copper peel strength is normal.

(c)PCBA circuit design is unreasonable, meticulous design with thick copper lines, can also cause excessive rejection lines etched copper.

2. the laminate manufacturing process reasons:

Under normal circumstances, as long as the laminate after hot pressing high temperature section over 30min, copper foil and the prepreg is substantially completely the binding, so nip generally will not affect the binding force of the copper foil laminate and the substrate. However, with the laminate stack, the stacking process, if PP contamination, or damage to the matte side of the copper foil will lead to insufficient adhesion after lamination of the copper foil and the substrate, resulting in the positioning (only for large plate words) or sporadic copper off, but near the copper peel strength measured off-line will not be an exception.

3. the laminate material reasons:

(a) the above mentioned are ordinary electrolytic copper foil hair galvanized or copper-treated products, if the hair foil production peak is abnormal, or zinc / copper, the coating dendrites bad, causing copper itself peel strength is not enough, the poor material made of pressed board after the foil off PCB will take place at the electronics factory plug-in, copper by external shocks. Such rejection of copper foil hair look bad ripping copper surface (ie, contact with the substrate surface) is not obvious side after pitting, but the entire surface of the copper foil peel strength will be poor.

(b) the copper foil and resin poor adaptability: some special properties of the laminate are now used, such as HTg sheet, because the resin system is not the same, the curing agent is generally used PN resin, a simple resin molecular chain structure, upon curing a low degree of crosslinking, is bound to use a special foil peak match. When the production of laminates using the copper foil and the resin system does not match, causing the sheet metal-clad peel strength is not enough, there will be bad when copper plug off.

The original link: http://www.nod-pcba.com/news/53-en.html

8 Double-Checks before PCB Prototypes

Regarding PCB prototypes, there are two groups involved. One is engineers and the other is PCB prototype manufacturer. Engineers have to think about: 1)carefully selecting prototype quantities in order to save cost. 2)specifically confirming component package methods in avoidance of failed prototype caused by wrong package. 3)thoroughly checking electricity conduction to improve. 4)configuring complete signals to reduce noise in purpose of stabilities. PCB prototype manufacturers have to concern about: 1)seriously checking PCB files exactly correct. 2)completely verifying manufacturing process in compliance with manufacturer work flows. 3)controlling manufacturing quantities to save cost and ensure quality. 4)communicating with customer to prevent any risk during the manufacturing courses in advance.

Methods and Steps

1. Material: first up, clearly state what material will be used for PCB manufacturing. The common type is FR4.

2. Layer: display PCB layers

3. Solder mask color: select according to requirements, generally green.

4. Silk color: comments on font size and color on PCB sides, generally white.

5. Copper thickness: usually calculate according to PCB designed current. Thicker, better, but it will cost more. So a balance should be thought.

6. Via overlays solder mask: make vias to insulation.

7. Surface finish: such as HASL, immersion gold

8. Quantities: clear remarks of PCB quantities to produce.

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6 Untapped Sales Thoughts Before Starting Your Business

If you don’t know how to sell, starting your own business must be a risk thing. How opportunity comes? It is actually driven by customer demands. As long as we can keenly look into customer demands and then think about how to notify the customers and convey excellent experiences, profits come subsequently.

In terms of sales, many guys think more complexly. In summary, you have to remember only 3 words: pain spot, tickle spot and excitement spot. Let us see simply definitions.

1.    Pain spot

What problems customer has, which makes him sleepless and annoying. These pain spots are what we should solve for customer.

2.    Tickle spot

Uncomfortable factors making customer in a dilemma. Customer needs somebody to scratch the tickle.

3.    Excitement spot

The excitement that makes customer shout “WOW” and stay in pleasure.

How are 6 cases to impress you. Hope you can be inspired through them.

ONE: Accurate Customer

Taxi driver is easily afflicted with hemorrhoids due to sitting for long time. If we can push audio or text advertisement of hemorrhoids drug by using taxi App under the downtown district, this is absolutely accurate marketing. It is said that there are 5 people replying to one message. When you pay no attention to this, others have been doing for long.

[Tips] Beyond surface, we can find taxi drivers’ pains such as hemorrhoids, lumbar disease and then dig customer demands for making a deal.

TWO: Increase Profits

You are shopping apples and asking “how much?”

Seller: “$1 USD for this stack”.

You: “How about apples on the other side?”

Seller: “$1.5 USD”.

You: “Why it’s more expensive?”

Seller: “Looks better”.

You decided to buy apples on price $1.5USD.

