PCB Engineering Solutions

There are many PCB engineering solutions that improve performance and reliability of printed circuit boards.

This guide covers all the critical printed circuit board engineering solutions you should know.

Keep reading.

What are PCB Engineering Solutions?

PCB engineering solutions are the approaches taken during PCB fabrication to address various functions of the printed circuit board.

The PCB engineering solutions seek to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the designed PCB in the application.

Furthermore, using engineering solutions in PCB design ensures quality production with excellent accompanying features.

RF PCB

Why are PCB Engineering Solutions Important?

Engineering solutions in the construction of printed circuit boards are of great consequence to the manufacturers.

By implementing the PCB engineering solution in the making of PCBs, you find possible the achievement of higher efficiency levels.

In implementing engineering solutions in PCB manufacture, the following aspects are achieved:

• You find that the production time of printed circuit boards is greatly shortened allowing for faster completion of projects.
• Additionally, you can handle larger volumes of PCBs by implementing engineering solutions in the manufacturing process, for instance; automation.
• The machine capacity is utilized to the maximum through the employment of such solutions allowing for greater efficiency.
• Errors and defects encountered in the manufacturing process can be reduced when PCB engineering solutions are applied.
• The making of printed circuit boards with specific features according to individual demands can be undertaken through employing engineering solutions.

What are the Common PCB Defects when PCB Engineering Solutions are Overlooked?

Overlooking PCB engineering solutions when fabricating circuit boards can be a major cause of faults defects.

These defects can fail the printed circuit board and even to attached peripherals.

Some frequently experienced failings include:

• The misplacement of pins used with connectors in PCBs that are useful in offering signals a path.

Connectors can be impaired by misplaced pins leading to connection failure.

As a result, the electrical isolation of connected peripherals is experienced.

• Thermal strains as a result of poor thermal design for the printed circuit board.

Such thermal strains can be influenced by overheating of the board and result in component failure.

Furthermore, circuit boards with heat buildups cannot offer performance longevity.

• In PCBs utilizing chemical substrates, leakages can occur. Chemical leakage is a precursor to board performance difficulties.
• Leakages manifest due to inconsistencies during the lamination or bonding process.
• Electrical faults are bound to occur in the event of disregarding PCB engineering solutions.

Having an inappropriate number of board connections, using poor soldering approaches and material contributes to electrical failings.

• Misalignment of the attached board components can be experienced.

Consequently, the components will be poorly attached sometimes entirely missing the point of connection.

This problem is exacerbated by non-straight leads for leaded components and solder placement inaccuracies.

What is the Design Rule Check Important in PCB Manufacturing?

A design rule check is an activity that seeks to ensure the PCB design meets the application requirements.

With the design rule check, you will ensure your board conforms to particular aspects to execute expected functions.

Some of the aspects related to the trace parameters such as trace width, trace thickness, and spacing.

Also, via aspects such as size and via count are also included.

You also find the aspect ratio of the drilled holes and board considered as wells as the pad outline.

What are the Main Processes in PCB Design Rule Check?

You find a design rule check entails some procedures that guide the activity.

Some of the processes undertaken in performing design rule check include:

• Ensuring appropriate conductive track features such as width and thickness that are selected for a given application.
• Determining the parameters related to the power and ground lines and the nature of coupling to be considered.
• Confirming that the correct signal paths are determined given appropriate track length and separated input and output sources.
• Establishing different ground lines for use with PCBs incorporating both digital and analog circuits.
• Identifying errors and faults related to the PCB and its board populates concerning undesired connections and isolations.
• Checking for the quality of processes used for fabrication procedures such as lamination, soldering, and assembly.
• Determining the integrity of signals generated by a PCB and examining what best configuration to achieve the best performance.

How do you Evaluate PCB Design for Manufacturability?

Design for manufacturing is a strategic approach to manufacturing that promotes efficiency in the manufacturing process.

With this line of thought, you can greatly save on the material requirements and subsequently do away with wastage.

