Blog

Uncover the latest PCB innovations, expert insights, and industry trends with PCBX's comprehensive blog. Stay ahead of the curve in PCB design, manufacturing, and assembly.

Printed circuit board Blog - PCBX

PCB Design

The PCB Design Resource Channel is a worthwhile location that provides electronic engineers and designers with top-notch resources and tools to design printed circuit boards. In this section, the latest guides in design, tutorial videos, software tools, example projects, and best practices are organized together for reference on how best to go about optimizing the design process for better work efficiency and product quality.

PCB Design - PCB Expert Manufacturing - PCBX

PCB Resources

Your comprehensive PCB knowledge resource. Explore in-depth guides on PCB design, material selection, fabrication techniques, and industry trends. Empower your PCB expertise today! 

PCB Resources - PCB Expert Manufacturing - PCBX

PCBA Resources

PCBX: Master the art of PCB assembly. Delve into expert guides on PCB assembly processes, techniques, and quality control procedures. Elevate your PCB assembly skills now! 

PCBA Resources - PCB Expert Manufacturing - PCBX

In the high-speed world of printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing, precision comes in handy, especially when dealing with intricate designs packed with components of varying sizes and heights. With these needs head-on, step stencils are a valuable resource in ensuring successful assembly and optimal production outcomes.<h3>What Are Step Stencils?</h3>Step stencils or multi-level stencils are advanced tools used in surface mount technology (SMT) assembly for dispensing solder paste on PCBs. Unlike normal stencils with uniform thickness, step stencils have varying thicknesses thoughtfully planned throughout their field for fitting diverse component profiles. They accomplish this variation through precision methods such as laser cutting and etching.The requirement for step stencils arises due to the nature of complex modern PCBs, which tend to have multiple components from small 0201 resistors up to big connectors or ball grid arrays (BGAs) on one board. Uniform distribution of solder paste may lead to insufficient coverage over large components and too much coverage over small components. Step stencils customize paste volumes per component size, removing these risks and enhancing assembly reliability.<img src="https://img.pcbx.com/dev/file/image/article/20250826/d853e12ed892436a971855bd4a6efbd2.png" alt="What Are Step Stencils-PCBX" data-href="" style="width: 100%;"/><h3>Addressing Component Height Variation</h3>As chips shrink and pack more features, printed circuit board layouts also become more elaborate with components that vary in height from small chips to massive connectors. This is a significant problem for solder paste deposition. Smooth-thickness stencils widely used create uneven paste deposition that results in defects such as solder bridging or insufficient paste for more robust joints. Industry studies indicate that up to 60% of SMT assembly defects are caused by improper paste volume.Step stencils effectively eliminate such defects by adjusting the paste deposition over the board. Thicker parts of the stencil deposit larger volumes of paste for larger devices and thin sections deposit only enough for smaller devices, minimizing defects and ensuring uniformity.