Afterwards, seller divided the apples as 2 stacks and sold them on price $1.5USD very soon.

[Tips] This is customer excitement spot. When you have only one price, customer decides to buy or not; When you have two prices, customer decides to buy the good or better. Actually, more customers buy better commodities, which will directly increase your profits.

THREE: Promote Customer Repeat Purchase

A fine menswear shop launched member service of dry cleaning of the clothes for FREE every month. Regular member: 1 time/month; Silver member: 2 times/month; Golden member: 3 times/month. The amazing happened. Customers will take their clothes to the shop for dry cleaning and look around new arrivals while waiting for their clothes. You know, more clothes were sold. Look, free gift or service is so powerful.

[Tips] Launch low cost value-added service, which can activate customer repeat purchasing.

FOUR: Strengthen Your Customer Relationship

Customer does not need your weekly greeting, postcard or SNS sharing. It’s terrible that you think your customer can remember you. These actually seem to be annoying. So please do NOT waste time on this. The right way is to analyze where your customer stands and learn how to pay and gain. For example, you can prepare a small bunch of flowers for lady customer every week. It is not expensive and will show your sincerity. More importantly, your customer likes it. You can prepare high end liquor for gentleman customer. You should also make your customers feel honored while picking up them. Besides material needs, we have to pay attention to their spiritual needs, such as mutual communication of interests and useful suggestions.

[Tips] You have to pay before gaining what you want and focus on customer spiritual needs more.

FIVE: Enhance Brand Awareness Through Place

After initial access to local market, a commodity maker did a weird thing that they placed first retail store in high-cost downtown and near big brand: Chanel. At the very beginning, many people confused about it, but gradually understood the reason. Customers probably think that a brand neighboring Chanel must be high-end brand. The smart manufacturer quickly promote brand awareness with cost of opening a direct store.

[Tips] Your brand place in customers’ heart is determined by whom you stand nearby. You can build brand awareness by marketing big brands.

SIX: Sales Psychology

A lady loved to buy delicate tableware, but her husband denied due to high price. At this moment, the shopping guide stepped forward and said only one sentence. After that, the husband went to cash counter to pay immediately. Do you know the reason of the man’s quick turn? The shopping guide said “Your wife would not ask you to wash the expensive tableware.”

[Tips] Customers don’t buy because they have no pains. So we only have to explore what customers think and their pains.

The last important thing is: just do it now.

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5 Must-sees of PCB Assembly Prototype

Many electronic product companies concentrate on research, design and marketing and outsource all process of electronic manufacturing. It comes to a lot of phases from product prototype to market launch, PCBA test is one of crucial phases. Even after PCB gerber files and BOM list are passed to PCBA manufacturer, we have to concern multi-aspects to ensure project cycle without any delay and avoid any risk of product introduction at marketplace.

Firstly, we have to analysis market positioning of electronic product, because different marketing strategies determine different design and manufacturing process. If we make high-end electronic products, we have to strictly audit components, assembly process and 100% simulate real production of batch order. If we make very common electronics with ripe schemes, we can conditionally accept PCBA manufacturing process, such as acceptance of replaced components, wide range of ICT test results etc.

Secondly, follow speed over cost during PCB assembly prototype. It generally takes 5~15 days from designed files sent to PCBA manufacturer to return, which can even be delayed to one month if for any process out of control. It is a pity if for slow project caused by human factors. In order to realize 5 days of PCB assembly prototype, we have to select electronic manufacturing manufacturer (enough manufacturing capabilities, good reputation, quality and services guaranteed) at stage of design, even at an extra cost of 50%.

Thirdly, electronic design engineers have to fulfill standards as possible as they can, such as leaving right heat dissipation vias, clear silk screen, regular components in BOM, and specific remarks of manufacturing process in gerber files. In this way, the communication time between PCBA manufacturers will be highly reduced and also wrong production caused by unclear design could be avoided.

Fourthly, we have to fully care about risks during logistics. Regarding PCBA packing, we can require EMS partner to use bubble pack or EPE to prevent any collision during transportation.

Fifthly, take maximization principle during determining quantities of PCB assembly prototype. Project manager, product manager, general manager, and marketing representatives are likely to have one in hand at least. Also, we have to think about the damaged boards during test. Therefore, it is suggested to make 10 PCBA boards at least.

Quality and speed are cornerstones of PCB assembly prototype. Good communication with EMS partner is catalyst. When electronic product companies have these concepts, then they can form good habits of design and stable relationship with PCBA makers. All is well, the project go as you imagine.