Furthermore, you can also achieve savings in the cost of labor by precisely defining processes.

Design for the manufacturing of PCBs begins with the Gerber files of the printed circuit board.

These files are then presented to the manufacturing team, who alongside the designers, establish the processes to realize the design.

Attention is placed on the board parts to allow for simplified processes without the sophistication of aspects.

Garber file

What is the difference between PCB Assembly and PCB Fabrication?

PCB assembly and PCB fabrication are the two major processes involved in PCB manufacturing.

PCB fabrication precedes assembly as different aspects of the board are furnished before being put together in an assembly process.

PCB fabrication involves the processes carried out to make integral parts of the printed circuit board.

For instance, the preparation of prepreg for the core is a fabrication effort.

Also, the drilling of holes on PCB layers.

Fabrication provides parts for use in the assembly process.

PCB assembly involves processes that are inclined to complete the manufacturing process with fewer steps and in lesser time, positively impacting cost savings.

The possibility is enabled by using fewer individual bits and providing a mating mechanism for them simplifying the process.

The lamination of separate individual layers to provide a single board can be considered an assembly process.

You also find populating the board is an assembly process.

PCB assembly can be carried out by computer-aided machines such as pick and place robots.

What Factors Determine the PCB Design?

When developing a printed circuit board, there are several factors to be considered to ensure the appropriate application.

Having a design without consideration of these factors can lead to a failure of the board to meet the application demands.

These factors include;

• The power requirements of the PCB are important in determining the sizes of the conductive tracks.

PCBs with large power requirements require conductive paths with large thicknesses to accommodate the large current amounts.

• Equally important and related to the power requirements is the PCB’s thermal design. When a PCB has a large power requirement, it follows that the heat dissipated is also large.

Consequently, an efficient system of extracting the excess heat is required for proper board functionality.

• Board constraints such as size and shape are important to ensure it fits in its area of application.

Typically, the size of the board should be such that it fits into the system it is designed for.

Additionally, board constraints can determine whether the PCB takes a rigid form, flexible, or a variant of both.

• The number of layers required for a circuit board is also important in the PCB design process.

The layer count will dictate the stack-up choice alongside determining the nature of interlayer connectivity.

You can also use multiple layers to increase circuitry density and accommodate more components to achieve higher performance levels.

• Issues relating to the integrity of signals and radio frequency requirements are also essential to the PCB design.

Care has to be taken in the design process to ensure limited signal interference.

You can achieve this by implementing various strategies such as matching impedance.

What is Panelization as PCB Engineering Solution?

Panelization refers to a PCB manufacturing approach for large volume PCB orders.

In this case, many PCBs are furnished in one large board size called a panel.

Thereafter, this panel is cut to extract from its several individual printed circuit boards.

Panelization helps in cutting costs in the case of large production runs.

Panelization is offered as an engineering solution in PCB fabrication as exemplified from its simplification of the fabrication process.

You find working on several boards simultaneously as a single structure ensures costs are kept at a minimum.

Additionally, you can achieve shorter production cycles when executing large orders.

You find two distinct forms of panelization.

When panelizing printed circuit boards, the board constituents of a panel can be of similar design or different design altogether.

The individual PCBs in a panel are removed by cutting using laser beams or electric cutters.

You can also find serrations along individual board boundaries on the panel to allow easy break-offs.

What are the Stages of PCB Panelization?

There are two panelization approaches that you will find in PCB fabrication.

Panelization can be described as V-grove or breakaway tab.

V grove

V-grove panelization has the panel subjected to scoring in a V-shape along the individual board edges.

Depanelization is done by using a cutting tool along the V-grooves.

In breakaway tab panelization, the individual boards in a panel are separated by serrations or lines of weakness.

As a result, you can extract individual boards by applying a small force that acts along the serrations achieving separation.

In making panels, many stages are encountered.

Some of these stages are described as follows.

