Sunday, 19 May 2013

Important Facts About The Manufacturing Of PCB Boards

By Carissa Glenn


A printed circuit board is an essential part of electrically and mechanically driven devices. It is used in connecting and supporting electronic components with an electrically charged tract from the copper sheet laminated on non conductive substrate. PCB is heavily populated with different electrical elements collectively known as printed circuit assembly. The manufacturing of PCB boards entails a systematic approach where only the ones who have the ropes are allowed to work.

A printed circuit board design is not done based only on the creativity and resourcefulness of a fabricator. Design, assembly as well as quality control needs are identified by the Association Connecting Electronics Industries or IPC organization, a trade association that wishes to establish standardized assembly and production of any electronic equipment. This is why PCBs need to be initially designed before they go out to the market.

Initially introduced around the 20th century, modern boards were fabricated by Albert Hanson, a German inventor, which was later on developed by a famous American inventor, Thomas Edison. By 1904, Edison tried to experiment with chemical methods on plating conductors through linen paper. And around 1913, a certain company invented a print-and-etch technique using this technology.

Later on, an Austrian engineer named Paul Eister created a printed circuit for a radio set. The technology began to spread in the U. S. In 1943 as an essential component of a proximity fuse. Proximity fuses were explosive devices used during the second World War. These automatically blew up upon drawing nearer to a target.

Before the prototypes were released, a point-to-point assembly was employed. This is a system used for electronic circuit construction that is non-automated. Some time around 1936 to 1947, another renown electronics company developed the technology and spraying it on plastic board.

Prior before all those enhancements, the electronic components had certain wire leads passing through holes which were then soldered unto a PCB trace. Such construction method is popularly known as through-hole construction, an electronic approach that typically involves the use of lead on the components inserted into the board's holes and a mounting scheme. This is done manually.

Around 1980s, surface-mount technology was introduced with which electronic circuits are mounted directly onto the board's surface. This technology then led to the production of smaller boards and had eventually replaced the through-hole construction. But both technologies can be employed using the same board.

Today, manufacturers largely use resin Pre-preg, copper foil, laminates and copper clad laminates. Laminates are produced through the thermosetting plastic resins that are employed in creating uniform integral pieces. Typical length runs at four feet to eight feet. Thickness, resin percentage and cloth weaves have to be in standard measurements so as to achieve the desired dielectric characteristics. Cloth or fabric used determines the actual ratio of resins in the laminate that is about to be produced.

The whole manufacturing of PCB boards passes through different subtractive processes as well. These involve photoengraving, PCB milling and silk screenings printing. Circuit properties also need chemical etching, the subtractive manufacturing process which is now considered very essential in the production of such board.




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