Printed circuit boards, or PCBs, are essentially the lifeblood of the devices we use every day. Cellphones, TVs, cars, street lights and so many other devices rely on PCBs, which is why it can be extremely disruptive when one fails.

As an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), your success greatly depends on your products' functionality and durability. In this regard, the printed circuit boards (PCBs) you use are arguably the most important aspect. Serving as the heart of electronic components, PCBs have a wide range of applications, such as connecting various components via a series of related circuits.

If there's one thing that takes center stage in the aerospace industry, it's safety. This, of course, comes hand in hand with high-quality components.

So, you’ve made the choice to design a custom PCB for your design. Instead of buying off the shelf electronics.. but what’s next? 

While there are many common printed circuit board defects, one of the most notorious is burnt components. It's also, unfortunately, one of the most damaging defects, as it can be difficult to repair and challenging to diagnose where the issue stemmed from. 

As electronics have become increasingly embedded in our day-to-day, the manufacturing process for printed circuit boards (PCBs) has adapted. Electronics have become smaller and smaller, and the PCBs that go in those products have had to shrink to keep up. The demand for tiny PCBs has led to a drastic increase in the use of surface mount technology (SMT) -- which has taken over the traditional through-hole manufacturing process that dominated electronics into the 1980s.

When outsourcing electronics manufacturing, there’s more to consider than just price.  Often, the best electronic contract manufacturers (ECMs) are the ones that have the necessary industry-specific certifications. 

OEM circuit board applications cover a wide range of consumer and commercial products, from automobiles to microwaves to IoT devices that automate the functioning of smart facilities. 

When printed circuit boards fail, you can face costly and potentially disastrous consequences. So how do you pick up the pieces afterward?

Understanding the common causes of PCB failure and the tools available to prevent future failures can minimize the stress and cost of dealing with dead PCBs. 

When searching for a reliable electronics contract manufacturing (ECM), one of the first questions you’ll probably ask is, “What certifications do they have?”

While many ECMs are RoHS, MSHA, or IPC 6011 compliant, not all have Nadcap accreditation. 

You’ve heard about the many great feats and discoveries in the aerospace industry. You’ve also heard about the tragedies that have happened when a design has gone wrong.

Prototyping isn’t reserved for high-tech vehicles or revolutionary consumer gadgets. It’s also a great practice for manufacturing printed circuit boards. 

With the rise of IoT and technology in general, electronics are featured in myriad environments. This means that sensitive electronic connections are potentially exposed to hazards like extreme temperatures, moisture, and dust that can harm components and disrupt the integrity of the assembly itself.

Confused about REACH vs. RoHS compliance? You’re not alone. These two sets of electronics manufacturing guidelines were born from the European Union’s concern for human health and the environment.

It’s time for your organization to begin production of a new electronic device. For one reason or another, you’re in no position to take care of the work in-house. This means that you need to find a good partner to outsource the effort.

For many companies, the focus on printed circuit board (PCB) production is on-time-delivery and quality. However, just as important to a product’s success and longevity is PCB testing. 

The two most acknowledged forms of effective testing are in-circuit testing (ICT) and flying probe testing. Both are effective at finding lapses in production quality, but the flying probe test is proving to be an especially cost-effective method to improve board standards.

Most often, the foundation, or base, of a printed circuit board (PCB) consists of a substrate and laminate. Different substrate and laminate materials determine how the PCB will perform. So, selecting the right types of PCB material for the intended purposes is critical to achieving the best possible:

Cable jackets serve as the first line of defense for wires and cables – which makes choosing the right jacketing material essential. So, you might be asking, what’s the best material for cable jackets?

At this point, we’re all familiar with light emitting diode (LED) lights. From the bright, efficient bulbs replacing the old filament lamps, to the flashy, colorful strips mounted behind TVs and monitors. 

Medical device product life cycle management is a challenge at the best of times. When supply chains are disrupted (such as during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020), it becomes even harder.