• When designing for panelization, the panel size is the first element to be described.

It should be such that the panel fits snugly into the conveyor to allow for easy handling.

Moreover, the panelization approach is decided whether it will be a V-grove panel or a tab panel.

• To fortify an oblong panel, scoring is carried out along the edges of the trail.

In the case of a breakout panel, the serrations are made.

The serrations should be deep enough to allow easy removal but not extend through the board structure.

• You can create tabs with a hole serration of three or five counts.

A three-count is employed for small panel sizes.

The tabs are positioned such that attached components cannot be dislodged during the separation process.

• To avert the occurrence of finning, the grooves and perforations for tables are located at the panel edges.

During soldering, the unsecured panel parts on individual boards are inundated causing finning.

• The punctured serrations are made collinear to avoid infringement on the other panel members during the tearing process.

The breaking process should be gently carried out by successive bending movements.

How are PCB Engineering Solutions applied to Conductor Traces?

PCB conductor traces

The traces on printed circuit boards are a path for an electric signal flow.

These traces are furnished on the conductive layers and allow for electrical communication between connected components.

Traces are made from a conductive material such as copper, gold, aluminium, and silver.

For conductor traces, there are parameters related to it that are useful in providing engineering solutions.

These include trace width, trace length, trace spacing, and the distance of the trace from the board margin.

All these parameters influence the amount of current flow and heat generated and dissipated from the board conductive surface.

The conductive tracks are made thicker and wider to accommodate larger currents.

You find with the large current transfer so is the heat generated.

This heat needs to be safely eliminated from the board via conduction across the surface and also convectionally.

Consequently, the spacing provided between the tracks is increased to allow for efficient transfer of the generated heat.

Wider spacing accommodates the thermal outflow by providing a larger surface area for cooling.

Heat build-up between traces is prevented this way.

Likewise, the distance between the board margin and the trace is made wide enough to prevent the development of thermally induced strain.

Thermal strain at the board margin can lead to catastrophic board failure.

Additionally, consideration is made for the length of the conductive path.

Care is taken to ensure it is not made too long to prevent increased resistance and impedance.

Why use PCB Gerber Files?

Gerber files are a unique type of file format used to provide a representation of the physical layout of a PCB.

Gerber files are made by using software employed in the design of printed circuit boards.

Multiple Gerber files can be used or various board aspects.

You find Gerber files relay information to the PCB manufacturer related to features such as the conductive layer patterns.

Also described are aspects to do with the board layer configuration and drilling details.

Files for the solder mask layers, dimensions for apertures and vias, and their precise board positions are provided using coordinates.

How do you handle DXF to Gerber Conversion as PCB Engineering Solution?

DXF is short for Drawing Exchange Format.

DXF is a file format typically identified with AutoCAD software.

You can transfer illustrations from DFX to other design specific software such as Gerber.

A few things to consider in converting DFX to Gerber includes using simple design approaches based on the following:

• To successfully convert a DXF file to Gerber, you can use polylines to represent the conductive path and none circular pads.

Additionally, these lines can be useful in illustrating boundaries that are filled.

Polylines consist of lines and arcs that can be furnished in different widths.

• Moreover, using circular shapes to identify circular printed circuit board formation such as round pads will be essential.

You can also use texts to represent the PCB silkscreen and identifiers.

The best text to utilize is the stick font that is converted to a trace segment.

• Applying blocks and insertions in your DFX file allows you to highlight the design flow allowing duplication of data.

You can employ multiple blocks within illustrations and modify them by changing their sizes and angles.

When can you use Controlled Impedance Design as PCB Engineering Solution?

Impedance is the cumulative opposition to current flow as a result of inductance and capacitance observed in high frequencies PCBs.

Controlling impedance means designing the PCB such that it can function at elevated frequencies without the adverse effects of impedance.

Controlled impedence

You use controlled impedance to ensure the correct functionality of a system with specific frequency requirements.

