Top advantages of Turnkey PCB Assembly for entrepreneurs!

By | Date posted: | Last updated: September 4, 2024
Turnkey PCB Assembly

Simply put, turnkey PCB assembly refers to the PCB partner offering end-to-end services right from procurement of parts to shipping of the final finished product. From the point of view of sheer logistics, saving of time and energy, the importance of this service cannot be overstated. However, particularly for entrepreneurs the service is invaluable.

Here are some of the advantages of turnkey PCB assembly services that entrepreneurs can benefit from:

Product Quality

First up, as an entrepreneur what you are looking for is a high-quality PCB that can do justice to the final product or device that you are launching. There is no way you would want to sacrifice the quality of the boards, which in turn can cost you your reputation. With miniaturization ruling the roost, you particularly need an experienced vendor who can do justice to high-density boards. With turnkey PCB assembly you are assured of getting high-quality boards as the entire onus rests on the service provider. Not only do you not have to deal with multiple vendors, there is also the added advantage of there being no communication loss in dealing with multiple touch points.

PCB Prototypes

As an entrepreneur, odds are that you need product prototypes to be able to explore your idea before investing time and money in developing it as also to present a minimum viable product to investors. A big advantage that turnkey PCB Assembly, USA, offers is that it can identify any problems early. These may be by way of design concerns, which if spotted late can prove to be very costly. With turnkey services, not only do you stand to reap the advantages of correcting any mistake early, but also establishing design practices that can be a good benchmark for the future.

Saves Time

With a single vendor taking care of all issues, the production time is controlled. Firstly, you do not have to spend precious time hunting for components. The time thus saved, can be used in many other productive issues that need your attention. The time saving is also on account of the fact that you have a single point of contact. This means that you do not have to deal with the ripple effect of delays, which is typically the case when you deal with multiple vendors. Also, there is likely to be no generation loss in communication since you aren’t dealing with multiple stakeholders.

Cost efficient Turnkey PCB Assembly

What turnkey PCB also brings to the table is cost efficiency, which is extremely valuable for an entrepreneur. Should you decide to go the route of sourcing components on your own, for example, you are not likely to get the economies of scale that a turnkey PCB Assembly USA is likely to enjoy. You will also have to deal with individual shipping costs that may push your total cost, northwards.

What turnkey providers also help you with is efficient financial planning as they can offer you accurate quotes, promptly.

Custom PCBs

Contrary to popular belief, turnkey PCB assembly does not follow a cookie-cutter approach. Instead, turnkey assembly are well-poised to offer you products that are customized to your unique requirements.

Summing up
To sum up, entrepreneurs, therefore, have a lot to benefit from turnkey PCB services. Right from offering speed to optimal costs to custom products, a turnkey PCB assembly service can bring you complete peace of mind, as you know that a single vendor is fully accountable. That it also leaves you with the time and energy to deal with myriad issues in your entrepreneurial role, is an added perk! Whether you are an entrepreneur who is just starting out or someone who is scaling up operations, there is no way you would not want to make use of turnkey services.

At Technotronix, we have over 4 decades of experience in offering high-quality custom boards. Our state-of-the-art machinery and experienced manpower can offer you products that are way ahead of the curve. Additionally, we have a huge vendor network when it comes to sourcing components. What that means for you, is that we offer you high quality products with a quick turnaround time and at optimal costs. A range of clients across industries have gained a competitive edge with our turn key PCB Assembly, California with our consistent delivery of high-quality, on-time, price-competitive products. To know more, please explore our Turnkey PCB Assembly!

What is the Importance of HALT and HASS Test Methodologies for Telecom PCB Assemblies?

By | Date posted: | Last updated: April 14, 2021
PCB Assemblies

When it comes to PCB Assembly, the importance of robust testing cannot be overstated as the efficacy of the final product depends on the PCB. In the case of PCBs used in the telecom industry, they need to go through vigorous testing through procedures known as:

  • Highly Accelerated Life Tests or HALT
  • Highly Accelerated Stress Screens or HASS

Here is a quick overview on what exactly these testing procedures are as well as why the PCB Contract Manufacturer must make use of them.

The importance of HALT & HASS testing in the telecom PCB assemblies

Speaking of the telecom industry, harsh environmental conditions are a given! That has an implication on a wide range of things including the testing mechanism. If PCB functional testing is conducted in a standard environment, which does not imitate the actual environmental conditions, high failure rates may result. It is on account of this that HALT & HASS methodologies are extremely popular. While traditional testing may take a long period to reveal any issues, with these two tests, not only will the results be fast but also accurate. Together HALT & HASS are often also called Accelerated Stress Testing, for this is exactly what it is doing, testing the PCB telecom equipment under stress conditions.