These challenges are a way of life for any device that needs to go through an extensive certification process. Since medical equipment is as high-stakes as it gets, it undergoes a more extensive review than most. 

Fortunately, there are ways that you can stay ahead of the curve.

You buy your electronic components, your machines are up and running, customers are happy, your workers are happy -- everything is good. Invoice paid, accounts receivable piling up. Paradise. 

More manufacturers these days are realizing the benefits of using external PCB assembly services versus a DIY approach. Allowing an electronics contractor to lend its expertise has resulted in happier, more efficient OEMs.

Let’s face it, soldering is difficult. It takes years of training to get good at the right kinds of solders, and even machines don’t always get it 100% right. It’s inevitable that you’ll run into PCB soldering defects at one point or another. 

Plastic waste may snag all of the headlines, but it's not the only type of waste overwhelming landfills and contaminating soil and water.

It seems simple enough. If you’re a manufacturer who uses electronic components to build your products for American or international markets, you need RoHS 3 compliance. The U.S., China, and other countries have established electronics manufacturing standards on dangerous materials, closely styled after the EU’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances. 

You just installed your new PCBs in your machines and they’re working great! Dust off your hands and pat yourself on the back; the hard part’s done, right?

Even in our vastly internet-dominated world, nothing has quite replicated the impact of a face-to-face discussion with vendors and fellow engineers. Electronics manufacturing trade shows are valued for their inherent ability to establish a relationship and answer questions in ways you simply cannot achieve via email or over the phone.

Electronic contract manufacturers use these shows to break ground with engineers and purchasers in a variety of fields. Let’s take a look at some of the best electronics manufacturing expos out there for you to start meeting great new partners and vendors in the next year or two.

This list has been updated to account for postponed and rescheduled shows affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2006, the European Union rolled out a directive restricting the use of certain hazardous chemicals. This directive, Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), would have a far-reaching impact on the electronics industry. Its restrictions on using lead would send manufacturers scrambling to revise their practices or adopt entirely new ones. Thanks to a follow-up directive in 2011, manufacturers now hustle to meet RoHS 2 compliance.

Yes, it’s not a punitive law full of fines and penalties. But if you’re a U.S. company, noncompliance is basically an impassable barrier to entry to the EU trade market. So if you want to do business abroad, don’t mess around -- comply.

When it comes to making a custom electronic cable and harness assembly, the little details matter. A faulty wire or a bad connection could ruin an expensive piece of equipment and slow down manufacturing processes. 

In the strict world of printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication and manufacturing, one key factor in the OEM’s success is paying close attention to industry standards. The guiding light for PCB manufacturing is IPC 6011. 

When you order printed circuit boards (PCB), you know the pricey consequence of failure. The last thing you need financially is for your PCBs to suddenly drop dead -- or to have a shortened life span because of a design or QA issue.

PCB assembly testing methods are an integral part of the manufacturing process. Reputable electronics contract manufacturers (ECMs) offer a variety of PCB testing methods, enough that sometimes it’s hard to keep them straight.

When you’re looking for a PCB engineering services provider, there are, of course, multiple things to consider. “Will they be able to meet my specific needs?” is likely your first and foremost concern. 

Electronics manufacture and testing are like squabbling siblings. PCB testing is a necessary expense that, when done correctly, prevents much larger and more embarrassing damage control when your product goes to market.

Electronic devices are the sum of their parts, including the box in which you house them. 

Massive amounts of money are at play when it comes to power distribution electronics. The electronic product development life cycle frequently sparks frustration among OEMs in this industry because parts steadily wear out and require attention to keep critical infrastructure operating.

Full-blown replacement of a product is neither cost-effective nor efficient when downtime is harmful to both OEM and end consumer. It's absolutely crucial that you're always thinking about the electronic component life cycle and making plans for the future. 

Deciding on the best testing method for your printed circuit board can be a daunting task. There are plenty of factors to take into consideration, including costs, coverage, and development lead time. However, there are two popular test strategies you’ll often find yourself choosing between: ICT testing vs flying probe testing.