In such situations, controlling the impedance typically involves matching it with PCB design aspects especially concerning the conductive track.

You find the quality of the transmitted signals is greatly improved this way.

Failure to control impedance is such applications result in signal interference and the distortion of data.

Furthermore, noise generation can follow alongside the indiscriminate occurrence of errors.

How is the approach to Tolerance Provided as PCB Engineering Solutions?

Tolerance refers to the allowance provided relating to size for different board aspects such as drilling holes and positioning components.

Tolerances ensure that process eventualities can be accommodated in the assembly process.

Consequently, processes are not repeated saving time and costs that could be incurred.

In providing for tolerance as an engineering solution on the PCB, tolerances that are snug are shun.

The tolerances allowed are determined by the processing capacity of the manufacturer.

The larger and more efficient the manufacturing process capacity, the closer the tolerance.

Additionally, tolerance is dependent on the component’s sizes and fitting parts.

When this is ignored, you can have stacking problems.

Consequently, a range is provided for the tolerance with a variance large enough to provide capacity for components and parts.

Furthermore, when furnishing tolerance as an engineering solution in PCB construction, tolerances provided for only one side are discouraged.

Moreover, when creating tolerances, especially for circular design elements, chamfering is encouraged especially when part functionality is not interfered with.

Can you apply PCB Engineering Solutions in Handling Parts and Orientation?

Handling of parts and orienting them in positions are especially important in the assembly process.

You find that poor handling and inappropriate orientation leads to damage to parts that results in increased material costs.

The following are some principles aligned to PCB engineering solutions that are helpful concerning the handling of parts:

• The board design should highlight the positions of parts, their sizes, and their mating parts if any.

Such information ensures no misplacement or confusion of parts.

• Parts made for the printed circuit board should have symmetry which makes their production simpler.

Additionally, symmetrical parts are easy to assemble with minimal errors.

• Non-related parts need to have no common attachments to prevent undesired mates. Having to separate these consumes time dragging the production process.
• Parts should be designed such that they are easy to grip by manual operators or robotic arms.

They should also have no pointed ends and their edges should be blunt to prevent injury.

Why is Automation an Important Aspect in PCB Engineering Solution?

Automation refers to the use of programmed machinery and equipment to conduct repetitive processes.

Automation replaces manual processes making them faster.

Machinery and equipment used in automation can take different forms such as pick and place machines in PCB assembly.

Automation is considered a PCB Engineering solution for the following reasons:

• Using automation in PCB manufacturing improves the efficiency of a process while enhancing the process productivity.
• You find the quality of an automated process compares favorably to the same process carried out manually.
• Furthermore, you find that using automation provides an engineering solution regarding the consistency of the final PCB appearance.
• By employing automation, the costs related to labor and other associated costs are significantly reduced.
• Moreover, an automated PCB fabrication process can withstand close flexibilities due to the high accuracy levels.

Manual processes on the other hand need to be more flexible.

• The production times with automation are considerably shorter than similar procedures carried put manually.

Consequently, larger production volumes can be executed.

How are Vias Furnished to Provide PCB Engineering Solution?

Vias are plated holes through printed circuit boards designed to facilitate the transfer of electrical and/or thermal energy.

Vias can connect the top and bottom layers for two-sided or multilayered PCBs as through-hole vias.

They can also connect the external layers to internal layers as blind vias and internal layers only as buried vias.

Different kinds of vias

A common engineering solution to via design in PCB construction is to furnish the vias in-pad.

In this case, the vias are designed such that they are hidden in the conductive layer saving on board space.

These vias are typically metalized and then blocked up with either conductive or insulating material.

They are then crowned and plated, obscuring them.

Some of the materials used in filling the vias include epoxy which can be made to allow conductivity or discourage it.

Also, copper and silver can be used.

Consequently, you find the via hidden from view allowing for the positioning of a solder land for component placement.

Why is Multilayer PCB Considered a PCB Engineering Solution?

