Base2 Electronics has a great post describing a detailed virtual walkthrough of the facilities and processes of Advanced Circuits (AC), a PCB manufacturer. For geek heads like us this is better than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Way better. We could lose ourselves in a facility like this for days on end!
The entire production process is like a smooth well oiled machine: Two-layer PCBs start as copper-clad board stock. They are then drilled in CNC drills and machined to remove burs and abrasions. The next step is an electroless chemical plating. This is followed by the application of a smooth photoresist. Next comes the electrochemical copper plating. This is followed by chemical etching, application of a soldermask and curing. The penultimate step is the application of the silkscreen overlay with printers and baking them. Finally, the individual PCBs are cut out of their production panels, inspected, and tested. We’ve covered ultrasonic cleaning of PCBs earlier. It is only within the context of the overall process you realize the critical role the ultrasonic cleaner plays in ensuring quality.
