In the electronics sector, maintaining quality control throughout the manufacturing process is paramount. Ensuring reliability and durability is important for customer satisfaction and for entering sectors with high standards, such as healthcare and automotive. Quality control must be involved in each stage of the production process, and testing must be performed to meet stringent quality standards.
Quality from design to component management
Design for Manufacturing (DFM)
The DFM phase is the cornerstone of quality and efficiency in electronics production. It involves optimizing a product’s design to simplify and streamline the manufacturing process. By considering production constraints and capabilities from the beginning, engineers can select components and board layouts that are easier to assemble, test, and handle. This includes proper component spacing, adherence to trace width specifications, and designing for automated assembly processes. Implementing DFM reduces the likelihood of manufacturing defects, improves yield rates, and ultimately lowers production costs.
This proactive approach to quality management ensures that electronic systems meet high reliability standards before assembly.
Bill of Materials (BOM) & component sourcing
A meticulously managed Bill Of Materials is crucial for ensuring the integrity of an electronic product. A BOM is a comprehensive list of all the raw materials, components, and sub-assemblies required for manufacturing.
The sourcing process must be rigorous and involve selecting trusted suppliers and thoroughly validating all parts. This includes verifying certifications, traceability, and compliance with standards such as the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) . Careful management of the BOM and supply chain is essential for quality assurance, mitigating risks such as counterfeit parts and component obsolescence.
Obsolescence management
End Of Life (EOL) of electronic components poses a significant challenge to manufacturers. Obsolescence management is a proactive strategy that mitigates the risks associated with discontinued parts.
It involves continuously monitoring the component market to identify potential EOL issues before they affect production. An effective management program includes securing last-time buys of critical components, identifying suitable replacements, and requalifying the new part to ensure it meets all technical and regulatory requirements.
Addressing obsolescence starting from the design phase ensures the product’s long-term viability and availability, which is vital for products with extended lifecycles.
Core manufacturing processes
Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA)
The Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) phase is a high-precision operation that is often fully-automated using advanced pick-and-place machines that can mount thousands of components per hour with sub-millimeter accuracy. Quality control at this stage is multifaceted. It begins with the precise application of solder paste onto the board, followed by the placement of components. The entire assembly then passes through a reflow oven, which melts the solder to create permanent, reliable electrical connections.
Quality management involves verifying the correct placement and orientation of each component and ensuring proper solder joint formation to prevent issues such as solder bridges or voids that could compromise performance.
Surface Mount Technology (SMT)
Surface Mount Technology (SMT) is the predominant method for PCBA, which involves mounting components directly onto the board’s surface. The quality of this process is defined by strict controls at each step. After solder paste is stenciled onto the board, components are placed with extreme accuracy using an automatic placement machine. The thermal profile of the reflow oven is a critical quality factor and must be precisely calibrated to activate the solder without damaging the components.
Potential failures such as « tombstoning, » where a component stands on one end, and « bridging, » where excess solder creates an unintended connection, are prevented by quality control measures at this stage. A rigorous SMT process ensures the electrical and mechanical integrity of every solder joint.
Automated Optical Inspection (AOI)
After the SMT process is complete, an AOI must be performed. This advanced technology uses high-resolution cameras to scan the assembled circuit board and meticulously check for visual defects.
The system compares the inspected board to a digital reference image and a set of predefined rules, enabling it to detect a wide range of faults, such as missing components, incorrect placements, solder bridges or misaligned parts.
AOI provides a highly effective, objective, and repeatable inspection that identifies these issues early in the production cycle. This eliminates the inconsistencies of manual checks, and ensures that only boards meeting stringent electronics quality standards proceed to the next phase.
Advanced testing and validation methods
In-Circuit Test (ICT)
An ICT is a fundamental electrical validation method used to verify the integrity of components after they have been soldered onto a circuit board. This process uses a fixture often called a « bed of nails » that makes direct contact with specific test points on the circuit board.
The ICT system applies a series of electrical stimuli and measures the responses to detect defects such as short circuits, open circuits, incorrect component values, and missing parts. ICT provides a highly effective and swift diagnosis of manufacturing faults by isolating each component and its connections.
Detecting issues early, before the board is fully integrated into a larger system, saves time and resources, making ICT a crucial step in electronics quality control.
Functional Circuit Test (FCT)
While ICT validates the electrical integrity of individual components, FCT evaluates how the entire board behaves under simulated operational conditions. This advanced test verifies that the board performs its intended task and that all its components work together as a cohesive system.
The FCT rig can simulate inputs, measure outputs, confirm communication protocols, and check for correct performance across various operating parameters. By verifying the complete functionality of the electronic assembly, FCT detects complex faults that might be missed during a simple electrical test. These faults include timing issues, software bugs or performance degradation under load. FCT is the final quality test before a product is integrated into its final housing, providing critical assurance of its functional reliability.
Ensuring quality control with an EMS partner
Choosing an Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) partner is a strategic decision to ensure the highest quality. With a team of experts, companies such as ACTIA can help you create stringent quality control protocols to achieve your goals and comply with electronics industry standards.
