What is SMT PCB Assembly?

Surface Mount Technology is the process of mounting electronic components onto the surface of the circuit boards instead of inserting the components through holes. Today, this is the most popular way used in PCB design and manufacturing as it has shown proven results of improving the quality and performance of the overall PCBs.

What are the benefits of SMT PCB assembly?

SMT process reduces manufacturing costs and also makes efficient use of the PCB space. Through effective utilization of SMT, we are able to build highly intricate electronic circuits onto miniature and smaller assemblies by relying on automation.Essentially, you can have the following with SMT - Smaller PCB Size - Higher component density - Fewer drilling holes - Lower cost - Faster production time - Reliability as solder joint formation is more reliable - Stable and high performing even in shaky conditions

Why should I choose Mer-Mar Electronics for SMT PCB assembly service?

Mer-Mar Electronics is an ISO-certified company with a whopping 40 years of experience in PCB assembly services. We are fully equipped with SMT components, tools, and automation machinery for achieving the level of sophistication in mounting the components onto your board. Besides our manufacturing capabilities, we also strictly adhere to quality control measures and regular inspections.

What are the various SMT PCB Assembly types?

SMT assembly types include - Ball Grid Array (BGA) - Ultra-fine Ball Grid Array - Small Outline Integrated Circuit - Plastic Leaded Chip Carrier (PLCC) - Small Chip Packages (SOP) - Quad Flat Package (QFP) - Quad Flat Pack No-Lead (QFN) - Package on Package (POP)

What are the differences between SMT and Through-hole technology?

The key differences are - SMT components are relatively smaller - SMT components can be mounted on both sides of the circuit boards - SMT doesn’t need holes to be drilled through the PCBs

In what way SMT is better than the Through-hole technique?

The through-hole component leads that run through the board and connect the board’s layers are replaced by “vias” which allows conductive connections between different board layers. Also, some of the SMT components like BGAs are better performing with more interconnection pins and shorter leads.

Where are SMT PCB assemblies the most used?

In consumer electronics devices like tablets, mobile phones, there is a need for compact assembly of components onto the printed circuit boards. Here, SMT can be effectively used to make the best and optimum use of the available space. This process also builds lightweight products as there is no need for extra wiring and soldering.

What are the steps involved in the SMT PCB assembly process?

SMT Process begins with the design phase, where components are selected, and the PCB designs are made, the layout is prepared. PCB data is then prepared based on which the manufacturing process kickstarts. Different aspects of the manufacturing process are solder paste printing, solder paste inspection, component placement, reflow soldering, automatic optical inspection (AOI).

What are the things you need to get before you begin the SMT PCB assembly process?

To start the SMT process, we need the components and raw boards to prepare them for production. These things would be validated by your Contract Manufacturer (CM)’s inspection teams to make no mistakes.

Do you follow the manual or automated SMT technologies?

The current trend is automation. So, we follow the same cue. The majority of the SMT parts on your circuit boards will be assembled with automated pick-and-place equipment.

What data do you need to start the process pf SMT PCB assembly?

Make sure you give your PCB contract manufacturer the full and correct design data so that there won’t be any discrepancies in the final mounting and the requirements. Make sure to start early, provide them the data they need.

What are the SMT components that do not fit into the process?

Even though we rely on automated assembly processes, some components cannot be placed. - Components that are lightweight - Those that have too much heat sensitivity - Lack of robust solder joints - Damaged components

Do you have experience with low-volume assemblies?

Yes. We do have a great understanding of low-volume builds. We catch and correct the errors in the assembly process early on with regular inspection points set up in the production line before they get through the next step in production.

SMT PCB Assembly - SMT Assemblies

Leading the way for over 40 years

SMT PCB Assembly

Mer-Mar Electronics California based SMT PCB manufacturer who has 4 decades of experience in providing high-quality SMT PCB assembly in the USA. We have been using the highest quality solder mounting equipment with custom capabilities for the accurate placing of components onto your circuit boards. Our keen engineers have proven efficiencies in creating miniature assemblies and have state-of-the-art facilities for mounting components accurately onto the PCB surface.

We have engineered our assembly for high mechanical strength, flexibility, durability, reliability, and high performance. We focus on meeting the current and future trends to adapt to the technological changes seamlessly and adopted it along with traditional techniques like Through-hole technology. We pay careful attention to note down and respond to the users’ requirements. Whether you need a low volume or high volume, semi-automatic or fully automatic SMT assembly, we have a system in line with meeting your throughput & budget requirements.

