Surface Mount Technology (SMT)
What is SMT?
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.
How does SMT work?
The process generally starts with stencil preparation, this is a sheet of stainless steel that allows solder paste to be deposited in alignment with the component placement. Once the solder paste is in place and the stencil is removed the components are placed by our automated pick-and-place machine, this process is extremely efficient and saves on production time when compared to manual hand placement. Once the components are placed, the board is passed through a reflow soldering machine. This consists of a controlled heating environment within the machine which melts the solder paste causing it to solidify so that solder joints are formed. Our specially trained technicians monitor the temperature to ensure the board is not damaged or poorly soldered. The final step is the inspection stage, we use AOI technology to ensure the boards we produce are inspected to the highest standard.
SMT Advantages
- SMT allows for much smaller components to be placed when compared to manual hand placement
- Some of the smallest chips become easily placed, some as small as 01005
- Complex PCB assemblies are made easier
- Components can be placed on both sides of the PCB
- Automation allows for faster and more efficient production
Why choose Pulsar Manufacturing?
Pulsar Manufacturing have the ability to place components from 01005 packaged components, right through to the larger SMT packages with absolute precision to IPC-A-610 standards. The combination of our Surface Mount Technology and Automated Optical Inspection ensure that a high level of placement accuracy, solder joint integrity and quality is consistently achieved each and every time. State-of-the-art machines and technology allow up to 57,000 placements per hour and Pulsar Manufacturing are fully equipped to undertake PCB batches from low to high quantities.
Still unsure if our SMT service is for you? Get in touch and one of our team will be glad to help.
