Guide on PCB Fabrication Process
Standing in the 21st century without knowing about PCB is next to impossible. In our technology-oriented world, PCB has been a game-changer for several years. Hence, there is nothing unexpected in learning about the PCB fabrication procedure.
This is a guide that will assist you in exploring the entire PCB fabrication process along with revealing its implication. So, if you want to know more about it, keep reading.
Overview about PCB Fabrication
Being the inevitable part of each electronic gadget PCB fabrication process requires prominence and great knowledge. There are mainly three types of PCBs easily available in the market- Single, Double, and Multi-layered. Three of them almost have the same fabrication.
From making the board’s layout to graphic plating, from etching to drying, from drilling to silk-screening, every step of the PCB fabrication urges equal supervision. To ensure the execution of an electronic gadget, the PCB should be fabricated precisely.
What is the PCB Fabrication Process?
Fabrication tends to be a crucial part of any kind of printed circuit board. It follows several inevitable steps like PCB designing, laminating, drying, etching, and many more. But before going to the direct fabrication part, it is essential to understand the related concepts of PCB fabrication thoroughly.
PCB improvement:
It is the very first step where the PCB layout gets taken from the layout of the output. Formulating, manufacturing, and analyzing are the three cycles that take place during this process. This step is a one-time thing for modest board designs. But for complex designs, you may have to perform it again for a decent result.
PCB manufacturing:
This is the second step where the main idea finds tracks. As the title of the process suggests, this step is all about manufacturing the printed circuit board. This step contains two unavoidable steps. The first one is the PCB fabrication, where the circuit board is composed, and the second is the PCB assembly process, also known as PCBA.
PCB examining:
Once you are done with the previous steps, it is time to analyze and finalize the PCB’s performance. Therefore, this process is non-negotiable. Whether the PCB design is outstanding or requires specific changes are determined during PCB analysis. If the board does not reach the goal, a quick operation gets initiated by the developer and the designing team.
PCBA:
PCBA or printers circuit board assembly is the last and final step of the PCB fabrication process. In this step, the mount particles get positioned on the empty board via soldering.
So, this, in brief, is the steps which are corresponded with the entire PCB fabrication.
The PCB Fabrication Process
The Printed circuit board fabrication goes through several operations and special techniques. These are:
PCB designing: Without a solid plan and layout, PCB fabrication is next to impossible. The designer needs a blueprint of the PCB to create a good quality PCB. This pre-planned structure helps designers to detect the path, height, weight, component placement areas, etc.
Equipping the production: At this point, several steps take place. Firstly, the lamination is cut according to the panel size. Now, the board gets dried to element unwanted moisture. The last steps of this process are internal layer drying, inner film, and inner exposure, and development.
Inner layer Etching: Etching is a must for conserving the inner layer made of copper. After etching, the film gets uploaded.
AOI if the inward layer: AOI or automatic optical inspection is the fourth step in PCB fabrication. In this process, it gets checked whether the etching was clean or not. Additionally, this step ensures whether there is any short circuit or not.
Lamination: After inspecting the inner layers, the next step that takes place is called lamination.
Drilling: Once the lamination gets done, it is time for drilling the plates.
Electroless Copper disposition: A very light coating of copper is used to restore the gashes. In this process, the copper coating is pretty thin, approximately two to three um.
Also read:– The Role of Copper Weight in PCB Fabrication
Horizontal Electrolytic plating: now, the thin layer of the empty hole gets solidified by eight to nine um.
Outer layer imaging: Just like the inner layer, the outer layer now gets uncovered, formulated, and reproduced in this process.
Graphic plating: A wide copper plating, a tin plating, and finally getting rid of the film is the main purpose of the step.
Outer layer etching: In this process, the outer layer gets etched, and the tin gets removed.
Solder mask: once the outer layer itching gets done, the entire panel gets filled with liquefied solder mask.
Silkscreen: Through this step, all important data gets printed on the board.
Surface finish: This step ensures the safety and performance of the PCB.
Electrical testing: This step demands importance to ensure the functionality of the recently made PCB.
Packaging and delivery: When all of these steps are done, the final product gets packaged and delivered for sale.
Is it Important to Understand the PCB Fabrication Process?
In a word, yes, indeed! Printed circuit board fabrication is not only about design. For getting assured about the dependability, profit rate, manufacturing ability, it is pretty significant to understand the whole procedure of fabricating a PCB.
Without having detailed knowledge about PCB fabrication, one can’t decide the material, layout, limitation, paths, etc., during the procedure. Therefore, it is essential to understand the PCB fabrication process.
A Skilled and Experienced PCB Contract Manufacturer
Lastly, we must warn you that PCB fabrication is a pretty entangled procedure. Therefore, it needs the right amount of knowledge, accuracy, and proficient hands of experts. In case you encounter issues during PCB fabricating, make sure to contact a skilled and experienced PCB contract manufacturer. Once you assign a professional with a prosperous background in this field, you can get your hand in the best quality PCB soon.
