Printed circuit boards are like works of art; customers “propose” and set the qualification standards, while the board factory “reviews the proposal,” manufactures, inspects according to standards, and delivers. Due to the varying hardware conditions, talent pool, technology, and management capabilities of board factories, the “artworks” ultimately received by customers can differ significantly.
The technical team of a printed circuit board factory should consist of circuit design engineers, process engineers, R&D engineers, reliability engineers, and testing engineers. The management team includes production managers, technical managers, and quality management managers. One person can take on multiple roles, but there should be no deficiency in capability, as this is the cornerstone of the factory’s sustainable development, and all roles are essential.
As the saying goes, “Without the right tools, you can’t do delicate work,” which fully illustrates the importance of hardware conditions in various industries. Hardware conditions determine the ceiling of the manufacturing level of the board factory and should be updated in line with technological advancements and order demands.For some special orders, the factory may face process breakpoints, initially needing to outsource processes to achieve product delivery. However, this also carries risks such as uncontrollable processing cycles, high costs, and quality dispute issues. Under the premise of stable demand for special orders, a comprehensive assessment of the cost-benefit ratio of new hardware conditions versus orders should be conducted to determine the necessity and feasibility of hardware procurement.
With the technology, management, and hardware conditions in place, how can printed circuit boards be realized? The previous two chapters (a total of20issues) have introduced the terminology related to printed boards and the classification of printed boards. The upcoming issues will focus on the process flow of several typical printed circuit boards, gradually unveiling their mysterious veil.