Multilayer PCBs are boards consisting of more than two conductive levels.

You find these printed circuit boards can be furnished in over twenty levels.

A common approach is to furnish the conductive tiers as a signal, ground, and power planes.

Multilayer boards are considered engineering solutions to PCB construction for these reasons:

• Using multiple layers in the printed circuit board allows for the provision of a more comprehensive circuit network.

However, this large network is not accompanied by an increase in board size.

You find this possible due to the parallel stacking of the layers.

• You can also increase the component density with a multilayer circuit board. Consequently, the circuit board’s performance capability is improved.

A larger component density allows you to attach more chips for enhancing functionality.

• Another engineering solution related to the use of multilayer boards is the improved quality of transmitted signals.

The multiple conductive tiers especially when stacked with adjacent power and ground planes minimize signal interference.

• Thermal management in multilayer boards is simplified by the use of thermal vias preventing heat build-ups.

The formation of hot spots due to heat build-up can result in thermal stains that contribute to board failure.

Multi-layer PCB

Where is Resign Coated Copper used as a PCB Engineering Solution?

Resin coated copper as the name suggests is a combination of resin and copper element.

With this material blend, a copper surface is deposited over a resin layer.

The resultant material is then subjected to chemical treatment in preparation for a thinning process.

The formation of resin-coated copper sought to provide a solution for the quality problem associated with drilled holes.

During the drilling procedure, plain resin material succumbs to the drilling temperatures that cause it to melt.

As a result, the drilled hole walls are not smooth.

Additionally, you find the making of resin-coated copper was to work toward achieving shorter drill procedures.

Furthermore, this engineering improvement enabled the fabrication of printed circuit boards with finer profiles.

You find the profile of the resin-coated copper to be extremely low.

Additionally, the copper film applied over the resin is very thin with a roughened surface.

Consequently, the surface area for conduction is increased.

How can you Optimize the Design of Printed Circuit Boards?

Optimizing PCB design involves making choices related to PCB design elements that result in the most efficient fabrication and assembly process.

Additionally, an optimized PCB design efficiently meets the design needs of the PCB application.

The following can aid in the achievement of an optimized PCB design:

• Board parameters such as trace spacing, solder dam, and clearances should be employed to maximum values.
• You should utilize positive and negative values to accommodate the expansion of solder mask for open and tented vias respectively.
• When making the silkscreen, you need to identify the board populates. Information concerning issues such as polarity should be indicated.
• When designing for large power applications, it is proper to use thick copper tracks and providing means for thermal dissipation.
• Component selection should be guided by their availability, their mounting method, and features. For instance, SMDs consume less board space than through-holes.

How are PCB Engineering Solutions useful in PCB Reverse Engineering?

PCB reverse engineering involves the duplication of a PCB by going backward to determine its core elements.

These include circuitry, layer count, and materials used.

Subsequently, you use this information to reproduce an identical PCB.

PCB reverse engineering is useful since it can shorten the duration spent to achieve a new product.

When done from scratch, developing a new product can take up to several years.

However, using PCB reverse engineering can result in a successful launch within months.

Technology in the electronic world is constantly evolving.

As a result, you find the need to improve products more frequently to stay relevant in the market.

PCB reverse engineering allows for the fast diffusion of new technology allowing rapid developments.

Why is Prototyping Critical in PCB Fabrication?

Prototyping is the fabrication of a single board to establish the correctness in the function of a design.

This typically happens before pursuing a full production run.

You find prototyping critical as it helps you to identify defects in your PCB design early.

Cost-saving is achieved since directly proceeding to production without prototyping can lead to a defective batch.

Additionally, you find prototyping allows you to make design comparisons when faced with multiple design choices.

Consequently, you can select a PCB design that adequately meets your needs.

Furthermore, you find using a prototype allows you to accurately determine the performance of your PCB.

Which Types of Printed Circuit Boards can you make through PCB Engineering Solutions?

