Understanding Material Properties and Processing

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Understanding material properties and processing

One of the important tasks for hardware engineers and PCB designers is to select a suitable base material for the PCBs in their devices. The selected material must withstand the thermal impact during the component assembly process without damage and remain stable throughout its operational lifetime.

The Most Widely Used Base Material for PCBs

The most widely used base material, by a large margin, is FR-4, typically composed of woven fiberglass strands embedded in an epoxy resin. The name FR-4 represents an entire product family, consisting of various types and thicknesses.

FR-4: Used by many known by few

Temperature Cycles in PCB Assembly

To ensure that our PCBs and assemblies provide designers with effective and scientifically sound solutions, we have collaborated with imec’s “Center for Electronics Design & Manufacturing” to assess and select suitable FR-4 materials for our low-cost pooling service.

How Often Can You Raise a Eurocircuits PCB to Lead-free Soldering Temperatures?

Manufacturing tolerances are unavoidable!

Manufacturing tolerances are an unavoidable aspect of the production process. These arise from both the underlying base material, as previously mentioned, and the various chemical and mechanical processes involved in PCB fabrication.

In addition, the layout of the PCB also influences how these tolerances affect the physical PCB. Our Technical Guidelines will help you understand the typical tolerances in PCB production and provide guidance on what to consider during the design phase.

Understanding Manufacturing Tolerances on a PCB

Inaccuracies in predicting PCB thickness

Predicting or calculating the exact thickness of the final PCB is inherently challenging. A tolerance of 10% is generally accepted, implying that a PCB with a designated thickness of 1.55 mm might range between 1.4 and 1.7 mm. It is crucial to note that the measured PCB thickness does not include the soldering surface (finish), the solder mask, or the screen printing.

Understanding the methodology for calculating the final PCB thickness is important to know during the product design phase. As a designer you must consider and discuss how the PCB design may influence the final PCB thickness.

The Complex Story of PCB Thickness
Finished PCB Thickness Tolerance

Eurocircuits has integrated its manufacturing expertise into the Visualizer online engineering platform. The Eurocircuits Visualizer not only bridges the gap from CAD to CAM, but also from PCB manufacturing to PCB assembly. These tools are free to use and available 24/7 in six languages.