PCB Fabrication and Assembly

In the SMT environment, the printed circuit board assembly process includes five operations in all. First, a solder paste is applied where the components will be placed. This is usually done by screen printing. Next, there is a placement operation in which a very high speed placement tool is used to mount tiny discrete components like resistors on the printed circuit board. Next, a flexible placement machine is used for mounting large components like integrated circuits on the printed circuit board. Once all the discrete devices have been placed, the board is checked for any missing components. Then, the printed circuit board is placed on a conveyor and baked in an oven, in order to make the solder paste reflow and form the solder joints. Finally, the printed circuit board has to be cleaned to get rid of contaminants revealed during the process of fabrication and assembly.