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Electronics Manufacturing Trends

July 28, 2017 By meiadmin

Electronics Manufacturing Trends

Changes in technology and the way in which people use electronics continue to drive change in electronics manufacturing. Demand for high quality and less expensive options is encouraging manufacturers to develop new practices and improve their manufacturing operations. Many of the trends in the manufacturing industry are focused on reducing costs and improving quality.

Green Technology

More and more organizations are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. As such, electronics manufacturers continue to search for ways to make electronics more environmentally friendly.

E-waste can have a significant impact on our environment. Electronics manufacturers are working towards developing greener electronics that have longer lifecycles and utilize more recycled plastics.

Changes in Medical Electronics

Global demand for medical equipment and devices is growing at an alarming rate. With this growth comes the need for increased quality control and assurance of medical electronic devices. Few devices can impact the lives of humans as much as those used in the medical industry. Quality and reliability is extremely important.

Many changes are taking place in medical electronics manufacturing. New materials are being used, power density is increasing and changes are being made to the way in which information is managed. Quality control in medical manufacturing is more important than ever before. Means Engineering Inc. has full ISO 13485 certification. This ensures that every medical device we deliver is high quality, safe, effective and reliable.

Evaporative Cooling

A lot of heat is generated during the manufacturing process. In order to keep costs down, many companies in the electronics manufacturing industry use evaporative cooling to reduce heat and control humidity. Evaporative cooling uses water to remove heat from the air. Very little energy is required to run the cooler.

Flexible Hybrid Electronics

New technologies emerge all the time. One of the most popular new technologies is flexible hybrid electronics (FHE). Flexible hybrid electronics combine elements of the electronics industry with high precision printing. Hybrid electronics are lighter and more flexible than any other type of electronics component. This makes it possible to incorporate electronics into clothing and other highly flexible products. This technology is dramatically changing the way in which electronics are being used.

How Do Printed Circuit Boards Work?

July 21, 2017 By meiadmin

How Do Printed Circuit Boards Work?

Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) are used to support and wire the components in many electronic devices. In fact, almost every electronic device available today contains at least one PCB. While many simple electronic devices use single layer PCBs, the PCBs in complex devices may have as many as twelve layers. PCBs provide electricity and connectivity to the parts of an electronic device.

How PCBs Are Made

PCBs are made by mounting components on a non-conductive board. These components are connected by small pathways called traces. In addition to the traces, PCBs have several small holes. These holes allow components to sit flush with the surface of the board.

When creating PCBs, electronic engineers must fit several components on a very small space. Components added to printed circuit boards may include microchips, diodes, registers and switches. The traces connect each of the components and provide them with electricity. These connections are crucial to the proper operation of electronic devices. This is why printed circuit boards are so important to electronic engineering.

The bottom layer of a PCB is non-conductive. The top layer is made from a sheet of metal. The metal layer is printed with etch-resistant ink. It is then etched with special chemicals that remove all but the printed design. The components are then connected through soldering. Thousands of printed circuit boards can be printed at one time.

PCB Design

PCBs are typically designed on a computer. This allows electronic engineers to thoroughly test the PCB before it is produced. It also allows for the ideal arrangement of the parts. After design, the printed circuit board can be printed. PCBs are typically designed with a Computer Aided Design or CAD program. CAD software has replaced the need for manual drafting, which is often inefficient.

Benefits of Contract Manufacturing

July 14, 2017 By meiadmin

Benefits of Contract Manufacturing

A contract manufacturer creates products and their components under the label or brand of the companies that hire them. Contract manufacturing is an excellent option for companies that wish to increase their product line but do not have the staff or resources necessary to do so. Contract manufacturing is used to create products for a wide range of industries. It has a number of benefits for companies of all shapes and sizes.

Contract Manufacturing Saves Time

Hiring a contract manufacturer can save a company a considerable amount of time and resources. Companies that use contract manufacturing services do not have to go through the lengthy process of hiring and training new employees to fulfill orders. They do not need to locate a new facility or obtain the equipment necessary for production. The contract manufacturer provides everything needed to produce high quality products. This provides more time for managers to focus on other important aspects of their business.

Contract Manufacturing Saves Money

Perhaps the biggest benefit of contract manufacturing is the cost savings. Companies that hire a contract manufacturer save money on equipment, facility fees and additional employees. In addition, contract manufacturers are typically able to produce parts at a fraction of the cost of in-house production. Contract manufacturing is ideal for the development and testing of new products. A contract manufacturer can also be useful in fulfilling orders when demand for a specific product is high.