There are many PCB designs to be achieved through PCB engineering solutions.

You find PCBs can be fabricated to achieve certain design elements such as high-frequency application and efficiency in thermal performance.

Some common PCB types include:

• Thick and extreme copper PCBs which are used for large current and power applications.

These PCB types ensure PCBs can accommodate large current supplies without failing.

• Ceramic PCBs find use in high power dissipation applications. The substrates used in these PCBs ensure impressive thermal performance.
• Flexible PCBs are employed in new developments such as wearable technology and biomedical devices.

These PCBs allow devices employing them to be worn or attached to the body surface and even be implanted.

• High-frequency PCBs are utilized in applications with high-frequency needs such as communication.

The signal performance of such boards is remarkable averting signal interference.

How does Strict Tolerance Control Enhance Performance in PCB Engineering Solutions?

Strict tolerance control on the conductive track traces is useful in achieving impedance control.

Impedance involves resistance to movement of current flow in a PCB resulting from a combination of board inductance and capacitance.

By matching the conductive track parameters to the board impedance, signal quality is improved by eliminating interference.

Drilling of the printed circuit board is important for two major reasons.

Drilled holes provide for the creation of through-holes for the attachment of components with leads.

Additionally, it allows the creation of vias that provide interlayer connectivity in multilayer boards.

An engineering solution to increase the accuracy and efficiency of drilled holes implements x-rays, laser beams, and computer-controlled machines.

X-rays are especially useful in identifying the drill points of internal layers of multilayer PCB configurations.

Lasers provide higher accuracy while taking a shorter time.

Trace tolerance allows for proper heat dissipation from the board surface.

Using maximum tolerances allows enough surface area for the conduction of heat on the board surface.

Thermal strains are prevented and the board functionality is not hampered.

What are the available PCB Coating Options as PCB Engineering Solutions?

PCB coating protects the conductive copper traces from oxygen-induced corrosion and provides a solderable surface for component attachment.

These coatings also need to be durable, provide smooth surfaces, be untarnished, and non-toxic.

Different coating options are available as PCB engineering solutions. They include:

• The Hot Air Solder Leveling (HASL) coat
• Immersion Tin and Immersion Silver
• Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold (ENIG) and Electroless Nickel Electroless Palladium Immersion Gold (ENEPIG)
• Organic Solder Preservative

What are Printed PCBs used for?

Printed circuit boards provide a path of current flow that enables a system to function.

Other devices can be connected to the PCB to enhance functionality.

You find PCB engineering solutions allow the use of PCBs in specialized applications such as high-power and high-frequency.

Some of the applications of PCBs include;

• Digital and analog circuits of communication systems.
• In household electronics such as televisions, washing machines, and refrigerators.
• Power appliances including industrial machinery and power semiconductors.
• PCBs are found in automotive systems such as vehicular electronics.
• Military weaponry and space modules are furnished on the back of PCBs
• Biomedical devices and equipment employ PCBs in their design
• Computer applications such as PCs, mainframes, and printers utilize PCBs.

How do you Create PCB BOM?

BOM stands for the bill of materials.

A PCB BOM is a list that encompasses in entirety all the items to be used for the manufacture of a particular board.

A PCB BOM contains information such as the part number, the quantity expected, and an indicator for flexibility.

You also find a designator for reference and component related information such as packaging and mounting.

You can create a bill of materials by following the steps below:

BOM

• First, you will need a program to create a bill of materials document. You can use the different software available such as Eagle.
• Upon creating the documents, you can divide your document into defined sections. With this approach, you can organize related materials together or materials for particular sections together.
• The document will consist of columns and rows which will be used to record the materials. The common indicators will be indicated in the columns while individual info provided by rows.
• Once complete you can save the document and access it later for updates or corrections.

Why is Simulation Critical in PCB Engineering Solution?

Simulation is a software aided process that seeks to portray the PCB in its operational state.

It depicts the performance of a PCB and its response to various conditions such as high frequency and temperature changes.

