Advantages and Manufacturing Process of Customized PCB

Some electronic products require special functions, so customization is often used in production and processing. If your product happens to require customized PCBs, it will be very helpful for you to learn some knowledge about customized PCBs together.

What is a Custom PCB?

As the name suggests, it is a “customized version/variant” of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB). However, a lot more goes into the development, than just mere configurations.

Here are a few quick points about what a custom PCB offers:

Multiple Electronic Component Support: the customized version of circuit boards supports the integration of several electronic components. The integrations range from strips of conductive materials (such as copper), as well as smaller electronic components.
Maximum Optimizations: the optimizations and or configurations are extensive. For example, you could use the customized version of circuit boards for integrating several electrical components and other circuits.
Using a customized version of PCBs is a nice way to save space, integrate many components as possible and balance the complexities of the electronic components with the required functions.

Pros of Ordering Custom PCB Boards

The benefits of ordering custom circuit boards range from having an opportunity to make the boards into whatever needs or uses you may have.

These are some of the additional advantages:

1.The Circuitry is Condensed
One benefit is that the customized boards have a condensed circuitry. This is due to the space-saving or compact design that allows for many electronic components to be fitted into the smallest of spaces.

2.Custom PCBs Offer More Technical Options
You and the custom PCB design company are in charge of the entire process and are better-positioned to improve on the board’s technicalities.

The following are some of the technical benefits:

You can choose between multiple design technologies, such as Surface-Mount Technology (SMT) and Through-Hole Technology (THT). More often, the THT process is prioritized for making a custom circuit board, due to the increased parasitic inductance.
The technicality also allows for the maximization of even the smallest of real estate/space on the board.
You can take advantage of the custom PCB software to manage the circuit boards’ parasitic inductances/properties.

3. Longer Serviceable Life
Circuit boards reduce the overall manufacturing costs and can adapt to different sizes. Further customizations can also increase the usability; hence, the reason why custom PCBs have a longer serviceable life.

When compared to the mass-produced boards; they offer a mix of stronger circuitries and careful assembly. Hence, the custom board is less likely to be plagued by poor soldering and loose-hanging wires.

4.Custom PCBs are Affordable
The affordability of custom circuit boards can be seen in the automated process. With less human and manual inputs, more money is saved from using manpower.

Other cost-saving mechanisms are:

Less resources are required, since the board’s size are subject to further optimization or being made compact.
The automated process comes with other benefits, such as increase quality, repeatability and accuracy.

5. Designing Custom PCBs is a Pathway to Product Originality
Certain electronic products are deemed to be of a higher quality than the others are. This assertion is for a couple of reasons, one of which is the originality of the PCB design.

To ensure the consistency of the designs and related processes, the PCBs can be made to have a similar feature. All you need to do is inform the PCB designer of what you want to achieve and provide the right prototypes. The designer would then go on to replicate the same designs across the different circuit boards.

Here are some of the benefits:

Your circuit boards and the electronic products made from the same will have similar operations.
Your electronic products will be different from those of your competitors, in the sense that the capacities and performances will be different from what theirs has to offer.

6. Custom PCBs are Highly-Efficient
Looking for one of the best boards to use for an electronic product design? Go for the customized PCBs. Their efficiency is mainly because of the design from the “ground-up” and the optimization for specific applications.

Other benefits of placing an order for custom PCBs include:

An overall functionality of the board can be confirmed via the use of the integrated Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lights.
There may be no need for decals, as direct printing serves that purpose.

The processing technology of customized PCB boards

The basic process flow of PCB customization mainly includes: inner circuit → lamination → drilling → hole metallization → outer dry film → outer circuit → silk screen → surface process → post process.

1. Internal circuit: The main process is cutting → pre-treatment → film pressing → exposure → DES → punching.
2. Lamination: Laminate copper foil, prepreg, and brown inner layer circuit boards into multiple layers.
3. Drilling: Through holes are created between layers of the PCB board, which can connect between layers.
4. Hole metallization: Metallizing the non-conductive parts on the hole wall can make the later electroplating process more convenient.
5. External dry film: Expose the required lines on the dry film through graphic transfer technology.
6. External circuit: The purpose is to plate the thickness of copper to the thickness required by the customer, and complete the circuit shape required by the customer.
7. Screen printing: The protective layer of the outer circuit used to ensure the insulation, protection, and soldering resistance of the PCB board.
8. Post process: Complete processing requirements according to customer requirements and conduct testing to ensure quality inspection results.

Precautions during the manufacturing process of PCB circuit boards:

1. Set the shape of the circuit board by drawing lines on the occlusion layer. If the board is not cut, it will be directly sent to plate making.

2. The spacing between lines, between lines and vias, and between copper covers must meet the requirements of the plate making factory, usually 10 mils.

3. Before casting the board, conduct a rule check, focusing on checking for short circuits and open circuits.

4. When arranging components, the distance from the board edge should be at least 2mm.