High Quality Products

It takes a lot of training and experience to create high quality products. This type of expertise isn’t always feasible when producing products in-house. Sensitive parts, such as those used in electronic devices must be created in a cleanroom environment. This prevents contamination which can affect the reliability of the finished product. A contract manufacturer has the training, experience, equipment and quality control processes necessary to create high quality, reliable products time and time again.

When selecting a contract manufacturer to work with, consider a company that has experience working with a number of different industries. They should have a Quality Management System registered to ISO 9001 and AS 9100.

IPC Standards and Their Role in PCB Manufacturing

July 7, 2017 By meiadmin

IPC Standards and Their Role in PCB Manufacturing

Strict quality control is extremely important to the manufacture and design of printed circuit boards. Any defect can negatively affect the operation and reliability of the PCB. Since PCBs are typically produced in bulk, just one defect has the potential to render dozens of PCBs ineffective.

PCBs and Modern Technology

Thanks to technological advances, PCBs are able to perform more functions than ever before. These important electronic components can be designed and produced inexpensively, making it possible for manufacturers to install complex electronic components inside affordable household devices.

Printed circuit boards are used in almost every modern day electronic. The quality of the PCB has a significant impact on how these electronic devices perform. This is why it’s crucial that every PCB meets or exceeds industry standards.

PCB Failure Could Have Devastating Results

The function and reliability of PCBs is crucial to the overall success of the final product. There are a number of situations where PCB failure could be devastating. Apart from being more costly, faults in the design and manufacture of PCBs could result in system failure, compensation claims or worse. It’s extremely important that steps are taken to avoid defects during the PCB’s design and manufacturing process.

IPC Standards

The Institute for Printed Circuit Boards (IPC) is the global trade association for the electronics industry. In order to ensure the consistent quality of electronic devices, the IPC has set certain standards for the design and manufacture of all printed circuit boards as well as other electronics components.

Means Engineering Inc. strives to meet or exceed IPC standards for PCB design and manufacture. This ensures high quality products that perform exactly as they should time and time again.

Cleanroom Assembly

PCBs contain delicate parts that are easily damaged by contamination. Even microscopic particles can cause a big problem. Means Engineering Inc. follows strict cleanliness procedures to ensure the most reliable products.

When high quality PCBs are assembled in a cleanroom environment, this effectively mitigates the chance of contamination. Our high quality products exceed the cleanliness requirements set by the IPC.

Semiconductor Fabrication Process

June 30, 2017 By meiadmin

Semiconductor Fabrication Process

A semiconductor is a crucial component in many electronic devices. In fact, semiconductors are present in most modern electronics. Semiconductors contain the properties of both a conductor and an insulator.

Semiconductor Materials

Common semiconductor materials include silicon, selenium, boron, tellurium and germanium. Sometimes semiconductors are made from a combination of these materials. Since semiconductor materials are abundant in nature, they are often inexpensive. The use of these materials allows technology to remain affordable for the general public.

Silicon is the most common semiconductor material used today. This substance is extracted from sand, making it easily accessible and environmentally-friendly.

Semiconductor Fabrication

Semiconductor fabrication involves an extremely intricate process in which circuits are created on top of a wafer made from semiconducting material. Although small, these circuits contain a large number of electronic components. These components must all work simultaneously to perform functions that are vital to the operation of an electronics device.

Semiconductor circuits are assembled by skilled professionals is facilities referred to as “fabs”. The process involves the assembly of hundreds of layers of different materials, each containing their own circuit pattern, on top of a semiconducting material. The entire fabrication process takes approximately six to eight weeks to complete.

Preparation of Semiconductor Material

The semiconductor material must be properly prepared before it can be used. This involves melting and forming it so that it can be sliced into wafers. The size of the wafer varies depending on the type of semiconductor circuit being created.

Once sliced, the wafer undergoes a process to prepare it for photolithography. This process involves the growth of an oxide layer, a cleaning process to remove all contaminants and the application of photoresist to the wafer. The wafer is then spun, baked and exposed to intense UV light to develop the photoresist. Once prepared, a developer is added, the remaining oxide is etched away and the photoresist is removed.

Cleanroom Environment

The entire semiconductor fabrication process takes place inside a dedicated cleanroom. This ensures that dust and other contaminants are not able to come in contact with the parts of the semiconductor circuit. Because of their delicate nature and small size, even microscopic contaminants can render semiconductors ineffective.