 The original link: http://www.nod-pcba.com/news/49-en.html

5 Crucial Aspects of PCBA Quality Control

The incremental need of electronic products propels rapid expansion of electronic manufacturing industry, involving upgrading technology deposition. With popularity of smart phone and wearable devices, there are refined and high requirements of manufacturing capabilities, which contributes quality control concerns of PCBA manufacturers. Here are 5 crucial aspects of PCBA quality control.

1. PCB Fabrication

There are huge many factors to impact PCB quality, the most important are laminate, dusty-free exposure and copper plating. Rather than factory facilities and environment, we should look into these quality controls. Laminate grade starts from A to C with big price difference. We also know the purity management of dusty-free plant through third-party documents. PCB copper plating has high requirements of consistency and uniformity, regular exchange management of solution and equipment maintenance. Also, copper plating process should be enhanced during practice of a variety of projects.

2. Components Sourcing

Original branding components are crucial to surface mounting technology, which can prevent batch defects from the source. Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) enterprises should set IQC (Incoming Quality Control) position to ensure all incoming materials in consistency and uniformity. IQC will manage sample-check of components shape, default value and error limit. Also, EMS enterprises should continually optimize components sourcing channels.

3. Surface Mounting Technology

During SMT process, EMS enterprises should confirm the solder paste in consistency and uniformity, set SMT programming properly to ensure high precision of IC and BGA assembly. It is necessary to put all PCBs to 100% AOI (Automatic Optical Inspection) and (IPQC, In-Process Quality Control). Meanwhile, we should fulfill strict management of tray and verify stack list.

4. PCBA Test

Test points are generally reserved by design engineer and relative test plan will be passed to PCBA manufacturer. Circuit voltage and current curve will be analyzed during ICT (In-Circuit Test) and FCT (Function Circuit Test). A collection of these results will be reviewed according to assigned test plan, then confirm the acceptance area, as well as customer future improvements.

5. Managing People

For PCBA manufacturers, well-equipped machines are only small part, the big part is the people management. Manufacturing management team should figure out scientific work flow and monitor the operation guides are handled properly.

In fierce competition of PCBA market, manufacturers should constantly optimize their internal quality management. The refined manufacturing management will adapt market demand and could be the lifeline of PCBA manufacturers.

The original link: http://www.nod-pcba.com/news/48-en.html

3 Days Quick Turn PCB Assembly with Refined Process and Lowest Cost

Quick turn PCBA is a very important advantage of PCBA manufacturer. Under the same capabilities and quality assurance, a factory which has quick delivery of PCBA can win a lot of customers. And quick turn is one of the main factors that customer chooses a PCBA supplier based on.

Process of Quick turn PCBA

Client Placing Order → Components purchase and Incoming Quality Control → PCB Manufacturing→ Solder paste → SMT → Reflow Soldering → QC → DIP → Wave soldering → QC → PCBA test → Package & delivery

Lead Time of Quick Turn PCBA

The lead time of PCBA manufacturing could be shortened to 3 days for common components in stock, 7 days for some special components to be imported abroad and 20 days for components in production after placing order.

Charges of Quick Turn PCB Assembly

Except for charges of materials including PCB and components, SMT assembly, PCBA test, surcharge of quick services should be covered in the quote, which is approximately $300-500 USD and specifically depends on PCB design, BOM list and PCB assembly engineering process.

Click to get instant quote

Why We Can Fulfill Quick Turn PCB Assembly?

We take customer perspectives of PCB assembly manufacturing and assign project manager to push and track all manufacturing process since you place order to us.

1. Purchase components in stock through signed general agent: 2 days

2. Quick PCB manufacturing: 20 hours

3. Issue stencil and SMT assembly: 1 day

4. In circuit test and delivery: 1 day

NOD Electronics strive to be your reliable PCB assembly partner and are consecutively serving our customers with high quality of components bought from global branding electronic manufacturers and providing discount to our customers due to the advantages of scale purchase. A variety of customers witness our quality assurance and quick delivery.

The original link: http://www.nod-pcba.com/news/47-en.html

3 Checks Before Sending your PCBA quote

Barrel theory dominated business world for decades, but it does not work in this society, because professional labor division plays more important role with impulse of internet. PCBA manufacturers will get increasing online inquries. In this case, how to send PCBA quote skillfully seems huge important, which potentially determine high possibility of future cooperation with your customer.

