How PCBs are Assembled

In PCB assembly there are usually 5 procedures that are followed every time: paste, pick and place, cook, inspect and test. Below is a simple overview of the PCB assembly procedures that are carried out once a manufacturer has all the information they need. Find more info about PCB Assembly.

Begin by applying solder paste to the empty board. There are various ways to apply this paste, but it usually involves the use of a solder screen. These screens are derived from the files given by the designer, and has holes where each component will be on the circuit board. Paste is then pushed through the screen onto the board surface where the solder pads will later hold each component to the board.

Once the solder paste has been laid on the board, the next procedure is to actually place each component on the board surface with a method known as “pick and place.” In this stage, machines have been programmed with PCB design specifications and they know which compnents to grab from the dispenser and where to place them on the PCB. The solder paste will keep each component stuck to the board until it is permanently attached in the next stage. Learn more about PCB assembly.

After each component has been pasted to the board, the manufacturer will then “cook” the board. Basically, this means putting the board in an oven that will heat the board to a point where the components will be permanently stuck to the PCB, but the components won’t be damaged. There are different procedures available if the components are too sensitive to be soldered like this.

After that has been completed, it is time to inspect the board to make sure it meets all design specs. Normally, the board will go through a different machine which is taksed with testing each connection and ensuring all components are in the correct spot. Some machines can even detect instances in which components are accidentally switched by the pick and place machine. Click here to get more information on PCB assembly.

The last step in the PCB assembly process is the board testing. Some manufacturers call this “burning in.” Basically, this means putting the finished PCB into the device it was created for to test the functionality of the end product.