The usage of PCBs are Reliable
printed circuit boards are mechanical elements that are usually found in all electronic devices and are connected through printed wires or circuits which are made up of copper and conductors which are printed on the surface of a board also called as substrate. The PCB is not a very expensive part in any device; it is very reliable and makes the device work with efficiency.
Hole and Surface Mount Technology
The components on such board are connected to the circuits with the help of two methods:
The first method is the 'hole technology' method. Here we find that each component is built with thin wires and these are pushed in through small holes in the surface or substrate. The component is then attached to the connection pads which are then attached to the circuits on the other side of the board. The components are soldered together to keep it in its place. In the place of contacts glue or flux are applied to hold the components together.
The second method is the 'surface mount technology'. In this method there is no need of drilling holes on the board, but the placements must be very accurate. The other type of circuits is the integrated circuit or the microchip. An IC is a small microscopic path of electronic components which are planted or printed on the surface of the chip of silicon material. It is an integrated circuit because all the components and circuits are intergraded together out of one single silicon piece.
Different Materials Used
The printed circuits are also made out of different materials. The following are some of the materials that are used to inbuilt a printed circuit board:
The conductor's layers are made of copper foil, and the copper is very thin. The insulators are put together with epoxy resin. Other materials used are the Phenolic cotton paper, cotton paper and epoxy, woven glass and epoxy and matte glass.
Who uses Prototype Printed Circuit Boards?
The printed circuits boards are packed individually in protected packages which keep them damage free and they are well stored. They are specially kept away is storage for shipment purpose.
If the circuits are produced for immediate purpose or by any electronic company then the whole board gets into another process or follows another manufacturing process. For example, for a television company the circuit board is considered as a raw material and thus the production of these circuit boards are not its complete production process until the whole television is not manufactured.
Quality Control
The quality check is one the major processes in the production. Quality check and quality control is done through the usage of a special automated machine. These machines detect flaws by visual and electrical inspections. Some of the flaws or mistakes are as follows:
· Misplacement of different parts or components.
· Too much of soldering done on a particular area.
· Excess reflow of the solder during the process, etc.
The circuit boards then undergo an environment test, during this test the capability and the performance power of the circuit is tested, whether it can resist the humidity, heat and other extremes of the environment. The whole test is conduct so that the circuit boards meet the desired functional requirements.
Safety Considerations
In the processing and manufacturing of circuit boards there are few materials used which are toxic and hazardous to human being; for instance, the usage of lead to make electrical connectors on the printed circuit board. The fumes that which comes out of the solder are very unhealthy, therefore the full operation is carried out in a safe and close environment with all safety required. The fumes are then carefully discharged in the atmosphere without causing much problem.
Recycling
As we know that electronics when disposed carelessly can cause great hazards, therefore proper methods and measures are taken for the disposal of unused or waste. The materials are mostly used for recycling purposes and thus a lot of these electronics are reused for the same or other purpose.
Cross Section of a Printed Circuit Board
Printed circuit boards are mechanically made parts which are found in all electronics and other mechanical devices. Printed circuit boards are also called PCB, PWB and PCA; where PWB stands for printed wired board and PCA stands for printed circuit assembly.
Three Major Forms of Printed Circuit Boards
These circuit boards are used for connecting different electronic components in any electronic device with mechanical as well as electrical support. The circuit board contains pathways along the board which is plated with copper and electrical conductors. It is a flat surface with printed wirings and circuits running along a path way. The surface is also called substrate which is also the plate or the main body of this element.
Printed circuits boards are constructed and classified into three major forms:
The first being the single-sided - the single-sided boards are printed only on one side of the substrate and the other side has no electrical components.
The double-sided - it is only when the components are too small for a single sided board then the double sided boards are brought into use.
The multi-layered boards - here the printed substrate is separated from the insulation. The components are connected through holes made on the plates for connectivity.
PCB found in wide range of Products
It is found in all kinds of electronic device ranging from computer sets to music system, and it's also found in small devices like cell phones, pager, calculators etc.
The most important element in Devices
Every mechanical device in this new technological world is built with this component in it. Circuit boards are one of the most important elements that are found in small devices, this is because of compatibility. Its unique feature of printed circuits on the substrate has made it easy for all small devices to come into existence. With the use of a printed circuit we can reduce space and thus can fit this element into any small or big device accordingly.
