How to Select Components for PCBA Optimization

When you’re using an electronic contract manufacturer for your PCB assembly(PCBA), it would be necessary to provide a thoroughly defined set of instructions for your printed circuit board fabrication and PCB assembly(SMT, PTH Assembly), among which, the selection of components to be used would be a key documentation for electronic contract manufacturer. Your selection for components, to a certain extend it will surely have an impact on the final quality of the assembly, so as efficiency of the assembly. Keeping that in mind, Here are some important tips to select electronic components for EMS PCBA optimization:

1. Check for part availability

Before sending the Bill of material to your contract manufacturer, make sure you check about parts availability. Never choose a component are obsoleted or will be difficult to obtain. Cause component shortage can delay your assembly and can end up being costly, so checking parts availability with your contract manufacturer would a important step for assembly.
How to avoid component shortages? Finding a quality electronic contract manufacturer, like CEN, who has a rich experienced engineering team and purchase in sourcing components and find suitable alternative replacement, would help to save you assembly time and even cost. Of cause, all alternatives should be sent to your for approved, and providing a forecast for demand to the electronic contract manufacturer as soon as you can would help them to get better source as well. It can be said that the earlier you plan for your needs, the more likely it is that those needs will be met.

2. Get to Know the end-use

Knowing what are the environment that your device will be operated, as moisture levels and temperature can have negative effects on a components function. Without considering the environment effect when choosing the components parts for your PCB assembly, your PCB assembly might still function in the short term, but to the long term, it might decrease your electronic assembly’s life span. For example, if your product will be used in a heavy humidity or temperature area, then you will need to choose components, materials, and coatings that are designed to withstand the challenges of this type of environment.

3 Choose your assembly type

Through-hole assembly(PTH), surface mount assembly(SMT), and mixed technology are the basic types of assembly. Through-hole assembly can be done through manual assembly or through the use of a wave-soldering machine. PTH assembly provides stronger mechanical bonding. And making it a good option for components that will experience mechanical stress. It is worth noting that it will limit the routing space of multi layers PCBs since drilled holes will need to cover every layer on the board.
Surface mount assembly is a mounting method in which the components are mounted directly on to the PCB surface. surface-mount technology tends to take less time and is less expensive,while SMT sometimes more vulnerable to mechanical stress, compared to through-hole mounts, it can result in less reliable PCBs.
The advantage is that SMT will help speed up production and reduce size and costs, there may be a higher risk of defects due to as opposed to components attached by through-hole assembly. Fortunately, both methods can be used on the same board to optimize the benefits offered by both without the drawbacks.
Mixed technology assemblies are a combination of both surface mount and through hole.

4. List special requirements

Any components that have specific requirements, you should release to your electronic contract manufacturer. For example, some components are more sensitive to electro static discharge (ESD) than others, some are sensitive to soldering temperature, some need special flux ect. Even though most electronic contract manufacturers will have an ESD mitigation plan in place, components with extra sensitivities may require more involved quality and handling plans.
Of course there are many factors that can affect the short and long term quality of your assembly. Choosing a good electronic contract manufacturer that has experience handling components and puts quality control plans in place for every part, would be a very important step for you pcb assembly. Driven by our ISO9001 and IATF16949 certifications, CEN has rich experience in components souring and assembly, even alert our customers to upcoming changes in part availability or obsolescence. For more information, please contract us today.