PCB assembly companies continue technology, equipment upgrades

China makers of PCB assemblies keep up with trends for high-density interconnects and miniaturization in electronics. A few offer design and product development services.

To meet high-density interconnects and miniaturization requirements amid updates in terminal electronics applications, suppliers of PCB assemblies in China strive to improve production and testing techniques further. They emphasize the use of state-of-the-art equipment to be able to handle any specification, and ensure a high quality of output and an efficient manufacturing process.

Enhancing SMT remains the key goal, which is the reason makers continue to modernize their facilities with advanced machines from foreign companies such as Samsung and Fujitsu. This is so they can turn out complex types, which can have more than 100,000 circuit nodes and 5,000 components, and perform a stricter QC procedure such PCB assemblies require.

Elecrow Technology Co. Ltd has introduced high-speed surface-mount, wave- and reflow-soldering, and automated optical inspection or AOI equipment. It is investing $0.29 million to acquire additional wave-soldering units as well as X-ray test machines.

Some local manufacturers are also beefing up DIP production lines to keep them up-to-date.

While the industry's focus is on capability to place components, there are makers that have turned into EMS providers. These companies extend services to design, product development, material and components sourcing, testing, logistics and aftersales. Many are expected to adopt this strategy to establish a more stable relationship with customers.

Still a few others cover the entire EMS spectrum and include the manufacture of finished products. They invest in equipment such as those used in injection molding and metalworking.

In addition to PCB assembly services, Hua Xing PCBA Ltd can handle electronics and industrial design, PCB fabrication, and plastic and metal parts production. It also provides global supply chain management. Shenzhen Jingxin Electronic Technology Co. Ltd makes PCBs in-house as well.

China's PCB assembly sector has been reaping steady sales growth because of the consumer and automotive electronics, networking, medical and military fields. Opportunitieshave also been opened with the emergence of the Internet of Things, new energy vehicles, drones and robotics. From all this, revenue increase will stay within 5 to 10 percent in the next two years.

Most makers have been raising their output in response. Shenzhen Jingxin spent about $1.5 million to expand its factory space by 3,000sqm and install a new production line, enabling the company to bolster yield by 20 percent in 2018. It will maintain this rate in the months ahead.

Domestic companies allocate between 30 and 80 percent of shipments for export markets, mainly Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region.

China is one of the world's major production bases for PCB assemblies and has about 1,000 suppliers. More than 70 percent of the pool consists of small and midscale operations. The key makers include Guanghan Electric and Huagao.

Guangdong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces are the main manufacturing hubs, with the first having over half of the companies in this line in the cities of Shenzhen, Dongguan, Guangzhou and Zhongshan. There are also companies based in inland areas, which are favored for lower labor cost.

PCB assembly processes

The steps in making PCB assemblies include bare board baking, PCB loading, solder paste printing or glue dispensing, high-speed mounting, multifunction chip mounting, visual inspection, reflow soldering, radial/axial insertion, wave soldering, in-circuit and function testing, assembly and QC.

Visual inspection is conducted before printing, and after chip mounting and assembly, while AOI is done after printing and reflow soldering.

Besides ICT and FCT, China companies perform burn-in and fatigue tests, and subject products under severe conditions.

Welding quality is decisive in this industry so makers emphasize this to guarantee a high quality level and low failure rate.

The main inputs used in making PCB assemblies include ICs, passive and other components, PCBs and connectors. The first comes from major suppliers such as TI and Fairchild, and the rest from local or foreign sources, depending on customers' requests.

Component costs have been stable except that of multilayer ceramic capacitors. Despite the latter, the majority of China companies of PCB assemblies kept their prices unchanged, while others reduced rates by 5 percent for enhanced competitiveness.

In the months ahead, no increases are expected in production inputs outlay and PCB assembly quotes.

The products in this gallery have been handpicked by our China-based market analyst for representing current trends in PCB assemblies from China makers.

PCB assembly integrates up to 0201 components

For communications equipment, automotive and medical electronics, and industrial control, space and aviation applications, the model PCBA-1 PCB assembly from ABP Electronics Ltd consists of as small as 0201 components with 0.3mm BGA or QFP minimum pitch. The minimum PCB size is 50x40x0.38mm and the maximum 600x400x4.2mm.

The minimum order is negotiable. Delivery lead time is 5 days.

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Raspberry Pi PCB assembly

Elecrow Technology Co. Ltd's Raspberry Pi PCB assembly, ElecrowPCBA-001 model, adopts a 4-layer PCB. The 258x168mm and 200g unit undergoes IQC, reflow soldering, AOI, visual inspection and function testing. It meets CE, RoHS and UL requirements.

The negotiable minimum order is for delivery within 7 days.

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PCB assembly based on SMT, PTH, COB, BGA

Hua Xing PCBA Ltd offers one-stop PCB and PCB assembly services as represented by the model HXPCBA-005 PCB assembly, which consists of a multilayer, high-density, high-frequency or Tg170 rigid, flexible or rigid-flex board, and 0201, BGA and COB components. The latter inputs are mounted using SMT and PTH.

Besides AOI, and function, X-ray and electronic testing, the company handles mold making and plastic injection molding in-house.

The negotiable order quantity is delivered within 10 days.

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PCB assembly uses as small as 01005 components

The model 40N PCB assembly from Shenzhen Jingxin Electronic Technology Co. Ltd usually has components with a minimum size of 0201, but can have 01005, and height of 0.2 to 25mm. The minimum BGA size is 0.1 to 0.63mm and the minimum distance 0.25 to 2mm. In QFP, the tightest pitch is 0.35mm. QFN and TSOP are also supported. Product dimensions range from 50x30mm to 350x550mm.

The negotiable minimum order has a 5-day delivery lead time.

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