Electronic products are slowly changing our lives. Our dependence on electronic devices is increasing, which means we need large-scale production of PCBs and PCB Assembly in order to meet demand. When you require large-scale production of circuit boards, it is important to select a manufacturer with a solid reputation.
This article will explain the process of producing high-volume printed boards, and how we can manufacture PCBs using yt-electronic.
What Is High Volume PCB Manufacturing?
High volume PCB manufacturing is the process by which a manufacturer produces more than 1,000 printed boards within the same time period. In order to produce these circuit boards efficiently, and to maintain PCB functionality consistency and uniformity of appearance, many automated mechanical machines are used.
The Advantages of Mass PCB Production
Mass production has many benefits in PCB manufacture, including cost savings, shorter delivery times, increased production efficiency, and more. Take a look at the details!
• Cost Reductions
Most people prefer high-volume PCB production because of this advantage. By reducing production costs, you can reduce costs by utilizing economies of scale. The manufacturers reduce costs by buying PCB raw materials and large-scale equipment in bulk.
• Reduced Time Cycle
Manufacturers will use special equipment and processes when producing PCBs at large scales. This is to optimize production. The production process can be fully automated to save time and allow the product to reach the market sooner.
• Quality Assurance
The PCB boards can be produced in mass quantities, ensuring a consistent standard of quality. There is no need to worry about quality differences between boards. Circuit boards are tested during the production process to make sure they meet performance requirements.
• Improve Market Competition
High-volume printed-circuit board assembly saves time. You can speed up the time to market, and meet deadlines for high-mart requirements. It can help you improve your market competitiveness, and also surpass your competitors.
High-Volume PCB Manufacturing Process
• Cutting
Cutting is the process of cutting the copper-clad laminate to make boards on the production line.
Let's first understand some concepts:
1) Unit: Unit is the term used to describe the graphics created by PCB designers.
2) Set: A set is a graphic in which engineers place multiple units for efficiency and production. It is often referred to as a panel. This includes unit graphics, edges of processes, etc.
3) Panel: A panel is a board that consists of several sets assembled and with the tool board edges added to increase efficiency and ease production.
• Dry Film Inner Layer
Inner layer dry film refers to the transfer of the inner layer circuit diagram onto the PCB board.
Inner layer dry films include a variety of processes such as inner-layer film pasting and exposure and development.
The inner layer film paste is a photosensitive film that we call dry film. When exposed to light, this film will solidify and form a protective layer on the board.
Exposure and development are to expose the board with the film pasted, and the light-transmitting part will be solidified, while the non-light-transmitting part will still be a dry film. Next, development is performed, and then the dry uncured film is removed. The board with the protective film cured is then etched. The inner layer circuit pattern will be transferred onto the board after the film has been removed. In the figure below, you can see how this process works.
• Browning
Purpose: To create microscopic roughness on the inner surface of copper to increase the bonding strength.
Principle: Through chemical treatment, create a uniform organic layer structure with excellent bonding properties. Roughen the surface of copper layer before bonding the inner layer, this is used to increase the bond strength between the inner copper sheet and the semi-cured sheets after pressing.
• AOI Inspection
This step is important. The inner layers are not able to be corrected once the outer layers and the layer between them have been assembled. The AOI machine compares it to the original design, and any errors will be displayed. At this stage, PCBs with issues will be removed.
Lamination
Lamination involves bonding the layers of the circuit together using the adhesiveness in the PP sheet. Copper foil, bonding sheets (prepreg), inner layers, stainless steel, isolation boards, kraft papers, outer layers steel plates, and other materials are layered according to process requirements.
• Drilling
Connect the layers by creating through-holes between the layers of the circuitboard.
• Copper Plate Plating
1) Copper Deposition
The copper used to metalize the PCB hole is called chemical copper. This is after the PCB drilling is subjected to an oxidation/reduction reaction within the copper deposition tanks.
2) Plate Plating
Copper on the surface of the PCB and the copper in the holes is thickened up to 5-8um. This prevents the copper from becoming oxidized or micro-etched, and exposing the substrate.
• Outer Dry Film
This is the same process as for the inner dry film.
• Patterned Outer Layer and SES
To meet the copper requirements of the final board, the copper layer is plated at a thickness of 20-25um. The copper that is not used on the board will be etched off to reveal a useful circuit pattern.
• Solder Mask
Solder masks (also known as green oils) are a critical process in the manufacture of printed circuit boards. It protects the copper. The solder mask is applied by screen printing on the panel or coating it with solder ink. After exposure and development the soldering pads and holes are exposed. Other places are covered in solder masks for safety during welding.