<h3>How Multi-Level Stencils Work</h3>Multi-step stencils are custom built, with "steps" or regions of diverse thicknesses to cater to the needs of a PCB design. These steps range from as low as 0.1mm for fine-pitch components to as much as 0.25mm or even higher for larger components. During SMT assembly, solder paste is applied by a squeegee onto the stencil positioned above the PCB. Thickness differential of the stencil regulates the flow of paste through each opening, specifically addressing component specifications.Examples:Thin Steps: On fine-pitch components, the stencil releases a minimum amount of paste to avoid bridging.Thick Steps: On larger components like BGAs, to give substantial paste to support strong, reliable solder joints.This tailored treatment works well to manage component height variation and makes step stencils essential for intricate designs with a combination of various component types.<h3>Benefits of Step Stencils in PCB Complexity</h3>Step stencils have numerous benefits for complex PCB design, including:Enhanced Solder Joint Reliability: Through the customization of solder paste volumes for individual components, step stencils significantly reduce the risks of defective joints, as attested to by studies that indicate a 30% decrease in solder joint failure compared to regular stencils.Reduced Defects and Rework: By minimizing paste volumes and preventing common defects like solder bridging and tombstoning, step stencils save money and time in rework.Flexibility to Handle Mixed Technology Boards: Step stencils are able to accommodate surface mount as well as through-hole components on one board, facilitating easier assembly.Cost-Effectiveness: Although higher in initial cost, step stencils can help achieve cost savings in mass production through reduced defects and improved yields.<h3>Applications and Best Practices in PCB Manufacturing</h3>Step stencils are optimally suitable for high-PCB-complexity applications:Consumer Electronics: Offers nearly perfect paste deposition for a wide variety of closely placed components.Automotive Electronics: Suits assembling diverse components in harsh environments.Medical Devices: Critical for assembling high-density boards where the need is high for reliability.Industrial Equipment: Provides flexibility for boards that comprise both large components and fine-pitch ICs.Best Practices:Early cooperation with stencil makers during the design process is important so that the stencil's specifications match the requirements of the board.Aperture designs need to be optimized so that there would be no over-deposition of paste, especially for components with high pitch.Stringent testing and verification must be performed to confirm even paste deposition, employing tools like automated optical inspection (AOI) to enhance stencil designs and parameters.<img src="https://img.pcbx.com/dev/file/image/article/20250826/ddfdc19da31b4ff59a239bc9296d02e1.png" alt="Benefits of Step Stencils in PCB Complexity-PCBX" data-href="" style="width: 100%;">As manufacturers attempt to simplify complex PCB layouts, step stencils become a worthy asset. Step stencils enable manufacturers and engineers to maintain the finest quality and reliability while having control over solder paste at the level of precision. From consumer products to automotive systems, to medical devices, step stencils increase product consistency and manufacturing ease while allowing businesses to meet the rising demands of advanced electronic assemblies.At PCBX, we're dedicated to driving innovation with the latest solutions for complex projects. Step stencils are a great example of the equipment we leverage to ensure your designs come to life, from concept to production. Partner with us to overcome the challenges of modern-day PCB complexity and enhance your assembly quality and efficiency.