As you know painfully well, the coronavirus is causing growing demand for medical ventilators and other "life-sustaining" devices. As hospital visits begin to surge, the medical device supply chain is being stretched thin.

The products that your organization is preparing to develop call for printed circuit boards (PCBs) -- simple enough, right? Not exactly. Components and boards come in many shapes, sizes, and materials.

Tests for printed circuit boards (PCBs) come in many varieties based on cost, breadth, time, and other factors. There are many ways to test your PCB, but in-circuit testing, known as ICT, is the most advanced and accurate method. 

PCB (printed circuit board) costs are a concern for any electronics designers or manufacturers -- both the materials that go into PCBs and the expertise required to make them safe and reliable.

There’s no perfect playbook to establishing and maintaining major transportation projects like subways, bus systems, and other transit developments.

Change management is usually a requirement in the electronics industry. This specifically relates to changes needed after the initial design of your project. In the electronics industry, an engineering change order (ECO) is the most common example of change management.

Understanding your marketing is key to a successful product run. That applies not only to your customers, but their home country as well.

The benefits of new technologies in health care are awesome. Developers are showing off some amazing ideas for medical devices. It’s no surprise that medical electronics companies are rushing to be at the forefront of tech.

Just about any piece of electronics can be dangerous when they’re manufactured poorly. But when you’re manufacturing for the mining industry, you’re in especially big trouble if your product is a liability in the field.

Electronic component shortages have been a hindrance on a booming electronics marketplace throughout 2018, 2019, and into 2020. While new orders roll in and production remains steady, there simply haven’t been enough capacitors, resistors and other parts to go around.

With the addition of tariffs on imported Chinese goods and mandatory factory shutdowns due to COVID-19, most contract manufacturers are racing to understand what’s ahead for their already-constrained supply chain.

“If it’s broke, don’t fix it” will never fly for public transportation, mining equipment, or many other high-impact electronics projects. An electronics OEM is expected to keep things running by replacing or fixing components or entire products -- whether it’s affordable to do so or not.

Turnkey manufacturing -- buzzword or worth looking into?

Do you work for an original equipment manufacturer, or OEM? Chance are you’ve crossed paths with a project requiring an electronic manufacturing services company.

As today’s electronics designs become smaller and more complex, more engineers are relying on surface mount technology. After the 1980s, this technology became the preferred PCB assembly technology in electronics manufacturing and hasn’t let up since.

A tanker departed from Freeport LNG in September 2019 with the first export cargo produced at the Houston facility. The late-afternoon moment in which it left shore strengthened the United States’ position as a major global supplier of the super-chilled fuel known as liquid nitrogen gas (LNG).

When an OEM is sourcing out work -- let alone aerospace electronics manufacturing -- it’s likely to come across companies that boast about all sorts of certifications and capabilities.

There’s a certain need for speed in manufacturing circuit boards -- the electronics industry demands it, and your end users demand it. But how quick is too quick?

You probably take plenty of steps to protect intellectual property at your OEM. But what about the other guys handling your sensitive secrets?

As electronics OEM engineers well know, the printed circuit board (PCB) is crucial to the proper operation of just about every electronics product manufactured today. And complex electronics products for important jobs like mining, medical devices, and aerospace must be 100% failsafe.

Modern electronics are evolving so rapidly that new becomes old in just a few years -- or less, if you’re an iPhone superfan. In fact, the average life of a new integrated circuit is less than 2 years.

“How will my idea go from conception to finished product at your company?” It’s a question we hear a lot, and a good one. It’s natural to want to know who you’re dealing with and how far their capabilities extend.

Prototyping is just as important to the electronics manufacturing process as designing, engineering, and testing. Ignore it at your own risk.

NOTE: This article was updated on September 16, 2019 to reflect recent information regarding tariffs.

Two days after Independence Day 2018, President Donald Trump’s aggressive new tariffs went into effect, imposing an extra 25% tax on imported Chinese goods. This affected over $50 billion worth of “industrially significant technologies” used by U.S. electronics manufacturers and their buyers. 

