FAQ

Intrinsically-safe is the name given to any piece of equipment that is designed to work in a potentially hazardous or explosive environment.

AOI is short for Automated Optical Inspection, which is a method of inspection within electronics manufacturing

AOI is a method of visually inspecting printed circuit boards. It is done by a camera that has been computer programmed to be able to automatically inspect the board for flaws against a previously correctly produced board.

In short yes, AOI offers a greater reliability as it is done by an automated system which has already been programmed into the system. This helps to remove any potential human errors that can occur with manual inspection.

A Box Build is also referred to as a systems integration. It’s the process of building an assembly which often will contain a PCB. Box Builds can range from something as simple as a single PCB in a small enclosure to a more complex and larger cabinet housing.

Conformal Coating is the process of applying a thin polymeric film to a PCBA.

Conformal coating is used as a method of protection. It’s purpose is to protect the electrical components on the PCB against potential hazards such as moisture, dust, chemicals and temperature extremes that could potentially contaminate or harm the product.

Conformal coating is typically applied at 25-250 μm thickness

Encapsulation is the process of protecting the PCB by surrounding with an epoxy resin.

Yes, while conformal coating uses a thin layer of polymeric film to protect the PCB, encapsulation will completely cover the PCBA with a two-part epoxy resin.

Encapsulation protects against diverse conditions including moisture, high voltage protection and other problems that could be potentially caused by the environment.

Flow Soldering is a method of used to bulk solder components onto a printed circuit board. It helps to speed up the production process when producing a high number of boards

Yes Flow Soldering is also known as ‘Wave Soldering’ this is because of the wave like motion the molten solder takes to be applied to the PCBA.

While there is not a set size limit for components, some aren’t suitable to be flow solders for other reasons such as weight.

Flow Soldering is only suitable for single sided PCBA’s this is due to the wave motion used to apply the solder.

Functional Testing is the process used to test an electronic assembly performs as it should. It’s also often referred to as final quality control test.

PCB stands for Printed Circuit Board. This is a thin board which hosts conductive pathways that connect different components on the board.

PCB’s are used in most modern day electrical products including computers, mobile phones, cameras and other globally used devices.

In many cases cleaning may not be necessary, however in high-end applications such as aerospace, automotive military or telecommunications the use of very specific cleaning agents may be required.

PCB’s are cleaned in order to remove resin and flux residues from populated boards as well as production related residues caused by handling.

In many cases we can save boards by using the rework process. This will then allow the PCBA to be completed to the high standard originally intended.

Rework is the term for the refinishing operation or repair of a PCB assembly.

Rework usually involves the de-soldering and re-soldering of surface-mounted electronic components (SMD). This would be done for a number of reasons including a faulty solder joint or potential replacement of a component.

SMT stands for Surface Mount Technology.

Surface Mount Technology (SMT) is an assembly method in which electronic components are mounted directly onto a printed circuit board.

SMT allows for increased manufacturing automation which reduces costs and vastly improves the quality of the product - it also creates an opportunity for more components to be fitted to any given area.

Yes, Pulsar Manufacturing’s state of the art SMT machinery allow for up to 57,000 placements per hour.

Through-hole mounting technique refers to the mounting scheme used for electronic components that involve the use of leads on components that are inserted into holes drilled in Printed Circuit Boards (PCB) and soldered to pads on the opposite side by manual assembly (hand placement).

Through-hole mounting techniques are now usually reserved for bulkier or heavier components such as electrolytic capacitors or components in larger packages that require the additional mounting strength.

ISO-9001 is the international recognized standard for Quality Management Systems (QMS). Having the ISO-9001 certification ensures a company has the basis to produce high quality and effective products or services.

Yes, Pulsar Manufacturing is proud to be ISO-9001 certified.

Yes, Pulsar Manufacturing is proud to be ATEX certified.

X-Ray inspection is a method of inspection used on assemblies that have certain restraints that a visual inspection wouldn’t be able to cover.

X-Ray inspection would be used in instances where there are hidden solder connections that visual inspection would be unable to inspect.

Ball Grid Array (BGA) is a type of surface mount package (SMD component) which involves having no leads. Instead an array of metal solder balls are used to provide the electrical connection.

ATEX is the European certification given to equipment tested and approved to be intrinsically-safe. Pulsar Manufacturing are ATEX approved and so are capable of producing products suitable for these hazardous/explosive environments.