SMT PCB assembly company provides

1. High-Efficiency

Mer-Mar Electronics’ surface mount assemblies’ operations are flawless and done with precision. We are constantly improving the efficiency of circuit board manufacturing.

2. Minimal Knock-on Effects

By improving the production efficiencies, we strive to reduce the knock-on effects that can have serious negative repercussions on business especially when you go for large batch sizes where the impact would be massive.

3. Specialized in Miniature Products

We are skilled in building SMT assemblies those are small in size but run super smoothly while integrating numerous components. We thus have become experts in facilitating lightweight and portable electronics.

4. Error Reduction

By the use of automated SMT of components into high-quality PCBs ready to go into production, we are speeding up the production rates and also reducing the margin of errors during the manufacturing.

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PCB SMT Services

We provide all-in-one SMT Assembly Services for leading edge and accurate components mounting.
Explore the brief information about our surface mount assembly services:

Surface Mounted components placement

None can beat us at accurately aligning and mounting the components onto the printed circuit boards. We are the best at finely positioning the components and aligning the endpoints with minimal errors. Get unmatched Component placement and orientation for all your electronic devices. With the increase of the component varieties, we have also improved our capabilities for aiming for the perfect mounting of surface components. Whether you need flexibility or speed or both, we have the best equipment in the industry to achieve all your requirements.

BGA reballing and rework

Mer-Mar Electronics is known to provide comprehensive and performance-enhancing BGA rework and reballing services to maintain the efficacy of SMT circuit boards. We have the capabilities to provide solution-driven BGA rework and repair assignments and restore them to the original performance and quality levels. Our services include reballing, pad & track repair, BGA site modification, repair, and replacement. We successfully overcome the performance challenges and also try to keep the defects in check. Any irregularities that may arise can be resolved by a meticulous and diligent BGA rework.

SMT PCB Stencil

Our engineers rely on advanced machines for SMT PCB stencils and component placement for board assembly. We use such materials that can withstand harsh working conditions without any errors. By opting for better quality stencils, we ensure to reduce errors, assure optimal performance, and meet the soldering requirements. We have the expertise to offer you the right advice on what type of stencil is more suitable for your PCBs that are more compact and efficient with proper positioning of the components.

SMT Soldering

With our special techniques and equipment, we perform SMT soldering during the PCB assembly. We ensure all the components that are put in place during the soldering processes are not damaged and even the final soldered quality is higher. Many times, equipment failures have happened due to low-quality soldering. We provide high soldering quality to optimize the PCB assembly process, improve the overall equipment reliability, and adhere to the highest quality standards. We hold experience in all the SMD soldering techniques like hand soldering, hot air soldering, and hot plate soldering.

Reflow soldering

We further provide reflow soldering options for your board as you move towards the completion of the assembly process. Get a proper reflow profile for building acceptable solder joints without causing any damage to the parts or assembly. For the reflow soldering process, we pick the suitable machines, acceptable reflow profile, PCB component footprint design, well-designed stencils, high quality PCB, components & solder paste, and repeatable placement of surface mount components. We even get the profiled assembly for a lead-free solder by not causing any damage to the components at maximum temperatures.

Fine Pitch Device Processing

Get professional and sophisticated high-density PCB assemblies with a significantly high number of components that are extremely close together as we push the tolerance limits. Even for the finest and miniature components, where you need smaller pads, we pick the right machines and place the components accurately. We also go for X-ray inspection if you choose to go with leadless and grid-array-based components. Our design and board vendor team work closely for designing fine pitch circuit boards and processing.

Advanced SMT PCB Assembly

Our advanced SMT PCB assembly lines are capable of manufacturing complex assemblies with products that have high thermal demand, HDI (high-density Interconnect), high-mix ratios, and miniaturized assemblies. We also optimize the process through X-ray machines, AOI machines, SMT pick and place equipment. As the customers require, we also provide RoHS-compliant assembly or leaded one. We are considered to be experts in assembling SMT PCBs of all sizes, types, and can handle a wide range of SMT components from passive chip components to active packages like micro-BGA, QFN, PoP, and more with our automated assembly lines.

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SMT PCB assembly capabilities

Mer-Mar Electronics has a state-of-the-art assembly plant that allows us to manage your project through beginning the assembly process diligently. We are capable of fulfilling all PCB assembly types and sizes needed from basic and traditional Through-hole PCB Assembly to standard Surface mount PCB assembly to ultra-fine pitch BGA assembly. We specialize in offering SMT PCB manufacturing services from small volume to medium/large production volumes. We are also capable of performing single and double-sided SMT assembly placement of all component types. We can accomplish wave soldering using cutting-edge equipment.