Step stencils optimize solder paste for varying component sizes in PCBs, enhancing reliability and reducing defects in complex designs with precision.

Step Stencils in PCB Design

Printed Circuit Boards can be described as the heart of electronic devices since they ensure that all components are well connected to achieve a robust and functional unit. While much focus is put on the electronic aspects of PCBs, relating to its layout and other componentry issues, the mechanical stability-assuring materials, such as PCB glue, are equally important. This paper looks at the role, types, and application areas of PCB glue in electronics.PCB glue includes all types of adhesives applied during assembling on printed circuit boards for component fixing, insulation, and increasing stability. These adhesives are designed to handle different environmental conditions that might occur with electronic devices, such as temperature changes, moisture, and mechanical stress.<h3>Functions of PCB Glue</h3>Component Fastening: Among the main tasks of PCB adhesive is to firmly attach components to a board so that they may not readily break free from it. This prevents movements that could result in either disconnections or failures.Vibration Dampening: Most electronic equipment consider vibrations a factor that induces stress in soldered joints. PCB glue acts like a damper, so it absorbs the vibration, which minimizes mechanical failure.Thermal Management: Some PCB glues are designed to support thermal management. They do so by providing a path for the heat to dissipate and maintain operating temperatures at their optimal levels.Electrical Insulation: PCB glue can be used for the insulation of sensitive components. These might help against a short circuit and minimize the risk of electrical failures.<img src="https://img.pcbx.com/dev/file/image/article/20241125/ee34438e03ef4fe590f974693201bbe0.jpg" alt="PCB Glue-PCBX" data-href="" style="width: 100%;"/><h3>Types of PCB Glue</h3>The epoxy adhesives are well known for their excellent bonding qualities, as well as resistance to adverse environmental factors. Epoxy adhesives are used in applications that require high mechanical strengths.Silicone Adhesives: Being flexible and resistant to high temperatures, these adhesives have specific value in applications where thermal expansion and contraction of components are likely or already occur.Acrylic Adhesives: These adhesives provide a balance between strength and flexibility. They are often used for securing components that may need to be reworked or replaced.Polyurethane Adhesives: With their inherent elasticity and resistance to impact, polyurethane adhesives are used in applications where devices are under considerable physical stress.<h3>Selecting PCB Glue</h3>The selection of appropriate PCB glue requires consideration of the following factors:Strength: Assess tensile, shear, and impact needs.Flexibility: Decide if a rigid or flexible bond is required. Temperature Range: Determine maximum operating temperature. Cure Process: Consider heat, UV, or room temperature curing. Dielectric Properties: Consider dielectric strength and resistance. Conductivity: Consider thermal and/or electrical conductivity. Chemical Resistance: Consider resistance to solvents, moisture, etc. Outgassing: This is usually for vacuum or aerospace applications. Reworkability: Decide whether a temporary or removable bond is needed.It is highly recommended to talk about application requirements with suppliers of the glue to find an appropriate adhesive match.<h3>PCB Glue Application Methods</h3>PCB adhesives may be applied by a variety of techniques:Dispensing: Applying dots or lines of precise volumes through needles.Screen Printing: Stencil-based printing of the adhesive.Roller Coating: Thin film coating of adhesive with rollers.Spraying: Aerosol spray application, either free or in confinement.Brushing: Application using a brush.Automatic precision application by dispensing or printing offers consistency with no wasted material.<h3>Quality Control</h3>Reliable PCB bonding requires rigorous quality control:Testing Bond Strength: Conduct destructive tests for each batch.Monitoring Viscosity: Ensure adhesive viscosity is optimal, especially for dispensed adhesives.Controlled Storage: Maintain cold storage within specific temperature ranges.Moisture Avoidance: Protect adhesive from moisture before application.Shelf Life Awareness: Use glue within recommended shelf life.Curing Bonds: Fully cured with thermal or UV cycles.Visual Inspection: Check for complete coverage without voids.Process Parameter Tracking: Time, temperature, and pressureLike soldering, glue requires precise monitoring and control to enable consistent manufacturing quality.<h3>Application of PCB Glue</h3>Consumer Electronics: In smartphones, tablets, and laptops, PCB glue serves to hold small components in place, ensuring durability against frequent handling and movement.Automotive Electronics: PCBs in vehicles face vibrations, changes in temperature, and humidity. PCB glue plays a role in maintaining the integrity of such electronic systems when it comes to extremes.Industrial Equipment: Industrial machinery, along with heavy machinery applications, includes harsh environmental exposure. It holds components fast and provides thermal management for reliable performance.Aerospace and Defense: The fields of aerospace and defense are those where much importance should be given to the reliability of electronic components. In such extreme conditions, PCB glue helps promote durability and stability.<img src="https://img.pcbx.com/dev/file/image/article/20241125/ad3c92e070e24dbc98bd7d34dde50e9a.jpg" alt="PCB Glue-PCBX" data-href="" style="width: 100%;"/>Though small in design, PCB glue could oftentimes be overlooked, yet its importance in securing components and enhancing durability could not be underestimated. From consumer electronics to other mission-critical systems used in aerospace, PCB glue ensures stability and reliability across applications. As technology advances, even more varieties of adhesives will be developed, further integrating the various roles of PCB glue to new challenges and ensure that electronic devices continue to perform optimally. Understanding the various types and their application areas of PCB glue helps designers and engineers make informed choices in selecting the right adhesive for their specific needs.

PCB glue secures and insulates components on PCBs, enhancing stability and durability under various conditions in electronics from consumer to aerospace uses.

