PCB Assembly
Just like the fab house, we have a close working relationship with the assembly house in Shenzhen, China who handles component procurement assembly and testing. They can handle both prototypes as well as low to medium-volume production runs. Their capability of assembling BGA, Micro-BGA, QFN, and fine pitch package IC’s with the highest quality has made them be the top service provider to high-end companies throughout the world. They also undertake any IC programming as needed. Functional testing (FCT) is part of their high-end service. By using automated optical inspection (AOI), they made sure that they provide a fast and accurate inspection.
Types of PCB Assembly
- Rigid PCBs
- Flexible PCBs
- Metal Core PCBs
Providing well-documented assembly documents is key to achieving a first-time-right assembly product. Bill of material (BOM) should be generated from the schematic with all the information that is looked for to order the parts. Using a STEP model of each part on the board helps to eliminate the possibility of having a part that does not fit on the land pattern.
What kind of files should you provide to the assembly house?
- Bill of Material (BOM)
- Gerber file for the Solder paste. If the board is panelized, then having early communication between the fab house and the assembly house is very important.
- Pick and place files also called centroid files.
- Assembly Drawings
- Read me files will always be very helpful to make sure there is nothing missed to communicate.