PCBA

1. Perspectives of market and product

In terms of potential customer inqury, we have to evaluate from left message (such as email address, company name, website, name and title etc.) and confirm company size, opportunity of batch and volume order, location, customer price acceptance and added-value of their product. Moreover, it is worthy to collect some updates of customer from search engine, LinkedIn and SNS. These described jobs should be completed before your quote being sent.

2. Attractive price

An attractive price does not mean the lowest one, particularly in developed regions. It is probably that customer will not take the offer with lowest price. So we have to carefully think about the appropriate way of sending quote under profit guarantee. For example, we can show lower price on basis of higher volume than customer requested. In addition, we can exclude some costs of test and other manual operations in our quote. Let both parties talk them in the future.

3. Professional enough

First quote should be professional in format (same color and font, creative design, handwritting and stamp). This will show your advantages and sincerity. After all, a beautiful and professional quote sheet among ordinary ones will catch customer eyesight.

Above principles are not only suitable for PCB assembly industry, but also for sales man on various positions.

The original link: http://www.nod-pcba.com/news/46-en.html

Importance of Circuit Board Conformal Coating after Assembly

Nowadays electronic products are widely used in variety areas. So printed circuit board will work in larger environment. But printed circuit board is easy to expose under different kinds of environment. They will be damaged because of change of water in atmosphere and environment temperature. In order to prevent printed circuit board corroding and ease harmful elements from air. After PCB assembly, there are protection layer to cover the surface of PCB. 

Usually without applying conformal coating, there will be chemical reaction among copper, vapor and oxygen. So copper part of printed circuit board will become green. On the printed circuit board random pollutant have the same destructive, they will cause electronic deterioration, corrosion and even lead to irreversible short circuit.

1.Applying conformal coating on printed circuit board and its components, it can reduce or avoid electronic deterioration when printed circuit board is influenced by harmful operation.

2.Even if conformal coating is very thin, But to some extent, it can still withstand a good mechanical vibration and swing, thermal shock, and high temperature operation. 

3.Because all common conformal coating has insulation function. Therefore it can allow higher power and closer board spacing and then satisfy  the purpose of miniaturization of components.

4.It can make tin feet insulate and avoid static electricity, effectively to prevent short circuit and other problems and then have moisture proof, insulation, anti-static and other characteristics.

5.It can protect tin on the surface of printed circuit board not oxidized, make the board  more beautiful and prevent dust obstructing and affecting the normal operation of the circuit board.

6.For some sensitive electronic components, such as thermal resistor, photoresistor and low sensitive resistor and other components that can't use conformal coating need to shield.

The original link: http://www.nod-pcba.com/news/482-en.html

5 Tips to Design Heavy Copper PCB

Nowadays, heavy copper PCB (copper thickness >4oz) has become popular in PCB industry because it is suitable for high-voltage and high-power application, as most PCBs are manufactured just for low-voltage or low-power application with traces generally contain from 0.5oz to 3oz copper weight.

1/For weights greater than 4oz, it is generally recommended to double a layer rather than using thicker copper.

2/Due to the trapezoidal cross section resulted from the etching process, an SMT pad may be thinner than designed and this may lead to weak solder joints or difficult component placement. Also, the solder mask will require multiple coats in order to protect heavy copper traces.

3/Plating the circuit board with heavy copper circuit enables the board fabricator to enhance the amount of copper thickness via sidewalls. Generally, high-power circuits and control circuits were produced differently on separate boards. Use of heavy copper plating makes it possible to incorporate high-current circuits to comprehend to simple board structure.

4/Traditionally when PCB's are used in military applications the designer creates the high current circuits by adding duplicate layers of 3 or 4oz copper in parallel and crossing their fingers that the layers share the current evenly between them. In practice, the sharing is less than ideal so some layers tend to carry a higher percentage of the load and generate higher losses. Overall, the board normally runs hotter than estimated during the design.

5/Utilizing Heavy or EXTREME Copper in creating the high current circuits combined with thicker copper plating in the via and plated through holes will eliminate the need to add duplicate layers in parallel, thereby eliminating any concern of load sharing among multiple layers. Temperature rise due to losses in the boards can be calculated with greater certainty. The thick copper plating in the holes dramatically reduces failures associated with thermal stress. The result is a cooler running and more reliable PCBA.

The heavy copper feature is excellent in its way as it can be seamlessly connected to standard circuit board. These standard and heavy featured PCBs can be placed with little restriction provided the designer and the fabricator consider manufacturing tolerances prior to final design.

