How PC Boards are Made

[amirm]

One of the unsung/non-sexy part of every piece of electronics we have is the PC Board (PCB). This is the structural component that holds all the electronic devices and has copper traces that interconnect them. Depending on the circuit, the PCB itself can become a component changing how the circuit operates.

PCBs come in various configurations from single layer, to double sided and multiple layers. In addition to the copper interconnects, there is a "solder mask" that puts a special ink on top of most of the traces so that when you solder the components, they don't short out to each other. Another layer is the "silk screen" which has among other things, part labels, dates, product and PCB revision, etc.

PCB is designed on a computer and the files are then handed to the PCB manufacturing shop to create. Turns out building even the simple configuration is rather complex. Here is a great video that shows all the steps necessary to build a four layer PCB. I think it comes as a surprise to even design engineers how complicated and manual the process can be.

It is just 30 minutes and worthwhile to watch.

 

[Mschn]

Highly recommended introduction IMHO. I have pointed both colleagues and suppliers towards this video for an introduction to basic PCB manufacturing,

/Martin

 

[RayDunzl]

Gee, I don't have any of those tools here at home...

 

[Andysu]

Gee, I don't have any of those tools here at home...

i know someone that can design and build all that from scratch , boards cost more to make than some component parts most times

 

[Berwhale]

Gee, I don't have any of those tools here at home...

You just need something like OrCAD PCB Designer and laser printer for the mask... at least, that's what I used in college the one time I made a PCB 30 odd years ago

 

[Mschn]

i know someone that can design and build all that from scratch , boards cost more to make than some component parts most times

I don't know about consumer electronics cost breakdown but outside of that it is not uncommon that the PCB is the most expensive 'component'.

/Martin

 

[DVDdoug]

About a year ago I had some small (about 2x2inches) made by Seeed Studio/Fusion. I got 10 boards for around $100 USD total, including about $30 for DHL shipping from China. Quite a bargain! They were 2-layers with plated-thru holes, silkscreen, and solder mask. It ASSUME their process is totally automated and I suspect the photo film has been replaced by direct laser.

You just need something like OrCAD PCB Designer

I used DesignSpark. There is a free version and it doesn't have any limitations for size or number of lasers, or anything that affected me as a hobbyist.

 

[wwenze]

Nowadays pcbway sponsored lots of videos on those YouTube repair channels......

 

[Muddywaters]

I spent almost twenty years in the pcb business on the supply side. Distribution of consumables ( dry film photo resists, dry film and liquid soldermasks, raw copper clad laminates - primarily for multilayer circuit boards, release films for multilayer lamination and pressure distribution pads, aluminum clad materials for through hole drilling, bits, film for the imaging working production photo tools, chemicals for developing the various resists and masks, specialized plating chemistry.

Represented most of the equipment used for wet processing- developing, etching, presses, drills, film processing and imaging.

Some interesting applications from small flexible circuits used in cochlear implants to the last “big iron” 30”x32” blind, buried via, 20 to 30+ layer boards with controlled impedance (specialized bismaleimide triazine resin laminate) for Unisys. Development of the early rgb led display technology now ever present in stadiums, arenas etc. Military guidance system boards for torpedoes, missiles and radar systems.

Huge number of processes and steps involved depending the design complexity. The basic Audio Research boards were simple.