According to expert manufacturers of PCB, an all-inclusive and robust inspection is a necessity before finishing the assembly process. Are you wondering why thorough checking is mandatory? Well, it can uncover all the defects that tend to remain hidden. In doing so, the assembler, the company, and the customer can save precious time. Furthermore, repairing a defective Rigid Printed Circuit Board is always more expensive. Here you’ll learn the inspection process, which is of four types. The first one involves doing it manually. The second one is an automated process that incorporates using an optical system for image capturing. The third and fourth inspection methods utilize X-ray machines to uncover defects.
The defects uncovered
So, what kind of defects do PCBs suffer from? Footprint errors, for starters, are common. Boards with complex designs may have various types of ICs with multiple footprints. A designer has to download the required footprints from a CAD library when designing the board. If the library lacks the right footprint, there’s a possibility of downloading the wrong one. With a manual inspection or AOI, it’s possible to uncover this defect because it’s usually present on the bottom or top surface. Another defect worth mentioning is a buried via. Complex boards use several layers of blind and buried vias to create interconnections with layers. Board fabricators need to resort to X-ray inspection strategies to look for this problem, as manual or AOI processes won’t do the trick.
The benefits
Several advantages come with Rigid Flexible PCB inspections. Checking the PCBs ensure firm control over the grade of the assembly. A stage of assessment at the right moment in the assembly chain can aid the throughput of the PCB production. For example, if a specific defect becomes recurrent, the operator can alter the procedure parameters to stop it from happening again. Sometimes, including an inspection stage in an already smooth production line may seem like an impediment. It may also include the overall expenses incurred by the business. However, if you compare the time and cost involvement of the inspection stage with rectifying a problem in the future, you’ll notice a significant difference.
Final words
Inspecting a PCB in every step of the manufacturing process will help to ensure the settings are correct. It’ll also ensure that the fabricators adhere to the appropriate process parameters for achieving quality consistency throughout the production line. In the absence of an appropriate inspection protocol, defective products will end up in the OEM. Eventually, they’ll reach the market and get flagged as flawed products. Other than leading to expensive recalls, it’ll affect the reputation of the company that manufactures them.