HALT Testing

With HALT Testing, any flaws in the following can be brought to light:

  • Product Design
  • Selection of components
  • Manufacturing issues

Through out the HALT test, the levels of stress are increased. These stressors can be by way of:

  • Changes in temperature
  • Vibration

In fact, these stressors are increased until an actual failure happens. It is then easy to determine how much above the actual stress level in which the equipment will operate, has the failure occurred.

HASS Testing

HASS testing can be effectively used to determine any manufacturing flaws in the PCB telecommunication product. In fact, the goals of HASS testing are similar to the HALT testing, except that in this case a limited number of tests are run to figure out any manufacturing defects.

What are some of the things the PCB Contract Manufacturer should do?

In order to conduct HALT & HASS testing on the circuit board, a PCB Contract Manufacturer needs to have a comprehensive testing plan in place. The broad framework of this testing plan includes having the testing specifications in place as also detailing the testing procedures and then incorporating it into the process flow. With the plan in place, the next step is to have the testing as a part of the overall PCB build documentation.

What is also important is the contract manufacturer has the right environmental chamber, whereby the tests can be conducted. It is in such a chamber where the different control parameters can be varied. Sometimes the contract manufacturer will also need to tie up with a third-party tester. This could mean several things- first that larger number of boards can be tested and importantly also that larger board sizes can be catered to.

It is also fairly important to deal with a contract manufacturer that has experience of working in the telecom industry. Such a contract manufacturer will be able to execute the HALT & HASS testing better. Additionally, he will be equipped with the right resources to execute these tests. Also, with an experienced manufacturer what you stand to gain is testing and documentation processes that are already in place.

Our “Customer First” approach also means that we keep you informed at every stage and that we have a strong support team in place that ensures that all communication is clear and concise.

When you partner with Technotronix, you benefit from our state-of-the-art technology, advanced engineering as well as our service-led approach that always has the customer at its heart.

At Technotronix, we have over 4 decades of industry experience. Importantly, we have dealt with a wide range of telecom providers. We are therefore well-poised to understand the various issues than plague the industry and how robust testing can help overcome these issues. We make sure that once we arrive at the configuration required for your product, no changes are made in the process of production. That way you can rest assured that the final product will meet the bespoke needs. To know more, please explore our PCB assembly services for Telecommunication Industry!

Why is Process Control Measurement essential to stop defects in SMT PCB Assembly?

By | Date posted: | Last updated: May 28, 2021
SMT PCB Assembly

The integrity of Printed Circuit Boards is crucial to ensure the reliability of the electronic product. To this end, process control measurement has to be implemented to optimize the SMT PCB Assembly. This will ensure that costly errors aren’t found at a later date, which could result in a high failure rate of products and cost the electronics manufacturer its reputation.

SMT Process Control for PCB Assembly, essentially involves putting some robust processes in place in the printing, mounting as well as reflow soldering phase.

Let us dive into them in some detail of SMT Soldering Defects for SMT PCB Assembly:

Solder paste printing

Prior to SMT printing, it is imperative to check for the following:

  • There is no deformation in the boards and that the surface is smooth.
  • There isn’t any oxidation in the circuit board pads.
  • There isn’t any copper exposure on board surfaces.

When it comes to solder paste printing, the following additional issues need to be watched out for:

  • The boards shouldn’t be stacked vertically and there should be no collision of boards.
  • Fiducial marks on the board should tally with the location holes on the stencil.
  • There needs to be a thorough visual inspection. It is recommended that in such visual inspection the distance between the eye and the board should be between 30-45 cm.
  • The temperature during administration of the solder paste should be in the region of25°C and relative humidity in the range of 35-75% for optimal results.
  • It needs to be ensured that the solder paste being used is valid and hasn’t expired.
  • In case you are using a newly opened solder paste as well an old one, a good mix will be a ratio of 3:1.
  • You need to ensure that no bridging is seen on printing.
  • It is imperative that the thickness of the printing is uniform.
  • The stencil needs to be cleaned so it doesn’t have any dried flux.

Chip mounting

This is a fairly crucial step that needs a high degree of accuracy.

Some of the aspects to watch out for during this stage, include:

  • SMDs need to be compatible with the design files.
  • Debugging needs to be accurately implemented on the chip mounter.
  • Control instruction signal and its editing should be undertaken with care.
  • You need to analyze the logical relationship between the transmission parts.
  • The operating process needs to be clarified.
  • There needs to be a proper maintenance schedule to ensure that the equipment is in good shape and errors do not start to occur on account of the state of the equipment.

Reflow soldering

This process essentially involves attaching SMDs to the board. Essentially with the rising temperature, the solder paste melts and with the cooling temperature, the components are stuck to the board.

Some of the PCB process control aspects to watch out for in this phase, include:

  • Setting the right temperature curve and doing some real time testing to avoid errors.
  • Vibration can play havoc during the process of soldering and hence needs to be avoided.
  • The solder joints need to be in a semilunar shape.
  • There should not be any residue or soldering balls on the surface of the circuit board.
  • There shouldn’t be any bridging or pseudo soldering.
  • The soldering joints should be smooth.

