As a verb, it means the act of putting parts together. As a noun, it is a finished cable or harness, as in cable assemblies.
Stores a number of boards from the upstream line and releases them one at a time into the downstream line. The standard length is normally 72 inches and is used ahead of any operation in a line that has a variable cycle time. The Accumulating conveyor utilizes a special low friction, continually running, edge carry chain that allows the boards to "accumulate" against a stop at the end that then releases them one at a time when the next operation calls for a board.
Uses vision systems and data and image processing technology to look at and make an inspection of a PCB or other object.
Takes bare unpopulated PCBs from a stack and feeds them one at a time to the production line.
Used to turn a board over when processing 2-sided boards. As an example after side one is complete, the board is turned over before the screen printer for the second side.
A machine used in the production line to remove solder residue and other foreign material acquired during assembly from the PCB. These cleaners can be inline or batch type, the latter requiring the boards to be loaded into the machine prior to washing similar to the kitchen dishwasher.
A basic electronic element usually packaged in a discrete form with two or more connecting leads or metallic pads. Components are intended to be connected together, usually by soldering to a printed circuit board, to create an electronic circuit.
A process where customers provide the printed circuit board “stuffer” with all the parts and materials. The manufacturer then builds the products and deliver completed assemblies or cables to the customer. Sometimes referred to as kitted.
Any location after the present or reference machine position within the in-line configuration of assembly machines.
A process where customers buy the parts and materials and they are shipped to the manufacturer. The manufacturer then builds the products and deliver completed assemblies or cables to the customer.
Uses a narrow belt or chain that contacts just the edge of the PCB, not interfering with components or leads on the bottom side of the board.
Abbreviation of Electronic Manufacturing Services, a term used for companies that design, test, manufacture, distribute and provide return/repair services for electronic component and assemblies.
Abbreviation of Electrostatic Discharge. ESD can be destructive to sensitive electronic components. Methods to reduce the risk of ESD include the use of grounding straps, anti-static mats, boxes, bags and packing materials.
Utilizes a wide flat belt to carry the product.
A chemical compound used to remove surface oxides and impurities and to improve wetability when soldering.
An assembly with two or more wires that are ready for installation into a system.
Used as an interface between the exit height of a specific wave solder machine and a specific downstream line height. Normally Flat Belt but Edge Carry available. May also be referred to as a Wave Exit conveyor.
Generally used to buffer product. When a board transfers onto a conveyor it only advances the length of the product plus a little and stops, waiting for the next board to appear. By stopping and starting as boards transfer on the conveyor fills up with boards spaced an inch or two apart.
A worldwide organization that sets standards, specifications and guidelines for PCB design, manufacture and assembly.
Abbreviation of the International Standards Organization.
See Consignment.
Height of the Line above the floor. Standard height in the U.S. is 37.5 inches +/- 0.5".
A portable enclosure used to hold PCBs or product. These allow manual movement from one process to another.
Accepts / removes PCBs for the upstream line and stores them in a removable enclosure called a "magazine". This is a convenient way to collect defective boards for movement to a rework station.
A peelable, water soluble, or solvent soluble compound that is used to prevent solder from filling in areas that need to be solder free.
United States Defense Standard, often called a military standard, "MIL-STD", or "MIL-SPEC". A MIL-SPEC for quality standards for electronic parts is MIL-STD-202.
An abbreviation of original equipment manufacturer, An OEM is a company that builds products or components which are used in products sold by another company
A frame used to hold a PCB during assembly. These are used primarily for manual assembly on a "slide line" or to hold smaller or odd shaped boards as they pass through a wave solder machine. In many applications, PCBs are irregular in shape and size, large and heavy, or have special components or devices that require masking.
The "Printed Circuit Board" replaced point-to-point wiring beginning in the 1960s. The PC boards start out with a thin solid copper sheet bonded to a fiberglass board. The circuits are not "printed" on the board but rather those areas of the copper not required to create the circuit are etched away by a photographic process. This leaves only the interconnections that you see on the Printed Circuit Board creating wiring for the circuit.
Automatically "picks" components from a supply, normally a roll, or bin and "places" them on the PCB in their appointed spot. Depending on the technology used in certain model machines these may referred to as “placers” or “chip shooters”.
Manual assembly line with workstations spaced along the line where each worker adds components to the PCB. Unlike a "manual slide line", built in conveyors move boards along the line.
A physical model of a new product concept.
A reflow oven is a high-precision oven used primarily for soldering electronic components to printed circuit boards using surface mount techniques. The oven contains multiple zones, which can be individually controlled for temperature. Generally there are several heating zones followed by one or more cooling zones. The printed circuit board moves through the oven on a conveyor belt, and is therefore subjected to a controlled time-temperature profile.
A European Union directive that stands for "the Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment". This directive bans the placing on the EU market of new electrical and electronic equipment containing more than agreed levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants. It went into effect July 1, 2006.
See Surface Mount Technology.
A method for constructing electronic circuits in which the components are mounted directly onto the surface of printed circuit boards. Frequently abbreviated as SMT. The component leads only touch pads on the "surface" of the PCB. They are held in place by the stickiness of the paste, which contains solder and flux, until they pass through the Reflow oven, which actually melts the paste soldering them in place. This enhances full automation of the assembly process as well as making better use of the space on the board.
Solders only areas on the PCBs programmed in to the machine. Uses a small fountain of solder or a soldering iron on a robot arm. Sometimes used for components that were manually placed or added after the reflow process.
Uses a silkscreen like process to put flux & solder in the form of a "paste" on PCBs where the component leads mount.
An assembly line where PCBs are moved along manually by the workers from station to station as parts are inserted in the board. These look like long workstations with workers spaced every 3 or 4 feet along the line, sometimes working from both sides of the line.
Component leads are placed in holes in the PCB at points where they are to be soldered. The hole is then filled with solder to complete the process.
See Through-hole Technology.
The process of coating wires or contacts with a light layer of solder. This allow them to be more easily melt them together when soldering.
A process where the manufacturer procures all the parts and materials and deliver complete assemblies or cables to the customer.
Underwriters Laboratories: A not-for-profit product safety and testing and certification body. UL permits applying a number of their marks on products that comply with their standards.
Any location before the present or reference machine position within the in-line configuration of assembly machines.
A machine that uses jets of water to wash flux and water soluble mask off printed circuit boards after they have been through a wave solder machine.
A large-scale soldering process where components are soldered to a printed circuit board to form an electronic assembly. The name is derived from the fact that the process uses a tank to hold a quantity of molten solder; the components are inserted into or placed on the board and the loaded board is passed across a wave of solder.
This refers to how may "segments" or zones a given conveyor unit has. Each zone is a separate conveyor section placed end to end with others in a single frame or rail so that a PCB can be moved from zone to zone.
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