Simulation in PCBs is critical in identifying faults before production is commenced.

Identification of defects at this stage prevents losses as a result of the manufacture of faulty boards.

Additionally, such defects can be corrected and the board design perfected before rollout.

You also find simulation useful in exhibiting performance levels of the board subject to certain conditions.

For instance, simulation of the PCB can be conducted under a high-frequency environment such as electromagnetic influence.

How do you Evaluate PCB Layout?

Evaluation of a PCB layout entails the examination of certain core aspects related to the printed circuit board.

These features are fundamental in ensuring the PCB layout is executable and that it will meet the intended application needs.

To evaluate a PCB layout, the following can be scrutinized;

PCB Layout

• The process of PCB design development will speak volumes to the success of a PCB design.

A comprehensive design should entail the board composition, its connections, and its functions.

Furthermore, a good design should pass the tests it is subjected to.

• The PCB BOM should include available materials and identify in entirety the parts and pieces needed to actualize a given layout.

Important factors to be included in the BOM include the part number, quantity, designators, component footprints, and value references.

• The PCB Gerber files are also crucial to the evaluation of the layout.

These files provide insight into the board dimensions, the layer count and organization, the drill files, and component positioning.

• Equally important in PCB layout evaluation are the schematic details.

These details require an exactitude of details that makes their use effective.

Details related to the component population such as packaging, pin count, and values are contained therein.

• When a layout is evaluated, the positioning of components is a key factor.

Components should be positioned such that heat dissipation can be easily handled.

Additionally, they should be placed such that they do not contribute to generated noises.

• The PCB layout should address thermal management ensuring effective heat dissipation in its design.

The occurrence of hot spots should be avoided and an efficient network of thermal vias be used if necessary.

What are the Techniques in PCB Assembly?

PCB Assembly comprises various processes and techniques including:

• Stenciling will guide the application of solder paste to the board for the attachment of board components.
• Pick and place operation that involves the use of robotic machinery to mount components on to the board.

Components are typically surface mounts or through-hole mounted.

• Soldering process which secures the mounted components to the board.

The soldering process can be reflow for surface mounted components and wave soldering for through-holes.

• PCB assembly is not complete without inspection of the board for the identification of errors and defects.

Inspection can be carried out manually or by the use of automated inspection.

• Upon successful inspection, PCB assembly is concluded with functional tests that determine a board’s functionality such as electrical tests.

How long does a Complete Process in PCB Engineering Solution Take?

The duration of a complete PCB engineering solution process depends on various factors such as the design complexity and order quantity.

You will be provided with a lead time when you make an order.

The lead time describes the time it will take to deliver your order from when you confirmed it.

Without any mishaps during the production process, a complete process for PCB solution can take anywhere between three and twenty days.

Fabrication of prototypes typically takes longer due to having specific design needs.

You may find these needs to be presently unavailable to a manufacturer compared to in-house PCB making.

How can you Repair PCB Engineering Solution?

PCB engineering failure can occur for a variety of reasons and consequently require repair protocols.

The following instances illustrate some PCB failures and how you can remedy them.

• A PCB can suffer from physical damage through mechanical shocks.

For instance, a PCB device can fall from a height or get subjected to a force.

Remanufacturing can repair physical damage that is not catastrophic.

• Component failure is another aspect that usually needs repair.

Components can fail due to dislodgments, old age, or overheating.

Usually, components can be adjusted back to position in case of dislodgements or replaced when parts are easily available.

Repairing can entail the use of a solder pen and wire to secure the components followed by testing.

• The conductive trace can be damaged failing to conduct the electrical signal transfer. Damage can be caused by overheating, voltage surges, contamination, or natural wear. You can use a solder wire and pen to reestablish a connection on the broken path.

The bottom line – at Venture Electronics, we offer a range of PCB engineering solutions.

Simply tell our team what you need the printed circuit for and we will advise and help accordingly.