When user safety depends on equipment functioning reliably -- as is the case with many medical devices and handheld mining equipment, for example -- electronic components must be trustworthy.

In electronics manufacturing, printed circuit boards are separated into three categories: 1, 2, and 3. The categories reflect the level of quality of each circuit board type, from lowest (Class 1 standards) to highest (Class 3 standards). This classification system was developed and is monitored by IPC under the IPC-6011 standard.

Electromechanical PCB box build assembly services are one of the most important offerings of electronics contract manufacturers. In addition to the manufacturing and population of PCBs (printed circuit boards), this full turnkey production is a simple, all-in-one approach to addressing your manufacturing needs. This includes wire harnesses, metal fabrication, and sub-level assemblies.

PCB contamination testing is not for every project, but it’s a lifesaver for some.

There is no shortage of reasons to test a PCB assembly, and there is no shortage of ways to do it. Out of the many functional tests available, PCB microsection analysis has a pretty specific purpose.

For those in the electronics manufacturing supply chain, RoHS compliance is a big deal. Hopefully you’ve treated it as such well in advance of the July 22, 2019, RoHS 3 deadline.

You’re an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in need of an electronics contract manufacturer to supply circuit boards for a product you haven’t built before. One of the first questions you need to ask is: “Should the boards meet Class 2 or Class 3 electronics standards?”

Solder is what makes the electrical connections work on your printed circuit board (PCB). Solderability, then, measures how well metal is wetted by molten solder to secure those connections. It’s one of the most essential PCB testing methods.

In the constantly evolving world of technology, safety remains a top concern among engineers during development. Whether it’s a sensor in your car, your son’s handheld video game, or a surgically implanted medical device in your elderly neighbor, we need assurance that our products are intrinsically safe (IS) during use.

If you’re considering switching an existing electronic product design from through-hole technology to surface mount technology (SMT), you’ll want to do your homework first.

Two things are fairly certain about the current electronic component shortage: It’ll end, and it’ll someday return.

International Traffic and Arms Regulation (ITAR) came about in 1976 because of a need to control the export of military equipment and related sensitive information. Today, government enforcement of these regulations is far stricter than the Cold War days.

The electronics manufacturing supply chain ranks #1 as a source of risk to many OEMs. These snags include environmental and other international regulations, which at times may seem as tangled as the wires behind your desktop.

When introducing a new electronic product design, many OEMs don’t fully understand the differences between IPC classifications -- or understand them at all.

Among the serial data interfaces -- SPI, Flex I2C, and many more -- available for electronic equipment, two stand out for their longevity. In spite of the dozens of new kids on the block, RS232 and RS485 remain popular.

Medical device companies looking for a PCB design and assembly partner have many important factors to consider, all with the end user’s well-being at risk. Finding an experienced, ISO 13485 certified manufacturer is one of the most important.

If there's anything certain in the U.S.-China tariffs staredown, it's uncertainty.

Many industrial and manufacturing operations are looking closely at wireless industrial controls to see what benefits they offer. These wireless systems definitely have advantages -- enabling your systems to communicate more effectively with one another and with your team -- but they require an investment in time and capital to utilize.

There are major regulation change coming to electronics in Europe, and it’s important for everyone to take note, including U.S. manufacturers who sell to EU customers.

PCB design is tricky. Depending on how complex your project is -- or how much is at stake if something fails -- you may need top-end testing before launching your product.

Box build assembly. Systems integration. Top level assembly.

Microelectromechanical systems, or MEMS, are the microscopic building blocks of current electronics. Look no further than the smartphone in your pocket -- these tiny devices make up many of the sensors in our phones that collect data like motion and image stabilization.

These little pieces have opened up a world of possibilities for companies looking to innovate with their products and craft revolutionary new ones Here’s a quick-and-dirty MEMS design guide to help your PCB design for electromechanical assemblies compete with the best.

