An Introduction to Aluminum PCBs by PCBGOGO

Aluminum PCBs are printed Circuit Boards which contain a thin layer of conductive dielectric material. They are also known as Aluminum Clad, Aluminum base, MCPCB (Metal Clad Printed Circuit Board), IMS (Insulated Metal Substrate), Thermally Conductive PCBs etc. Aluminum PCBs were developed in the 1970s, soon after which they’re applications increased dramatically. The first application was their use in Amplification Hybrid Integrated Circuits. Now they are being used at a large scale due to which it is necessary for us to have an idea of Aluminum PCBs and their importance.Structure of Aluminum PCBs: Aluminum PCBs are aluminum based CCLs (CCL is a type of base material of PCBs). AluminumPCBs are actually quite similar to FR4 PCBs. The basic structure of Aluminum PCBs is four layered. It consists of a layer of copper foil, a dielectric layer, an aluminum base layer and aluminum base membrane.· Copper Foil Layer: the copper layer used is relatively thicker than normal CCLs ...

The Use of Silk Screen Technology in Printed Circuit Board (PCB)

What is silk-screening?Silkscreen is a layer of ink traces used to identify components, test points, parts of the PCB, warning symbols, logos and marks etc. This silkscreen is usually applied on the component side; however using silkscreen on the solder side is also not uncommon. But this may increase the cost. Essentially a detailed PCB silkscreen can help both the manufacturer and the engineer to locate and identify all the components.The ink is a non-conductive epoxy ink. The ink used for these markings is highly formulated. The standard colors we normally see are black, white and yellow. PCB software also uses standard fonts in silkscreen layers but you can choose other fonts from the system too. For traditional silk-screening you require a polyester screen stretched on aluminum frames, a laser photo plotter, spray developer and curing ovens.Method of Silk=screening:There are three basic ways to apply silkscreen.1: Manual Screen-printing:Manual screen-printing is done when the line...

An Introduction to Multilayer PCBs

PCBs are the basis of all electronic devices, without which that device cannot function. Essentially PCBs, also known as Printed Circuit Boards, consist of electric components and conductive traces that are built onto a board to help connect the components and to direct electricity. PCBs can be divided into distinctive types; one of them is Multilayer PCBs.What are Multilayer PCBs?Multilayer PCBs, as the name suggest are a combination of different layers. Single sided PCBs and double sided PCBs are both combined to give this complex designed PCB. Multilayer PCBs have increased number of layers and therefore have increased area available for wiring. The boards are made by combining double layered PCBs and separating them with insulating material such as dielectric.The Number of LayersThe minimum number of conductive layers between the insulating materials is three, and we can incorporate as much as a hundred layers according to our need. We consider Multilayer PCBs as Rigid PCBs because...

Flexible Printed Circuits: Types, Benefits and its Applications by PCBGOGO

Introduction:Flex circuits can easily be termed as circuits which are flexible or can flex. Flexible circuits are basically made from a thin insulating polymer film with a pattern of conductive traces mounted bonded onto the substrate. Flex circuits have been in use since the Second World War and they’re applications are still growing exponentially.Types of Flex Circuits:There are many types of flex circuits and here we will discuss the major ones1: Single Sided Flex:Single sided flex circuits are the most basic and consist of a single layer of metal traces on one side of a dielectric layer. The dielectric can be polyimide or polymer. A polyimide overlay is added for insulation and protections from environmental degradation.2: Double Sided Flex:A double sided flex circuit has multiple layers on both sides of a single dielectric layer. The two layers are plated by metalized through holes to make connections.3: Multi-Layer Flex:Multi-Layer flex circuits has several copper layers separate...

An Industrial Process of Printed Circuit Board Assembly by PCBgogo

PCBA or Printed Circuit Board Assembly is the process of connecting or the assembly of components and wirings onto a printed circuit board to give the final result. This is not to be confused with PCB which is the name given to the board before the assembly of electronic components.Printed Circuit Board has its own manufacturing process which ranges from designing the layout to developing the prototype. One the board is ready, the electrical components are assembled. Here we will discuss the requirements for PCBA, the different processes and the steps these processes involve.Requirements for PCBA: Here are the basic requirements for Printed Circuit Board Assembly.Printed Circuit BoardElectrical componentsSoldering Materials (depend on the type ofsoldering) for example, solder wire, solder paste etc.Soldering FluxEquipmentfor Soldering for example, soldering station, wave soldering machine,testing equipment.Assembly Process:Now we will discuss the assembly process. It is of the follow...