Manufacturing Of PCB Boards Explained

By Andrea Davidson


The world today seems to run on so much technology, that it seems to be ever present. Technological advances throughout the years have made everyone's lives so much easier. Yet despite all of this amazing technology most people have absolutely no idea how such things work. This is because the field of electronics can be quite complex. It is electronic components that are used during the manufacturing of PCB boards.

Electronics can appear very confusing to the average person. So much so that often people feel that the reason why something works is not an important factor providing that they can make the item do what they need it to do. Happily there are individuals who do know these things.

Just a quick glance around you will give you an indication about how many items utilise these electronic items. They can not be used in a random manner, so they have to be fitted in a specific pattern to create the desired operation. If you take the back off of one such item you will see how this has been accomplished.

These electronic items are all placed on something called a printed circuit board. More often than not they will be either a pale brown colour or green. On one side you will see shiny metal tracks. These tracks are used to allow electrical power to only go where it is meant to.

Printed circuit boards will be one of two basic types. The type used is often decided by the function that the customer wishes to achieve, and the space available to fit all of these components in. The different types are known as through board and surface mount.

Whichever type is being produced there are a couple of things that the operative requires, good eyesight and a steady hand. Without either one, creating one of these printed circuit boards gets much more difficult. The other elements, such as identifying the components and how they should be fitted can be taught.

The through board is the most likely type that people will come across. It does have certain advantages. The components are all situated on the other side to the metallic tracks. The component's legs are fed through the board, hence the name. The legs are soldered to the metal tracks which conducts power through the component and also holds them securely in place. The legs are clipped to prevent them sticking trough too far, and possibly becoming a short circuit. The components are of a size that enable easier handling.

Surface mount boards have their components soldered directly to pads connected to the tracks. These components are a lot smaller, and it is best to use magnification and a good light source. Using these items it makes fitting the components somewhat simpler, but remember that these components can be fitted to one or both sides of the board.

When either of these circuit boards have had all of the components securely fitted they are given a conformal coating. This helps to provide additional protection. This explanation will help the average person understand the processes used in the manufacturing of PCB boards.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment