Saturday, May 18, 2013

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Important Facts Relevant To The Manufacturing Of PCB Boards

By Carissa Glenn


A printed circuit board is important in any mechanically driven devices. This is used in supporting and connecting electronic components through an electrically charged pathway from a copper sheet that is laminated to a non-conductive substrate. A PCB is densely populated with discrete devices or electrical elements that can be collectively referred to as a printed circuit assembly or PCA. Manufacturing of PCB boards involves a systematic method for which only the ones with the ropes are permitted to work.

The design of a printed circuit board is done not only based on the resourcefulness and creativity of its fabricator. Assembly, design and quality control requirements are established by the Association Connecting Electronics Industries, a trade association aiming to set standardized production and assembly of any electronic devices. That is why PCBs have to be designed initially before they are out in the market.

Introduced some time in the 20th century, the first modern boards were invented by German inventor Albert Hanson. This was then developed by famous, Thomas Edison, an American inventor and businessman. In 1904, he experimented with chemical method in plating conductor using linen paper. It was by 1913 that an electronics company designed and patented the print-and-etch approach.

Later on, an engineer named Paul Eister enhanced a functionality of the printed circuit for the radio set. This technology spread significantly across the U. S. By 1943 as a basic component for the proximity fuse, an explosive device used in the World War II. This automatically blew up as it drew nearer to its target.

Just before the prototype of this technology was released, manufacturers used the point-to-point strategy of construction. It is a non automated approach used in the construction of electronic circuits. And between 1936 and 1947, another distinguished company offered new developments of the device through spraying this on plastic board.

Prior to all the PCB board enhancements, the electronic components used to have wire leads that passed through holes and soldered onto the PCB trace. Such method of construction is known as a through-hole assembly, an electronic approach that involves a mounting scheme and the use of leads on each component inserted into the holes of the board. This is typically done manually.

In the 1980s, the surface-mount device was introduced by which electronic circuits had to be mounted on the board's surface directly. This technology prompted production of smaller devices and eventually replaced through-hole construction. Both technologies, however, could be used in the same board.

Manufacturers today largely use laminates, copper-clad laminates, resin Pre-preg and copper foil. Laminates are fabricated through using a thermosetting plastic resin in creating integral pieces with uniform thickness. Common length runs from four to eight feet. Standard resin percentage, cloth weaves and thickness are required in achieving the desired dielectric characteristics. The cloth used will determine the ratio of the resin in the laminate being 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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