Plating Rack Insulation: 4 Signs the Coating Has Failed Plating rack insulation is the dielectric layer that covers every part of a rack except the contact points, and it exists so that current flows to the panels rather than to the frame. Where the coating is intact, the metal underneath…

Chip-Out at PCB Edges: Router Bit and Feed Control Chip-out is the mechanical loss of resin and glass fibres from the edge of a board when the outline is cut, leaving a notch, a ragged lip or a small crater where the laminate should be solid. It shows up on…

PCB Quality Agreement Plan: Laying It Out First Electronics manufacturing has become a discipline of small details. Solder paste volumes, placement accuracy, temperature profiles and inspection limits all add up to the final result. This guide looks at PCB quality agreement plan from the perspective of a PCBA factory floor,…

Copper Thickness Coupon: 4 Rules for Panel Placement A copper thickness coupon is the sample that travels through plating with the panel so that the deposit can be measured without destroying the product. Where that coupon sits on the panel decides what the number means, because the copper does not…

Biased HAST Testing: Humidity Bias Reliability for PCBAs Biased HAST puts a powered assembly into a saturated steam environment and holds it there, typically at 130 C and 85 percent relative humidity, until an insulation failure appears or the test is complete. It compresses months of damp heat exposure into…

PCB Quality Agreement Data: What the Numbers Say Modern electronics depend on boards that are assembled correctly the first time. Every product – a phone, a charger, a medical instrument or an industrial controller – relies on thousands of solder joints that must conduct current for years. This article explains…

Pad Lift in PCB Assembly: Causes, Tests and Prevention Pad lift is the separation of a copper pad from the laminate beneath it, leaving the pad attached only by the plating of its via or by nothing at all. It appears after reflow, after wave soldering or after a repair,…

PCB Quality Agreement Limits: Where the Edges Are Electronics manufacturing has become a discipline of small details. Solder paste volumes, placement accuracy, temperature profiles and inspection limits all add up to the final result. This guide looks at PCB quality agreement limits from the perspective of a PCBA factory floor,…

Plating Bath Specific Gravity: 4 Limits of the Hydrometer Plating bath specific gravity is the density of the working solution compared with the density of water, and it is the fastest chemical check available on the line. A sample is drawn, a hydrometer floats in it, and the reading tells…

PCB Quality Agreement Maintenance: Keeping It Working Modern electronics depend on boards that are assembled correctly the first time. Every product – a phone, a charger, a medical instrument or an industrial controller – relies on thousands of solder joints that must conduct current for years. This article explains PCB…