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About PCB process and top manufacturing in world
PCB is a very important basic product in the electronics industry. It can be said that without it, many from our daily electrical appliances to high-end aircraft and satellites cannot operate.
From the appearance, we can see that the function of the PCB is to provide a base for the combination of the first-level components and other necessary electronic circuit parts, and finally to form a module or product with specific functions. Let’s talk about its manufacturing process today.
PCB is a very important basic product in the electronics industry. It can be said that without it, many from our daily electrical appliances to high-end aircraft and satellites cannot operate. Let’s talk about its manufacturing process today.
- Design: The first step is to create the PCB design using a computer-aided design (CAD) software. This involves creating the schematic and laying out the physical design of the board, including the placement of components and the routing of the traces.
- CAM processing: Once the design is complete, the data is processed using computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software to generate the files needed for the manufacturing process.
- Printing the inner layers: The PCB manufacturing process typically starts by printing the inner layers of the board. This involves printing a circuit pattern onto a thin copper foil that has been laminated onto a substrate material, usually a fiberglass or composite material.
- Drilling: Holes are drilled into the board to allow for the insertion of through-hole components and to provide a way to connect the different layers of the board.
- Plating: The walls of the drilled holes are then plated with a thin layer of copper to create a conductive pathway between the different layers.
- Outer layer printing: The outer layers of the board are printed with the circuit pattern using the same process as the inner layers.
- Soldermask and silkscreen: A layer of soldermask is applied to protect the copper traces and to define the areas where components will be placed. A layer of silkscreen is also applied to label the board with component designators, logos, and other markings.
- Surface finish: A surface finish is applied to protect the copper traces from oxidation and to facilitate soldering.
- Electrical testing: The finished board is tested for electrical continuity to ensure that all of the connections are functioning as intended.
- Assembly: Finally, the components are assembled onto the board using automated or manual assembly processes, depending on the complexity and size of the board.
Overall, the PCB manufacturing process is a complex and precise process that requires specialized equipment and expertise.
There are many companies that manufacture printed circuit boards (PCBs), and the top manufacturers in the industry can vary depending on different criteria such as revenue, size, quality, or technology. Here are a few of the top PCB manufacturers in the world, in no particular order:
- Nippon Mektron: A Japanese company that specializes in high-density interconnect (HDI) PCBs and flexible printed circuits (FPCs).
- Unimicron: A Taiwan-based company that produces a wide range of PCBs, including high-layer-count boards, rigid-flex PCBs, and IC substrates.
- Samsung Electro-Mechanics: A South Korean company that produces PCBs for various applications, including mobile devices, automotive electronics, and home appliances.
- TTM Technologies: A US-based company that provides PCBs and related services for various industries, including aerospace and defense, medical, and networking and communications.
- Zhen Ding Technology: A Taiwanese company that specializes in high-density interconnect (HDI) PCBs and flexible printed circuits (FPCs) for various industries, including smartphones and tablets.
- CMK Corporation: A Japanese company that produces high-quality PCBs for various applications, including automotive, industrial, and consumer electronics.
- AT&S: An Austrian company that provides high-end PCBs for various industries, including automotive, aerospace and defense, and medical.
- Ibiden: A Japanese company that produces PCBs for various applications, including telecommunications, automotive, and consumer electronics.
- Tripod Technology Corporation: A Taiwanese company that specializes in high-density interconnect (HDI) PCBs and flexible printed circuits (FPCs) for various industries, including smartphones and tablets.
These are just a few examples of top PCB manufacturers in the industry. Other notable companies include PCBWay, Jabil, Sanmina, and Tawada.