The whole rigid pcb manufacturing process

Each kind of circuit board will follow a specific procedure to manufacture, so will the rigid pcb. Next, we will discuss each step in the whole rigid pcb manufacturing process.

Material preparation:

The process starts with exposed production boards. They are cleaned with chemicals before they are sent for photoresist coating. In general, automatic conveyor lines are used to transport multiple pieces. The purpose of this is to ensure that the plates are not damaged in any way. This step is also performed to ensure a fast manufacturing process.

Pattern of exposure circuit:

Once the panel is coated with photoresist, various circuit drawings are placed on the board. This process is performed by exposing the circuit board to ultraviolet light to help transfer circuit images to the production panel. The process can be carried out on one or both sides of the circuit board.

Etching:

After transferring the circuit pattern to the board, the next step is etching. Here, the circuit pattern is chemically etched onto the board. This process is performed by specialized processing equipment and automated chemical etching machines.

Drilling:

After etching the circuit pattern onto the board, the next step is to drill holes in the circuit pattern. It is important that the hole to be drilled must be of a specific size and conform to the exact specifications. Typically, PCB manufacturers use two types of devices to perform this process. A dedicated drilling machine with multiple drilling mechanisms can be used to create holes on multiple plates. They also use laser drills to get clean, accurate holes in a very short time.

Copper plating:

After drilling, the plate can now be copper plated. This is where extra copper is applied to the board to create layer to layer interconnects. To this end, manufacturers use automated copper plating systems. They plated copper on the through hole.

Overlay application:

For protection and performance, the PCB is covered with a laminate. Polyimide coating is one of the popular choices for rigid pcb. This process involves aligning and holding the laminate in place. This process can be performed manually or automatically.

Overburden layer pressure:

After aligning and fixing the overlay, you now need to laminate it onto the board. Place the plate in a special laminator. These machines combine vacuum, heat and pressure. This ensures that the laminate is properly bonded to the board.

Stiffener application:

This is an optional step performed by the PCB manufacturer. However, most designs do use this component. Stiffeners are supporting components used to prevent lamination to prevent movement or loosening. Usually, the reinforcement is applied before the cladding process. They adhere to the plate by heating, vacuum or pressure.

Installation:

After all components and lamination are completed, the PCB needs to be assembled. In general, electroplated through-hole (PTH) mounting technology is used for rigid pcb. In this process, the lead wire of the assembly passes through the drill hole. The leads are then soldered to a pad on the other side of the board.

Test:

For a PCB to be considered suitable for application, it must meet the requirements of the following test procedures – Electrical, AOI and functional. The electrical test includes the use of a flying pin tester to ensure that all electrical connections (e.g. short circuit, open circuit and capacitance) of the PCB are working properly. Automatic optical inspection (AOI) involves the use of an optical imaging system to check PCB faults as well as welding and assembly defects. Functional testing is the last step. The function tester confirms that there are no defects in the PCB hardware.

These are the basic steps to produce rigid pcb. These PCBs can be constructed as single-layer, double-layer and multi-layer. In order for a PCB to meet all the requirements of an application, it is important to provide the PCB manufacturer with detailed information about the application. This will enable him to design the PCB according to your needs.