New trends in the development of PCB technology

PCB manufacturing is the transformation of a circuit board design that meets design specifications into a physical PCB. Outsourcing is usually done by a contract manufacturer (CM) that strictly follows the specifications provided by the designer. Certain key factors (such as PCB substrate selection, layout strategy, surface coating requirements) are determined prior to manufacturing and these factors can affect manufacturing yield and product performance. Therefore, understanding the PCB manufacturing process and its trends is very important for any PCB designer and manufacturer.

The growing demand for digitization in consumer and industrial electronics has driven many innovations in the PCB manufacturing process. Advanced PCB substrate materials such as epoxy resin and polyamide meet the development needs of the global PCB market. The recycling of PCBs is now receiving a lot of attention to meet environmental and sustainability guidelines set by government authorities.

The communication and automotive industries are the major applications driving the global PCB market. Technologies such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and 5G mobile communications have also affected PCB manufacturers, bringing a revolution in PCB design and manufacturing technology. We'll take a look at the latest PCB design and manufacturing trends.

Flexible Printed Circuit Board

One of the rapidly growing trends in PCB manufacturing is the use of flexible PCBs, as they can become any shape or size. The advantages of flexible PCBs include smaller size, greater flexibility, and multiple substrate options. These properties make them best suited to the requirements of medical, wearable and other specific applications. In addition to Flex PCBs, there are also Rigid-flex PCBs for compact product development.

high density interconnect

Automation in every field has led to increased demand for High Density Interconnect (HDI) PCBs as they provide reliable and high-speed signal transmission. HDI PCBs provide smaller trace widths, resulting in increased routing density. The reduced number of PCB layers also reduces production costs. Therefore, HDI PCBs are critical in smart applications such as aerospace, medical and wearable technology devices.

High Power PCB

With the focus on renewable energy sources such as solar energy, the demand for high-power PCBs is growing substantially. Most solar panels have an operating voltage range of 24 V to 48 V. In addition, electric vehicles have also increased the requirements for high-power boards. Housing a long-lasting battery pack will allow the product to run longer, which requires a high-power circuit board design with efficient heat dissipation.

PCB automatic placement machine

PCB design technology also optimizes efficiency by introducing auto-placers and auto-routers in EDA tools. This automation is accelerating design time to market and improving quality. Going forward, CAD systems will be integrated with the process to increase the speed of design and simulation.

Smart Device Requirements

With the trend of smartphones connecting with smart homes or smart offices, the demand for smart devices is growing. Such applications require scalable and securely connected devices. This could be a huge revenue stream in the future, thus requiring the flexibility and adaptability of PCB manufacturers to capture the market.

COTS components

These are off-the-shelf products for commercial applications, fully or partially designed and assembled to speed up the design process and other benefits. Because they comply with strict standardization and regulatory guidelines, they are an excellent choice for critical and space-based systems. Furthermore, they provide reliability and efficiency with lower overhead. The aerospace industry uses COTS components extensively, and other fields may soon catch up.

Parts Supply Chain Control

As new applications emerge, there are many opportunities to introduce new components. There is a growing need to avoid counterfeit components from the supply chain. This is necessary for critical applications such as medical devices, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, etc. New PCB manufacturing methods are needed to control this problem, such as implanting a microchip inside the component to guard against counterfeiting.

IoT PCB

IoT devices are compact, portable and reliable, prompting PCB manufacturers to adopt security features to prevent tampering. IoT PCBs must follow specific standards and regulations to comply with the required security.

Biodegradable PCBs

It is difficult for traditional PCB to be disposed of harmlessly because it contains a lot of non-degradable chemicals. Waste PCBs create e-waste, increasing the global focus on e-waste management. Biodegradable PCBs are the key to solving this problem, and PCB scrap metal recycling is also required.