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5 Steps to Control IQC Quality

IQC is the incoming quality control,and checking the raw materials provided by supplier,to ensure that only qualified raw materials to enter the next production process.The following sections describe the process of IQC and the specific steps of the operation.

5 Steps to Control IQC Quality

1/ After PCBA manufacturer received the raw materials, the warehouse staff is in charge of receiving materials, then passed it to IQC quality inspection department.Incoming inspection,also known as acceptance inspection, is to control the bad material into the control point of the material warehouse, but also to assess the main source of information for supplier.

2/ For all in coming materials, the IQC department is going to do the planned seizure, sampling inspection, and non-inspection according to the quality of the supply manufacturers and the quality of the materials, price volume, etc; Inspection items include the appearance of inspection size, structural characteristics of the test, electrical characteristics of the test, chemical materials inspection, physical characteristics of the test, mechanical properties,etc.

3/ If the materials are determined as unqualified or rejected materials, the inspection staff must fill out the "unqualified notice" to the quality inspection supervisor review.

4/ The quality control manager approved the unqualified or rejected materials, then the inspection staff has to send the "unqualified notice" to the purchaser who will advise the supplier to deal with the return and improve matters,and to lab the unqualified and signature on the material packages.

5/ The materials ave been determined as substandard material by quality control department, then the supplier or purchasing department advise the special audit or special applications.

The original link: http://www.nod-pcba.com/news/480-en.html

The Scope Application of PCB Assembly Glue and Its Using Standards

At present, there are more than 99% electronics processing manufacturers to use PCB assembly glue as the yellow glue with lower cost, and the main use of plug-in cement resistance, choke, diameter ≥ 10mm ceramic capacitors, vertical resistance, diameter ≥ 10mm of varistor CBB capacitor, and diameter ≥ 6mm, height diameter ≥ 12mm plug-in capacitor.

The Using Standard of PCB Assembly Glue

Single piece of plastic components, the amount of glue don't use too much

Choosing the right glue device, no leakage or more phenomenon

The glue between adjacent glue, to choose the appropriate plastic place

The glue is not covered in the patch components, there is no blocking components through the hole

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What is PCBA X-ray Detection and Functions

What is PCBA X-ray Detection?

The PCBA x-ray check is based on the same principle as the Automatic Optical Inspection (AOI). It uses X-rays as its source, not the visible light, to automatically detect faults that are usually hidden on the PCBA (BGA, QFN, QFP, etc.) components such as tin, open circuit, and so on. The main role is process optimization and anomaly checking. Besides, with the increasing miniaturization in terms of semiconductor components package, while considering X-ray inspection system, compared with other inspection methods, X-ray is capable of penetrating into inner packaging and inspecting the quality of solder joints.

The Roles of PCBA X-ray Detection.

• The coverage of process defects is as high as 97% and the checkable defects include: weld, bridge, monument, solder shortage, stomata, components missing and so on. Especially, it is possible to check BGA, CSP and other solder joint devices.
• Preparing time is greatly reduced.
• Only check one time for double and multilayer boards with stratification.
• Provide the relevant measurement information to evaluate the production process.

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The Challenges Faced by PCBA Chemicals Currently

PCB board plays a role to support component and chip, interconnection and conduction between the layers, prevent welding bridge and maintenance and identification. Its design and manufacturing quality directly affect the quality and cost of the full product, and even lead to the success or failure of business competition. The stability and reliability of all the functional and performance of the printed circuit board are closely related to the chemicals in the production process of the printed circuit board.

PCB product design has been developed to light, thin, small, and products manufacturing is to the more sophisticated lines, thinner plate, high reliability aspects of development, the technical threshold for syrup will continue to improve.

Consumer electronics manufacturers of China and other parts of the world continue to enhance the production capacity and production technology continues to develop, PCBA chemical consumption will be more and more.

However, the production threshold of PCBA chemicals is not high, it can refer to more cheap syrup for the low-end customers, so many small chemical manufacturers appear in large numbers, which caused great pressure for some high-end product development of the suppliers.

Therefore, many people of insight have begun to realize this problem in the PCB industry, they are also anxious to call and advocate, hoping to improve the level of PCB production technology, and this change should be addressed first PCB manufacturing application of chemical medicine, equipment and technological innovation.

It can help PCB manufacturers to effectively reduce production costs, improve product yield syrup is the inevitable trend of market development. Facing the future opportunities and challenges coexist, improve product development strength, quickly adapt to market demand, conform to the development of the industry , manufacturers can become the ultimate winner.

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