SMT Placement Machine Sensors: Key Process and Quality Checks Why Sensors Define a Modern Placement Machine An SMT placement machine is only as trustworthy as the sensors inside it. Every cycle, the machine moves its placement head across the board at high speed, picks components from feeders, and sets them…

Conformal Coating Inspection: Practical Process Controls Why Conformal Coating Needs Inspection Conformal coating is applied to printed circuit boards in many applications to protect them from physical impact, moisture, dust, and corrosion in harsh environments, where an unprotected board can fail after only months of service. In some applications the…

Industrial PCB Assembly Guide: From Design to Repeatable Production What Is an Industrial PCB Assembly? An industrial PCB assembly is a printed circuit board that has been designed and built for equipment used in factories, energy systems, process control, instrumentation, and robotics. In short, any PCB that serves the industrial…

From Bare PCB to PCBA: The Complete Process Guide What Does “Bare PCB to PCBA” Mean? A bare PCB is a printed circuit board that has been manufactured with its copper traces, pads, solder mask, and silkscreen but carries no electronic components. It is the empty foundation of every electronic…

SMT Processing Plant Equipment: Complete Guide to SMT Line Setup What Is an SMT Processing Plant? An SMT processing plant is a factory facility that assembles printed circuit boards with SMT PCB assembly technology. Surface mount components are placed directly onto pads on the board and soldered in place, which…

False Soldering in PCBA: A Practical Manufacturing Guide What Is False Soldering in PCBA? False soldering, also called cold soldering or a cold solder joint, is a condition in which a component appears to be correctly attached to the board but the solder has not formed a real metallurgical bond…

Via Capping PCB Guide: A Practical Manufacturing Guide What Is Via Capping on a PCB? Via capping, also called plated over filled via (POFV) or via cap plating, is a PCB fabrication technique in which a drilled and filled via is covered with a thin electroplated copper layer so that…

Resin Filled Via PCB Guide: Design and Assembly Considerations What a Resin Filled Via Is A resin filled via is a plated through hole that has been completely packed with insulating epoxy instead of being left hollow. Vias are the vertical tunnels that connect the layers of a multilayer board,…

SMT Placement Accuracy and Machine Maintenance Guide SMT placement accuracy depends on the CAD library, component placement rules, machine calibration, and maintenance. A component cannot be placed correctly if its footprint is wrong or if the placement machine is not aligned. Accuracy must be planned during design and protected during…

SMT solenoid valve maintenance and PNP Camera Maintenance Guide SMT solenoid valve maintenance and PNP camera calibration keep a placement machine accurate and reliable. The solenoid valve controls the compressed air used by cylinders, vacuum nozzles, and other moving parts. The PNP camera system positions components and reads fiducial marks.…