Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are extremely versatile components with applications spanning consumer and industrial electronics, from a basic TV remote control to complex weapon systems for military and defense. They’re lightweight with an adaptable, compact design that allows them to be compatible with circuitry of varying configurations and complexities.
Customizing printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs), and working with a trusted supplier, only enhances the benefits of standard boards and better tailors them to your applications. Read on to explore the components of a PCB and the benefits of custom circuit boards.
Custom Printed Circuit Boards: Components
A PCBA is comprised of various electrical components that enable essential functions and performance in its finished device. Each component serves a specific purpose, and the assembly will stop working if even a single component within it fails. The following parts are particularly important to PCBA functionality:
- Resistors. Among the most important parts of PCBAs, resistors send electric current that generates a voltage and can then dissipate electric power in the form of heat. Color coding displays an assembly’s resistance value, and resistors are available in multiple material options.
- Capacitors. After resistors, capacitors are the second most prevalent PCBA component. Within the PCB, they hold an electrical charge, letting it go when another area within the circuit requires more power. They typically achieve this by utilizing two layers of conductive material and a separating layer of insulation to collect opposing charges.
- Inductors. When current passes through them, inductors store energy as a magnetic field. These components perform similarly to capacitors, and they can block interference and related signals originating from another device.
- Transistors. Transistors act as amplifiers, managing electronic signals on the PCB. There are various types, but the most popular is the three-pin bipolar transistor, consisting of a base, emitter, and collector.
- Transformers. By raising or lowering voltage, transformers typically pass electrical energy between circuits.
- Diodes. As components within a circuit, diodes permit the flow of electrical current in a single direction but restrict it in the other to prevent damage to a component or the PCB. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in particular are a popular variety as they give off light.
- Sensors. Sensors detect environmental changes, producing a corresponding electrical signal to communicate the specific change to another part of the PCB. Essentially, sensors serve as transducers, taking physical changes in air quality, sound, or light motion and translating them into electrical energy.
Custom Printed Circuit Board Assembly Benefits
Custom assembly benefits device and equipment manufacturers as well as their customers with optimized, cost-efficient PCBs and full design flexibility.
Technical Advantages
Custom PCBA design gives the manufacturer complete control over the component and circuit locations on the board down to a fraction of an inch. Improved control over component location helps manufacturers avoid the parasitic properties of the circuitry. By mounting components on the board’s surface, they can reduce the potential for parasitic inductance that’s inherent to through-hole component alternatives.
Custom PCBA design delivers:
- Higher-quality assemblies with repeatable accuracy
- Improved assembly organization
- Reduced assembly size and condensed circuitry to save space
- Ease of maintenance and service for OEMs
- Reduced installation, service, and replacement labor
- Reduced costs due to decreased labor expenditures and improved precision from automated production
- LED light integration for fast diagnostics and functionality verification
- Legends printed directly on the board to make decals unnecessary
Fewer Labor Costs
Labor expenditures rather than materials are the leading contributor to the overall cost of production. Designing a custom PCBA can reduce these costs considerably in the long run by lessening the need for modifications and re-work. Once the initial PCBA prototype is finished and they’ve verified its performance, manufacturers can use the approved design schematics to replicate the PCBA.
Flexibility
Custom PCBA designs offer manufacturers the freedom to select the ideal size, shape, and power for their application. They can also make a range of modifications or fixes throughout the design and assembly processes.
Custom Printed Circuit Boards From PGF Technology
By customizing PCBAs and the location and configuration of their components, a skilled manufacturer can deliver improved performance and technical benefits at a lower cost. At PGF Technology Group, Inc., our extensive experience in custom PCBAs allows us to deliver innovative solutions that assist you in realizing your design and assembly needs. We offer comprehensive PCBA services for industries like medical, industrial, automotive, and aerospace.
To best serve you, PGF Technology Group provides what our competition does not. We’ve added ionograph testing and x-ray evaluation to our extensive services, allowing us to deliver immaculate board capabilities. Particularly important to our medical clients, our team can measure contamination on an individual centimeter squared down to ppm levels. We invest in quality to ensure your success.
Contact us to learn more about the PGF Technology Group difference, and how our team handles custom printed circuit boards with superior care from receiving and assembly to quality testing and order fulfillment. If you’re ready to begin your project, request a quote today.
