SMT Manufacturing Process
The SMT manufacturing process involves the following key steps:
1. Component Placement
The Tiny electronic components including resistors, capacitors, and printed antennas mentioned earlier are picked and placed on PCB using the specialized robotic machinery. These components are provided in the form of the Surface Mount Devices (SMDs).
2. Solder Paste Application
The Solder paste a sticky mixture of the solder alloy particles and flux is applied to the PCB’s pads using the stencil. The solder paste is positioned in the locations where components will be placed and soldered.
3. Component Soldering
The PCB with solder paste applied is passed through a reflow oven. The heat in oven melts the solder paste is allowing the components to adhere to the pads on PCB. As the assembly cools and the solder solidifies forming strong electrical connections.
4. Inspection and Testing
The assembly undergoes visual inspection and testing to identify defects soldering issues or incorrect placements. Automated optical inspection and X-ray techniques are often used for the thorough examination.
Surface Mount Technology
Surface Mount Technology (SMT) is used in the electronic industry to assemble and solder electronic components directly onto the surface of printed circuit boards. Unlike through-hole technology, where components have leads inserted into drilled holes, SMT components have small leads or no leads, relying on solder paste and a reflow soldering process to establish electrical connections.