In an ideal world, getting a quote for prototype production from your electronics contract manufacturer (ECM) would go smoothly and quickly. But the reality of prototype quoting is much less streamlined than either original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) or ECMs would like.

If you’ve put in the hard work of designing an electronic product, chances are you have high expectations for its success with your target market. But before you can get anything into the hands of customers, you need to have it in a project box that protects your carefully designed product and makes it truly useful and accessible.

Your great, new electronics product is almost ready to go. All you need is ICT testing (in-circuit testing) -- or perhaps another method of testing.

There are many areas in life where accepting mistakes as inevitable is a good thing -- electronics manufacturing is not one of them. The end goal should always be to complete a production run with zero defects. While it may not be possible every time, it’s certainly the mindset you want your contract manufacturer to have.

So, how can you handle business on your end to make sure no defects exist in your electronics build?

The decision to single or dual source from electronics manufacturing services partners plays a heavy hand in determining the infrastructure of your supply chain. Each option has its advantages and potential hazards, and each OEM needs to determine the best fit based on its own size, order volumes, demand, etc.

The decision on which electronics manufacturing supplier to choose can be a difficult one. The outcome of the quoting process often decides who will build your assemblies. That’s why inaccurate quotes are a back-breaker for both OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and ECMs (electronics contract manufacturers).

For example, let’s say you received a quote from a supplier that was higher than your desired threshold. Other than that, this OEM checks all the boxes of an ideal supplier. However, you simply cannot accept a quote in that range. Little did you know; the quote was inaccurate, and the price was more in line with your targeted range.

Sure, this could be the fault of the ECM’s quoting process, and that would be on them. But if the OEM did not provide all the necessary printed circuit board (PCB) documentation up front, a missing file could have the same effect.

If you needed a pacemaker to keep your heart beating as it should, would you settle for the level of electronics quality you’d find in a cheap toy for toddlers? That’s the essential difference betweenIPC Class 1 assembly requirements and Class 3 electronics requirements.

Maintaining an accurate inventory can result in an elevated manufacturing process, increasing efficiency in production, ensuring on-time delivery, and allowing for timely action in the event of bottlenecks.

When talking with salespeople, design engineers, and other contacts within an electronic contract manufacturer, you may hear a lot of terms thrown about. Many of them -- often turned into acronyms are said with the assumption that you know what they mean.

For engineers and especially purchasers, this can be a pain -- especially if you’re trying to read design recommendations, testing results, or that quote you requested.

Choosing the right electronic manufacturing services (EMS) supplier can play a big part in the success of your company. Pick the right partner and you can rely support that helps you achieve optimal results from your new product introduction. Pick the wrong EMS supplier and you are in for:

A dedicated safety program has netted the contract manufacturer its second state-recognized safety award in four years.

On Oct. 4, a story by Bloomberg that detailed allegations of China’s military infiltration into servers used by about 30 U.S. companies and top government agencies sent shockwaves across the tech industry. According to Bloomberg, Chinese spies sneaked tiny microchips capable of editing code from a remote location into motherboards of servers made by the world’s leading server maker – Super Micro Computer, commonly referred to as Supermicro.

When sourcing your PCB assembly needs to an electronics contract manufacturer, you expect a fast and accurate quote to begin the process. It’s in the best interest of both the OEM and the manufacturer to prioritize accuracy from the beginning.

Matric Limited’s successful safety program has once again been honored with the Governor’s Award for Safety Excellence.

Ball grid arrays are a form of high-density, low-cost packaging in the PCB industry.

It’s too early to tell with certainty how U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods implemented in 2018 will truly affect U.S. electronics contract manufacturers. The signals from major players like Cisco Systems, Apple, and IBM so far are not happy ones.

Conflict minerals are both a vital component (no pun intended) of the electronics industry and at the same time one of its biggest headaches. Since 2010, U.S.-based electronics companies have been required to determine whether certain components in their products came from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, one of the world’s largest sources of conflict minerals.

