How can electronic assembly manufacturing professionals overcome today’s most common PCB assembly challenges? Circuit board production is a complex process, so encountering issues now and then is inevitable. With a few key problem solving strategies, electronics manufacturers can resolve the top six challenges facing the manufacturing process
1. Supply Chain Shortages and Delays
One of the most common PCB assembly challenges today is supply chain issues. Many manufacturers continue to struggle with sourcing and component availability. This can lead to higher manufacturing costs, production delays and reduced throughput.
Perpetually high demand is only making the situation more urgent. Industry leaders expect the global chip shortage to last through 2024, despite the fact that many electronics manufacturers are operating at maximum capacity.
The sheer complexity of modern supply chain issues makes them difficult to resolve, but a few tactics can help. Manufacturers should prioritize minimizing waste as much as possible. Each defective unit is a costly mistake when components and supplies are hard to come by.
Additionally, electronics assembly manufacturing is increasingly testing out recycled building materials. The world produced over 53 million metric tons of electronic waste in 2020, but some of these wasted components and materials could be recycled and reused. Manufacturers should consider implementing recycling and reclamation programs to reduce reliance on new materials.
2. Design and Production Defects
Many industry veterans in electronics assembly manufacturing know the frustration of trying to produce a poorly designed PCB. Improper spacing, inadequate clearances and poorly arranged components can make some PCBs more susceptible to defects. These designs have traits that make production errors harder to prevent, leading to more waste.
Resolving some PCB assembly challenges requires collaborating with product designers, which is certainly the case here. Manufacturers have a unique level of expertise on what makes a well-designed PCB. Product designers who are new to the industry may not realize they are making mistakes that cause issues in manufacturing.
By opening a dialogue between manufacturers and product designers, common PCB design issues can be prevented. Manufacturers can also require tighter tolerances and requirements on key PCB design elements, such as requiring a certain amount of space between components.
3. Poor Thermal Management
Poor thermal management can result in low-quality electronics that fail to meet their full potential. This is especially true today, as consumers’ computing needs intensify. PCBs need to be able to manage heavy processing loads without overheating and bottlenecking performance.
This might seem like a design issue at first glance. It certainly can be, but manufacturing also plays an important role. For example, one of the most common causes of PCB overheating is poor component placement, which often falls on the manufacturer. Similarly, using the wrong or low-quality materials in production can hinder a PCB’s thermal performance.
Of course, a PCB’s design plays a major role in how it manages heat. Communicating with the product designer will help resolve this issue. Manufacturers can also take precautions to minimize the likelihood of poor thermal performance in their PCBs — for example, only source materials from trusted suppliers.
As challenging as supply chain issues can be, manufacturers should not sacrifice quality for price. Most consumers understand the reality that prices may go up due to supply chain issues. Manufacturers should usually opt to pay a bit more for high-quality components rather than risking PCB performance.
It may be helpful to implement AI-powered quality control to improve screening for improperly placed components. Computer vision algorithms are highly effective for QC applications. The speed of these systems allows manufacturers to add more QC inspections without slowing down production.
4. Solder Quality Control
Solder is one type of material that can factor into a PCB’s thermal performance and overall quality. Solder issues are among the most common and varied PCB assembly challenges. Low-quality solder joints can lead to defective PCBs, poor performance, poor heat management and other quality issues.
A wide variety of factors can cause poor solder quality, so manufacturers may need to use some trial and error. A few key troubleshooting tactics can help identify and resolve common issues. For example, reducing drill speed can help prevent solder voids by improving the quality of drilled holes on PCBs. Similarly, manufacturers can shift away from water-soluble solder paste to reduce the risk of oxidation — a common cause of solder defects.
Analyze the climate conditions inside the manufacturing space, as well. High heat or humidity can tamper with solder paste and flux behavior, causing defects and poor joints. Reducing humidity also removes excess moisture from the air, which can help prevent solder oxidation.
5. Balancing Durability and Sustainability
Sustainability is a top concern in all manufacturing areas today — especially considering persisting supply chain issues. Minimizing waste is good for the environment and helps reduce reliance on raw materials. Many manufacturers want to help by producing more sustainable products, but it can be difficult to balance that with durability.
Unfortunately, electronic assembly manufacturing relies on many materials — such as metals and plastics — that are difficult to recycle. Biodegradable alternatives are often not an option, since they lack the chemical durability necessary for electronics. However, manufacturers may still be able to take steps to improve sustainability. One innovative solution is 3D printing.
Using additive manufacturing for PCB assembly virtually eliminates waste since 3D printers only use the amount of material needed. 3D printing can also make it easier to produce small, irregular or complex PCBs that are prone to errors with conventional manufacturing methods. Some additive manufacturing methods even remove the need for solder by printing with conductive materials.
6. PCB Size, Shape and Complexity
Some PCBs are simply challenging to manufacture by design. Electronic assembly manufacturing equipment is often built for standard square and rectangular PCBs. Layouts that use irregular shapes can be challenging for conventional equipment to handle properly.
Unusually small circuit boards can also pose a problem. The likelihood of manufacturing errors increases as the size of a PCB decreases. In line with Moore’s Law, semiconductor chips have rapidly reduced in size over the past few decades. They are reaching a point where they simply cannot get any smaller.
Tiny, irregularly shaped PCBs can be challenging to produce, but cutting-edge technologies can help. Automation may be the key to success moving forward. Robots can handle tiny, delicate electronic components with more precision than humans. Soft robotic grippers can be especially helpful for assembling fragile PCBs. In the future, 3D printing could take over tiny PCB manufacturing.
Overcoming PCB Assembly Challenges
Electronic assembly manufacturing can encounter numerous hiccups and issues, ranging from supply chain delays to poorly designed products. With a bit of innovation and a few problem-solving tactics, electronics manufacturers can resolve today’s most common production issues. Collaborating with product designers and component suppliers can make a big difference in tackling these challenges, as well.