• Silkscreen
A silkscreen can be used to attach a label or business card to a circuit. Print information directly onto the circuit board using an inkjet. Information such as company ID, symbol and component number are included. The panel is exposed by ultraviolet light.
• Surface Treatment
It is easy to oxidize by air moisture after prolonged exposure. It is likely to be in the form oxides for a very long time. The copper surface must be treated. Surface treatment's primary purpose is to improve solderability and electrical properties.
Surface treatments include spraying tin and immersion gold.
• Forming
Cut the PCB to the size you want using a cutting machine.
PCB Scoreboard is mainly composed of V-shaped scribing and lug wiring.
• Electrical Test
Check the electrical performance of the PCB by turning it on.
• Final Inspection
PCB boards must meet customer specifications in terms of appearance, size and thickness. Bundle qualified products for easier storage and transport.
Technological Innovation And Development
PCB manufacturers are introducing advanced PCB manufacturing equipment to meet the market demand. This will allow mass PCB production in an efficient and organized manner while maintaining high-quality boards. PCB production equipment includes:
• Automated Photolithography Machine
Photolithography machines are also known as mask alignment exposure machines. The photolithography process is crucial in the manufacture of PCBs. It can transfer circuit patterns quickly and efficiently to the surface photosensitive materials, and then create PCB patterns through chemical reactions that meet design specifications. The resolution of photolithography has increased to nanometers with the advancement of science and technology. This is a significant contribution for the development electronic technology.
• Automated Etching Machine
The PCB is cleaned by removing copper that's not needed. Automatic etching machines can measure etching speed, and even the degree of etching.
• Automated Test Equipment
Automated testing tools, such as AOI or X-ray, can detect defects in quality and performance of PCB boards, and help ensure that high-quality PCBs are produced.
• Drilling Machine
Modern drilling machines are characterized by multi-drilling capabilities, high precision drilling, automated control, and rapid tool changes, which make the drilling process faster and more accurate. Modern PCB drill machines are able to increase PCB production efficiency, and can meet the needs of PCB boards with high density.
High-Volume PCB Manufacturing Applications
In many fields, high-volume PCB production is essential. It is able to produce large quantities of high-quality and reliable printed circuit boards. The following are the main applications of high-volume PCB production:
• Consumer Electronics
Large-scale PCB manufacturing in the consumer electronics sector can meet the high demand for mobile phones and tablets and other products, while ensuring the quality of the PCBs.
• Automotive Industry
With the advent of autonomous driving and electric vehicles, the importance of PCBs in automotive electronics has increased. The PCB is responsible for the signal processing and transmission in the automation control system.
• Communication
Circuit boards are essential for mobile phones, basestations, and other telecom equipment. The high demand for these products is met by large-scale production.
Current Status of Mass PCB Manufacturing
The production of massive PCBs is a highly-specialized, technology-intensive procedure. Manufacturers must have sophisticated machinery, a precise process flow and strict quality controls. is currently used in many factories to automate production lines. These include robotic arms, automatic punching machine, laser engraving machines and other equipment that increases production efficiency. Additionally computer-aided design software (CAD) has significantly increased the speed of PCB design. Computer-aided manufacturing, or CAM, ensures accurate conversion of designs into products.
Challenges
The mass PCB manufacturing process still faces many challenges despite the constant advancement in technology. Firstly the fluctuation in raw materials costs puts pressure on profit margins. The PCB production cycle and design must be shortened due to the rapid pace of electronic product upgrades. In addition to the environmental regulations, PCB production processes must be greener and more environmentally friendly. This puts greater demands on the production process.
Innovation Under Industry 4.0
Industry 4.0 offers new opportunities in PCB manufacturing. The Internet of Things (IoT), a technology that allows production equipment to be connected, the production status to be monitored in real-time, and maintenance requirements to be predicted can all be achieved through IoT. This reduces downtime, improves production efficiency, and increases productivity. Artificial intelligence and giant data analytics can be used to optimize production and get the best configuration of resources. Smart manufacturing can provide PCBs that are customized to meet market demands for small batches or diversification.
Future Outlook
The production of large-scale PCBs will continue to evolve in the direction automation and intelligence. As 5G technology becomes more popular, PCB design and manufacturing will focus on high-speed and high-frequency transmission. In parallel, will be a major issue for the industry. Manufacturers will have to figure out how to ensure performance while still achieving green production. With the advent of flexible electronics, future PCBs could be thinner, more flexible and offer more opportunities for innovative applications.