Electronic contract manufacturers (ECMs) regularly tout the certifications they possess -- just take a look at their websites. Hey, even we do it. And it’s for good reason: Certifications communicate what your company is capable of to potential customers. It also communicates trustworthiness and dependability. If you’re a medical company seeking electronics manufacturing, the ISO 13485 certification is the most important one to you.

The IPC standards chart (or tree, in some circles) provides guidelines for the production and assembly requirements of electronics manufacturing companies. Each “code” on the tree is a standard or document outlining the guidelines or requirements for building an assembly.

Printed circuit boards are vital components of many modern-day electrical gadgets. Printed circuit board layout is made up of numerous layers of copper traces and circuits that help make connections between various parts, as well as plastic and other types of materials that are used to cover and shield the connections from the surroundings.

How you design and manufacture printed circuit boards (PCBs) largely determines how well these boards will work in the final product. Unfortunately, layout is becoming increasingly difficult and complicated, as new board circuit designs are being shrunk to fit in electrical devices that become becoming smaller and smaller each year.

Optimizing PCB layout design for manufacturability is one of the most crucial aspects of your product’s development process. Key decisions made during the design stage often have a tremendous impact on the cost and success of your product’s manufacturing and production.

Perhaps the most groan-inducing aspect of electronics manufacturing is component sourcing. Limited availability, dubious component quality, and conflict mineral laws are common causes of you and your manufacturer’s headaches when it comes to sourcing parts.

Fortunately, programs exist that reduce the hassle of this experience, in turn lowering risk in your supply chain. The program of choice at Matric Group is SiliconExpert, and in this article I’ll tell you why your ECM (electronics contract manufacturer) should be using this program -- and how it makes an OEM’s life easier.

If your manufacturing projects involve electronics, you’re likely facing the challenge of extended electronic component lead times. Certain parts that used to take 12 weeks to come in are now taking upward of 30 weeks. Some parts even take a full year to arrive.

It’s nice news for distributors, who can take advantage of this “shortage” and charge higher prices, but it’s not a good deal for OEMs -- especially considering the importance of fast time to market in today’s need-it-now world.

Here’s a closer look at why there’s a shortage of certain components today and what your company can do about it:

(The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development's PA Proud blog recently spoke with Matric Group President and CEO Rick Turner to learn how our growing, innovative EMS company utilized the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority [PIDA] program to invest in its future with upgraded machinery and job training. PIDA provides low-interest loans and lines of credit to businesses that commit to creating and retaining full-time jobs, and for the development of industrial parks and multi-tenant facilities.)

Testing and inspection are vital parts of electronics contract manufacturing, for obvious reasons. Before that shipment of PCBs arrives on your doorstep, you want to be sure you’re getting what you paid for -- a properly assembled, fully functional circuit board. One of the most important tests your manufacturer can put your boards through to make sure that happens is called burn-in testing, and it could save you a lot of time, money, and trouble.

Perhaps without realizing it, you use embedded systems and IoT every single day of your life.

“I use what?” you might’ve just asked.

The most painful part of developing with electronics is knowing your success is fleeting. Eventually, all parts must die, or at least fade away into irrelevance. But there’s something you can do about it. Obsolescence management can guide you through this difficult process.

Losing a key component at the wrong time can be downright terrifying to OEM teams trying to get a product out. So what can an OEM do about obsolete electronic parts?

As with most things you can purchase, there’s a strenuous relationship between cost and quality when it comes to PCB assemblies. However, there is a happy medium to be found between the two, and these tips can help reduce PCB assembly cost without sacrificing quality.

Without a doubt, the development of enhanced inspection equipment has been critical to the PCB assembly industry. The speed and precision of Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) and Automated X-Ray Inspection (AXI) techniques have allowed PCB manufacturers to keep in demand with the increasing complexity of today’s electronics.

There comes a day in nearly every engineer’s and buyer’s lives when they need a printed circuit board (PCB) for their company’s next electronic product. Whether you have a working knowledge of PCB layout design or are a newbie, it helps to grasp the start-to-finish journey a design makes.