SMT PCB Assembly requires that an effective manufacturing quality control plan is put in place. The above tips will go a long way in ensuring that defects are minimized and that SMT Assembly manufacturing is optimized. Check out the guide on how to speed up the PCB Production Time Using SMT PCB.

At Technotronix, we are highly cognizant of the above processes. With our attention to detail and over 4 decades of experience, what we offer to you are high quality products. A large portfolio of satisfied clients stand testimony to our consistent delivery of high-quality, on-time, price-competitive products. If you are looking for progressive SMT PCB Assembly solutions, you are at the right place. All you need to do is to reach out to us and have complete peace of mind, which comes from knowing that people manufacturing your product are experts in their domain! To know more, please explore our PCB Assembly Services!

How Boundary-Scan Testing is Beneficial for PCB Assembly?

By | Date posted: | Last updated: April 8, 2021
Boundry Scan Testing

When it comes to PCB assembly testing, it is quite common to look at it like an added expenditure as opposed to viewing it as an essential quality control measure that makes a significant value addition to the final product. Even before looking at how boundary-scan is beneficial for PCB Assembly testing, it is important to answer the question of why one needs to undertake PCB Assembly testing in the first place.

The answer to why test, simply lies in the fact that it is the only way to ensure a quality product. Instead of looking at it as an expense, therefore, it needs to be looked at as a mechanism that saves the company costly mistakes at a later date, which in turn, can cost time, money and importantly company reputation. Inadequate testing can on the other hand lead to faulty products reaching the end consumer which may need replacement, may need to be recalled, can lead to irreversible dents to company reputation and even lead to costly lawsuits.

What is imperative is that the right amount of PCB Functional testing is ascertained so that you are sure of the quality of the product, without the testing costs, skyrocketing. The amount of testing can of course, vary across industries. Mission-critical operations, for example, will require extensive testing while there could be some industries where a certain amount of product defects could be acceptable.

Main elements of PCB Assembly testing

PCB Assembly Boundry Scan

There are three aspects that need thorough evaluation, when we speak of the testing process. These include:

  • Structural devices
  • Structural connections
  • Functional connections

To test all these three aspects, a number of testing methodologies can be utilized:

  • Visual Testing
  • Automating optical inspection
  • X-Ray inspection
  • In-circuit testing
  • JTAG boundary-scan
  • Customized testing software

It is imperative that the testing methodology employed, can cover a whole spectrum of potential fault categories so that a defect coverage score can be ascertained. This largely involves an approach popularly called PCOLA/SOQ/FAM. Essentially this is an end-to-end approach that covers the entire spectrum of testing as below:

PCOLA
This part deals with the structural devices and relies on visual testing. An acronym for Presence, Correctness, Orientation, Live and Alignment, it studies all these aspects carefully to ensure there are no defects found.

SOQ
Unlike PCOLA, which relies on visual testing, this part relies on electrical testing methods. SOQ is an acronym for Shorts, Opens and Quality and undertakes connectivity tests so that there is no issue with the electrical connection.

FAM
This aspect refers to functional testing and checks for Features, At-speed and Measurement. These tests are therefore able to ensure that the system functions as per set benchmarks.

The relevance of Boundary-Scan for PCB Assembly

In the interest of cost, it is imperative to figure out which testing methodologies need to be used, which cover this entire spectrum. This is where boundary-scan becomes extremely relevant. The big advantages with boundary scan are as below:

  • It is extremely relevant when physical access is limited
  • It covers a significant portion of the PCOLA/SOQ/FAM spectrum and therefore offers breadth of coverage
  • On account of its vast coverage, it takes away the need for other structural testing methods and thereby saves cost.
  • It is far less cost intensive than methods like ICT, for example, which among other things require test fixture and equipment maintenance. While JTAG boundary-scan does need costs such as equipment, training, labour expenses etc. it still works out to be far more optimal as far as overall cost is concerned.
  • It offers low test time, which in today’s day of intense competition is a huge advantage as it leads to quicker time-to-market.
  • Needless to mention that it comes with product yield increase, which is the very purpose of testing.

In choosing the testing method, it is imperative that various aspects are taken into consideration. These include the coverage provided, the cost incurred and more. It is on all of these parameters that boundary-scan stands out. It offers both versatility and affordability. Little surprise then that it is one of the most popular methods when it comes to PCB Assembly testing.

Technotronix is one of the leading printed circuit board manufacturers based in the USA. We have over 4 decades of experience in providing innovative PCB manufacturing services using modern technologies and latest machinery. We are adhering to strict high-quality standards and compliant with the RoHS quality management system. To know more, please explore our PCB assembly services!