PCBgogo

In the electronics manufacturing field, the systematic management of PCBA process knowledge directly affects production efficiency and product reliability. The PCBGOGO technology team has summarized a practical knowledge base construction method through years of practice. This article will share the key experiences.

1. Underlying Architecture Design of the Knowledge Base

Traditional PCBA process knowledge is often scattered in engineers' notes, emails, or verbal communications. PCBGOGO faced similar issues in its early days. We established a three-tier classification system to achieve structured storage:

• Basic Layer: Industry standards such as IPC standards, material properties.

• Case Layer: Typical defect spectra (e.g., cold soldering, solder balls) and solutions.

• Iteration Layer: Records of parameter optimization after each trial production.

This architecture enables new employees to quickly locate the required knowledge, reducing the average time to resolve process issues by 40%.

2. Knowledge Acquisition and Verification Mechanism

The core value of the knowledge base lies in its accuracy. We adopted a "double-blind verification method":

• Process engineers submit experience entries.

• The quality team verifies them with actual production data.

For example, an optimization suggestion regarding the "0201 component stencil opening ratio" was only included in the knowledge base after being verified through three batches of production.

3. Dynamic Update Strategy

PCBGOGO requires that each project must output two knowledge base updates upon completion:

• Successful experiences (e.g., optimization of the soldering temperature profile for a certain industrial control board).

• Lessons learned from failures (e.g., compatibility issues between specific solder mask ink and cleaning agents).

By linking these updates to KPI assessments, we ensure the continuous vitality of the knowledge base.

4. Intelligent Assistance of the Toolchain

We tested several knowledge management software solutions and ultimately chose a combination of WeChat for Enterprise and a custom-built search system. Key features include:

• Semantic image search (uploading a photo of a defective product automatically links to historical cases).

• Parameter comparison tool (input material properties to automatically recommend process windows).

This lightweight solution is more suitable for small to medium batch production scenarios than traditional PDM systems, which is also an important differentiated advantage when PCBGOGO serves customers. A customer once commented, "Your engineers can quickly pinpoint the root causes of our DFM issues, thanks to this system."

5. Multi-Role Participation

Building a knowledge base is not a solo effort by the technical department; it requires the involvement of design, production, quality, and other roles. Through monthly "knowledge crowdfunding" activities, PCBGOGO has accumulated over 2,000 effective process entries, which form a true competitive moat.