Given technological advancements, soldering and assembling components doesn’t take as long as it used to. Since a printed circuit board (PCB) can be assembled faster by machine than by hand, this also makes it easier to complete larger orders in a fraction of the time. Some PCB assembler shops, for example, may be able to turn an order around in 5 days or less. This exceeds the industry standard by 75%, which is important to note.
On an hourly basis, 50,000 or more parts can be completed. This includes having solder paste applied prior to being placed and soldered. This is all accomplished in a conveyer configuration with the following devices:
- Solder paste applier
- High-speed chip shooter
- Pick-and-place machine
- Infrared oven
In addition to completing a larger volume of parts, machine-assembly provides an increased quality at a more consistent rate. Even with highly-skilled hand-solder operators, a single automative line is able to place and solder more components than 50 hand-solderers. Since this is also accomplished on a more consistent basis, it makes sense to choose machine, as opposed to hand, assembly for your production needs.
Another important technological advancement is PCB design software. Prior to the introduction of this versatile software, PCBs were designed on clear Mylar sheets, which was quite time-consuming. PCB designers would use these sheets, which were usually 4 times larger than the circuit boards, to create transparent photomasks of their designs.
Currently, the circuit board and electronic component manufacturing industry is doing quite well. Just 50 years after PCBs were initially introduced in1995, this became a $7.1 billion industry. In 2000, the PCB industry was worth $10 billion. Since 2012, the world-wide PCB industry has attained over $60 billion, and as recently as 2014, the revenue within this vital industry was approximately $44 billion.
Do you need printed circuit board services? Whether you need PCB fabrication and assembly or prototype assembly services, using the same company to provide these services can make a significant difference in your overall production time. Furthermore, you will also be assured that your product’s quality is consistent due to the inspection services that are provided throughout the entire process.