PCB Glue

At PCBX, we are excited to introduce our new, integrated platform for the smooth and efficient development of your PCB designs and simulations. Our latest offering is tailored to enhance how you learn better, design better, and prototype better, whether you are a student, hobbyist, or professional. Get ready for the comprehensive ecosystem that takes your ideas to production.<h3>Various Use Cases</h3>Our new functionality is designed to support a wide range of customers and applications:Rapid Prototyping and Experimentation: Our platform extends support to basic circuitry rapid prototyping and experimentation on ideal small projects under active development. Also, these are out-of-the-box projects with all the elements required for turning an idea into a functional prototype quickly.Maker Communities-DIY: The functionality of the platform will be especially useful for enthusiasts and makers in exploring and expanding their range of creative projects. Ease of use and community will ignite the spark of innovation and growth together.Educational platforms: Our tool are suitable for both schools and beginners, since it allows you to teach the fundamentals of electronic circuits and programming, which gives instructors a platform to demonstrate circuit layouts and operations, allowing for a more in-depth knowledge of the concepts.<img src="https://img.pcbx.com/dev/file/image/article/20241101/14e089e8f7ee45eeb0f2f6283b625da9.jpg" alt="PCB Simulation Design-PCBX" data-href="" style="width: 100%;"/><h3>Powerful Toolset and Features</h3>Simulation and EDA Tools: All are provided, from Schematic Capture to PCB Layout, Symbol Creation, and Footprint Design. The simulation tool gives SPICE-like DC, AC, and transient analyses of your designs.Real-Time Feedback: Edit and run code interactively. Simulations update in real-time, creating a smooth interactive environment that lets you iteratively learn and build.Smoothen the PCB Designing Process: Our platform supports everything from simulation right through to prototyping into full production of PCBs, reducing time from concept to reality.Community and Resource Sharing: Access an aggregate of project sharing and learning resources that create collaboration and a supportive environment for for users of all skill levels.User-Friendly Graphical Design Interface: Enjoy the simplicity of drag-and-drop circuit design, making it accessible for those new to PCB design without compromising on advanced functionality.<h3>How Our Simulation Design Tool Can Benefit You</h3>Free Access: With numerous free features, our platform appeals to both beginners and amateurs. This openness allows experimenting without a financial commitment.Real-Time Simulation: Experience quick feedback with real-time simulation features that improve learning and design precision.Collaborative Design Sharing: Share your work with others in an easy way, facilitate team projects, and enable higher community involvement.All-in-One Design to Production Process: Enhance your productivity with integrated EDA and production solutions that reduce design validation and product acceptance time.<img src="https://img.pcbx.com/dev/file/image/article/20241101/0f1a59f10c594c6795c04a0ec5f50bcc.jpg" alt="PCB Simulation Design-PCBX" data-href="" style="width: 100%;"/>PCBX invites you to discover a world of new possibilities with our newest function. Whether it's an educational start, the next Great Prototype, or just incorporating solutions pertinent to current PCB, our tool set may help you unleash your creativity.

PCBX's new platform streamlines PCB design, offering real-time simulations, prototyping, and collaboration tools for students, hobbyists, and professionals.

