What does PCB assembly do?
The assembly or manufacturing process of a printed circuit board (PCB) includes many steps. All these steps should go hand in hand to achieve good PCB assembly (PCBA). The synergy between one step and the previous step is very important. In addition to this, the input should receive feedback from the output, which makes it easier and more convenient to track and resolve any errors in the early stages. What steps are involved in the PCB assembly process?
Steps involved in PCBA Manufacturing
The PCBA and manufacturing process involve many steps. If you want to obtain the best quality final product, follow these steps:
Step 1: Add solder paste: This is the initial stage of the assembly process. At this stage, solder paste is added to the electronic components pads wherever soldering is required. Put the solder paste on the pad and paste it in the correct position with the help of the soldering screen. This screen is made of PCB files and has holes.
Step 2: Place the component: After adding the solder paste to the component pad, it is time to place the component. The PCB passes through a machine that precisely places these components on the pads. The tension provided by the solder paste holds the components in place.
Step 3: Reflow oven: This step is used to permanently fix the components on the board. After placing the components on the board, the PCB passes through the reflow oven conveyor belt. The controlled heat of the oven melts the solder added in the first step, thereby permanently connecting the components.
Step 4: Wave Solder for PCBA: In this step, the PCB is passed through the molten solder wave. This will establish electrical connections between the solder, PCB pads and Cable Connectors I/O Connectors.
Step 5: Cleaning: Up to this step, all welding processes have been completed. During the soldering process, a large amount of flux residue will form around the solder joints. As the name suggests, this step involves cleaning flux residues. Clean the flux residue with deionized water and solvent. Through this step, PCB assembly is completed. The next steps will ensure that the assembly is completed correctly.
Step 6: Testing: At this stage, the PCB assembly is completed and inspections are started to test the position of the components. This can be performed in two ways:
Manual: This kind of inspection is usually carried out for smaller components, and the number of components does not exceed one hundred.
Auto: Perform this check to check if there are bad connectors, wrong components, wrongly placed components, etc.
