Glossary
46 terms 3D AOI adds height information to the camera images. This allows criteria such as coplanarity, solder volume and the geometry of visible solder joints to be assessed in more detail. Aerospace electronics calls for controlled processes, configuration management, traceability, product safety and high reliability across demanding operating profiles. AOI captures assemblies with cameras and evaluates features such as presence, orientation, position and visible solder joints. The programs and the classification determine how meaningful the result is. A BGA contacts the circuit board through a grid of solder balls underneath the package. The hidden solder joints call for a suitable process window and usually for X-ray inspection. Change management controls the assessment, approval, implementation and traceability of product or process changes. Clear effectivity dates and rules for existing stock are decisive. Conformal coating is the internationally used term for the contour-following protective coating of electronic assemblies. Material, layer thickness, coverage and keep-out areas have to be defined. Design for manufacturing reviews and optimizes a product so that it can be built reliably, repeatably and economically. Layout, components, tolerances and processes are all considered. An EMS provider takes on defined services around the production of electronic assemblies and devices – typically material procurement, PCB assembly, testing, device assembly and logistics. EN 9100 extends ISO 9001 with requirements for the aviation, space and defense sectors, covering product safety, risk management, configuration management and the supply chain. In a flying probe test, movable test probes travel to defined test points. The method needs no product-specific bed-of-nails adapter and is particularly suited to prototypes and smaller batches. A full-service EMS combines several stages of the value chain such as design support, material management, assembly manufacturing, testing, device assembly and logistics in one coordinated service model. A functional test operates the assembly fully or partly in a defined application scenario and evaluates inputs and outputs, interfaces and functions. High mix low volume describes a manufacturing environment with many different products and comparatively small batches. Flexible processes, short changeover times and controlled variant complexity are decisive. ICT contacts defined nets and checks electrical connections as well as selected component values on the assembled board. Good test access increases both coverage and cost-effectiveness. Industrial electronics covers rugged electronic assemblies and devices for machines, plant, automation and infrastructure. Long service life, availability and controlled variants are often central. Inspection assesses features of an assembly that are visible or can be made visible by imaging, for example component placement and solder joints. It has to be distinguished from electrical or functional testing. IPC product classes distinguish levels of requirement according to intended use and reliability. The class has to be agreed contractually; a higher class is not automatically the right choice for every product. IPC-A-610 describes visual acceptance criteria for electronic assemblies. It is an acceptance standard and replaces neither product design rules nor process qualification or electrical testing. ISO 13485 sets out specific requirements for quality management systems used by organizations in the medical device supply chain and emphasizes regulatory requirements, risk control and documented processes. Manufacturing data covers all released information needed for production and testing, for example the bill of materials, PCB data, placement coordinates, drawings, programs and test specifications. Medical electronics covers electronic assemblies for medical and diagnostic products. Regulatory roles, risk management, change control, cleanliness and traceability are particularly important. A multilayer PCB contains several laminated copper layers. It allows compact circuits, defined return paths, EMC optimization and controlled impedances. Nanocoatings form very thin functional surfaces that reduce wetting by water, for example. Their protective effect and their limits differ considerably from conventional protective coatings and potting. Obsolescence management monitors component life cycles and plans measures against unavailability, such as alternatives, redesign, last-time buys and long-term storage. In PCB assembly, electronic components are positioned on a printed circuit board according to the manufacturing data and permanently contacted. The usual methods are SMT and THT assembly. A pick-and-place machine takes components from standardized feeders, checks their position optically and places them on the circuit board according to the program. In potting, assemblies or sections of them are encapsulated in a curing compound. This increases protection and mechanical stability, but makes inspection and repair more difficult. Power electronics converts and controls electrical energy. High currents, voltages, heat, insulation and mechanical loads place particular demands on design and manufacturing. A printed circuit board carries electronic components mechanically and connects them electrically through structured copper conductors. Build-up, material, surface finish and geometry determine manufacturability and application limits. Protective coating applies a thin, contour-following layer to electronic assemblies in order to protect them against moisture, contamination, corrosion and further environmental influences. A quality management system describes the interacting processes, responsibilities, rules and records used to manage quality within an organization. Railway electronics is used in vehicles and infrastructure and often has to allow for long product life cycles, environmental influences, configuration control and defined industry standards. In reflow soldering, previously printed solder paste is heated, melted and cooled under control. This is how the solder joints of the SMT components are formed. RoHS restricts certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. Whether an assembly is compliant depends on the scope, the exemptions and the material declarations. In selective coating, a programmable system applies protective material to defined areas only. Connectors, test points and other keep-out zones can be left free. In selective soldering, only defined connection areas are automatically fluxed, preheated and soldered with a small solder wave. Sensitive SMT areas are left out. SMT is the technology used to mount surface-mount components on printed circuit boards. Typical steps are solder paste printing, SPI, automated placement, reflow soldering and AOI. An SMT line links machines and process steps for automated solder paste printing, inspection, placement, reflow soldering and assembly testing. Solder paste consists of finely distributed solder powder and a flux system. Alloy, particle size, rheology, storage and handling have to match the printing and soldering process. SPI measures the position, area, height and volume of the printed solder paste before placement. Defects can therefore be detected early and process deviations evaluated systematically. In solder paste printing, solder paste is transferred onto the PCB pads through a stencil. Volume, shape and repeat accuracy shape the quality of the later solder joints. In THT assembly, leaded components are inserted into holes in the circuit board manually or automatically and then soldered or press-fitted. Traceability makes it possible to link a product to material batches, process states, tests and the relevant manufacturing data. Scope and retention depend on the contract and the risk. In vapor phase soldering, a heat transfer vapor condenses on the cooler assembly and transfers heat very evenly. The maximum temperature is limited by the medium. In wave soldering, the underside of the circuit board is guided over a moving solder wave. The method solders many THT connections economically in a single pass. X-ray inspection makes hidden solder joints and material structures visible. It is used in particular for BGAs, QFNs, LGAs, power pads and anomalies in solder volume. No term found. Please try a different search.
0–9
3D AOI
A
Aerospace Electronics
Automated Optical Inspection
B
BGA
C
Change Management
Conformal Coating
D
Design for Manufacturing
E
EMS Provider
EN 9100
F
Flying Probe Test
Full-Service EMS
Functional Test
H
High Mix Low Volume
I
In-Circuit Test
Industrial Electronics
Inspection
IPC Classes
IPC-A-610
ISO 13485
M
Manufacturing Data
Medical Electronics
Multilayer PCB
N
Nanocoating
O
Obsolescence Management
P
PCB Assembly
Pick-and-Place Machine
Potting
Power Electronics
Printed Circuit Board
Protective Coating
Q
Quality Management System
R
Railway Electronics
Reflow Soldering
RoHS
S
Selective Coating
Selective Soldering
SMT
SMT Line
Solder Paste
Solder Paste Inspection
Solder Paste Printing
T
THT Assembly
Traceability
V
Vapor Phase Soldering
W
Wave Soldering
X
X-ray Inspection