Introducing PCBX's New Tool: Simplifying PCB Design and Simulation

Design for manufacturability, or DFM, is an important design consideration in a functional, reliable, and testable design that will be efficiently and cost-effectively manufactured. Understanding the basic steps of manufacturing, key cost drivers, and best practices throughout the design process can help an engineer optimize their designs for manufacturability.<h3>Common Cost Drivers in PCB Projects</h3>Several factors can affect the price of a PCB project. First, it will be the size of the board itself, but other influences are how many layers it is, what nonstandard parts are included, whether the board requires special materials, and via sizes for manufacturing and assembly.Material selection will have great variations in cost. Applications such as high voltage or high-frequency designs may require special materials, but projects with different requirements will not take full advantage of costly materials without functional benefits. Substrate material selection would involve parameters concerning thermal performance, electrical characteristics, and layer count. It is also possible to increase the costs by changing the thickness of copper and finishing, which may be required depending on specifics for the targeted application.<h3>Component Selection and Layout Influence on Manufacturability</h3>Hybrid designs have both SMT and THT components, which result in more cost due to different assembly processes. It is better to avoid those hybrids rather than use only SMT design. If the designer is bound to use THT components, then it is better to segregate them from SMT parts on opposite board sides. In a case where THT is on the top and SMT is on both sides, manufacturers charge more because of epoxy consumption during assembly.Annotation is important: parts should be annotated with applicable silkscreen designators, such as type, unique numbers, polarity designators and special pin designators. Good clear annotations make verification and troubleshooting easier to perform after production. Text should be oriented to match component orientation and should not conflict/overlap each other, or IC pin designators will not be readable with chips installed.<img src="https://img.pcbx.com/dev/file/image/article/20241030/5d34a592cdf84d0bb1d20f6e91008868.jpg" alt="Guidelines for DFM in PCB Design-PCBX" data-href="" style="width: 100%;"/><h3>Via Best Practices for DFM</h3>The width of a via should not be closer to any conductor or to a plane edge than the width of that conductor, or there are specific design conditions allowing such placement. Plated vias shall be in a minimum 1:1 aspect ratio with the substrate thickness of the board, as this will ensure adequate copper build-up during fabrication. The annular ring width shall be ample enough to avoid becoming subject to lifting during soldering, and capable of supporting structural integrity during operation, especially when the drill hole may be somewhat eccentric.Clearance between exposed vias not connected to stitched pads and other conductors should be around 0.15"-0.2". Tented or plugged vias are preferred for most design especially on BGA designs where vias are located near the component's solder pads. For other ICs, do not place vias under the chip unless necessary to implement thermal relief to avoid solder wicking that may cause short circuits.<h3>Trace Routing Guidelines and Test Points</h3>Teardrop pads can avoid production issues occurring at thin trace to larger pad and via junctions. Trace necking allows soldering with enough solder joint that might be formed during soldering for long traces or those traces joined with large pads. Fan-outs of traces should be done between two nearest components or nearest pins in order to avoid tombstoning and cold solder joints while soldering.Critical nodes and locations placing test points on the PCB, where they do not crowd, enhance testing and troubleshooting.<h3>Component Placement and Solderability Considerations</h3>When designing for manufacturability, especially with wave soldering processes, orient components for optimal soldering. Larger components should not shadow smaller ones; pins are oriented such that they solder simultaneously as they pass through the molten solder. Consistent orientation of similar components enables efficient assembly. Distribution of devices evenly across the board can be helpful, too, when trying to maintain thermal balance to prevent warping during assembly.<h3>Influence of PCB Classes on DFM</h3>Classes of PCBs define quality and reliability for a particular application, from class 1 all the way up to class 3, with critical applications such as aerospace and medical devices. Class 1 boards are all about cost reduction, whereas class 3 boards have to be extremely stringent with their DFM measures, so their quality and reliability can be of the highest standard.For class 1, there is normally no special DFM requirement, while class 2 requires a master drawing with physical dimensions in it besides coating thickness and board plating. Materials, processing conditions, and design concepts are duly documented under class 3 in order that the most exacting standards may be satisfied.<img src="https://img.pcbx.com/dev/file/image/article/20241030/dfd1cb1993314abba6eb693848c28195.jpg" alt="Guidelines for DFM in PCB Design-PCBX" data-href="" style="width: 100%;"/>DFM is equally an essential discipline in PCB design, focused on functionality, reliability, and effective cost through the manufacturing process. Understanding manufacturing processes, understanding cost drivers, and incorporating best practices during design helps designers optimize for manufacturability. Appropriately sizing, layer count, material selection, component placement, and accounting for PCB class and coupons go a long way in making production successful and efficient. These rules, stressed from the very beginning, will make sure that your PCB designs meet the demands of current technologies and high-performance requirements.

DFM ensures cost-effective PCB design by optimizing size, layers, materials, and components, focusing on manufacturability, reliability, and process efficiency.

PCBX.com Resources

Your source for industry knowledge, news, and expert insights

Latest Posts

Article