Our SMT Assembly capabilities include –

Full SMT Assembly line
Single and double-sided Assembly
Mixed Technology
Low to high volume production assembly
ESD controlled area

Mer-Mar also offers the smallest and compact components capable of providing varied customer needs including –

Smallest components 01005, 0201, 0402
Assemble 0.25mm fine pitch parts
Leadless components, BGA, µBGA, LGA, package on package, etc.

Major Pieces of Equipment
Juki JX-100 SMT Pick & Place Machine
Specifications	6 heads with laser alignment, 14,400 components per hour small chip 8mm or less Placement points per program 2,000
Applicable Component Sizes	Height: min: 0.3mm max: 6mm Size: min: 0.75 x 0.5mm max: 33.5mm sq Lead Pitch: 15 mil
Applicable PCB Size	min: X 50mm x Y 30mm max: X 330mm x Y 250mm thickness min: 0.4mm max: 4mm

Zevatech FS-750 SMT Pick & Place Machine
Specifications	3 heads with laser alignment, 8,000 components per hour small chip 8mm or less Placement points per program 2,000
Applicable Component Sizes	Height: min: 0.3mm max: 6mm Size: min: 1.0 x 0.5mm max: 23.5mm sq Lead Pitch: 15 mil
Applicable PCB Size	min: X 50mm x Y 30mm max: X 330mm x Y 250mm thickness min: 0.4mm max: 4mm

Zevatech PM-570 SMT Pick & Place Machine
Specifications	Single head with laser alignment, 3870 components per hour max rating Placement points per program 2,000
Applicable Component Sizes	Height: max 6mm Size: min 1.0 x 0.5mm max: 33.5 sq Lead Pitch: 15 mil
Applicable PCB Size	min: X 30mm x Y 30mm max: X 406mm x Y 330mm thickness min: 0.6mm max: 2.5mm

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Various industrial applications of SMT PCB assembly services

As the Surface Mount Technology picked up momentum, there has been a constant increase in the usage of this technique across a multitude of industries. The market share of SMT services has been increasing by the day.

Some of the industries that utilize Mer-Mar Electronics for SMT PCBA are –

Aerospace
Consumer Electronics
Defense
LED components
Medical and Health care
Transport and Automotive Electronics
Telecommunication & Mobile communications

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SMT Assembly Techniques

SMT assembly is different from the through-hole technology and it requires different SMT equipment. We not only have the requisite equipment but also the experience and expertise for providing varied techniques. Also, for a majority of the SMT parts on a PCB, we go for pick-and-place equipment for assembling.

We first prepare the raw boards and the components for production after a thorough validation by our inspection teams. Once we gather these, then we prepare the boards for assembly.

Screen Printing Process

We use this method for applying the solder paste to the SMT pads on the board using a stencil that we design from the CAD output file used to build the raw PCB. These boards then conveyed into the reflow soldering process where we take every measure not to cause damage to the boards and components due to high temperatures.

We provide different reflow soldering techniques like infrared reflow, hot gas convection, and also vapor phase reflow. We also comply with RoHS guidelines and hence adhere to the tighter controls on the soldering in this process. We repeat this process on the 2nd side as well. We also have massive experience in the wave soldering process as well.

Once we finish the soldering process, the PCB Assembly cleaning needs to remove any flux residues and any stray solder balls that may potentially short out the closely spaced component leads. We have SMT solvent cleaning machines for this purpose.

Solder Paste Inspection

After applying the solder paste, we run the boards through solder paste inspection for evaluating the paste location, the physical volume of the paste, and other key indicators.

The SMT techniques differ as per the soldering methods and assembly.

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SMT Assembly Testing Capabilities

Mer-Mar Electronics makes it mandatory to perform visual inspections to see if there are any missing or misaligned components or issues with solder bridging. Besides, manual inspections, we also use SMT inspection machines for this purpose. If any fault is found during this rigorous inspection process, we send back the board for rework. Once the rework is done, we once again test the boards to verify if everything is working correctly.

We make sure no mistake has been made and that all parts are in the right place by using an AOI machine. As the 3D technology rolled out, we also started going for it instead of 2D inspection and avoided any false calls. With 3D inspection, we go for accurate measurements for a more stable inspection process.

Different Testing Services during SMT Assembly

Automated Optical Inspection

For pre- and post-solder to identify the component presence, placement, and solder quality.

After the component placement, we perform an automated optical inspection to make sure that all the components are mounted in the right place. We use AOI machines for verifying the components’ placement, orientation, and polarity.

We also perform a post-reflow AOI to make sure no mistakes are made and then we perform an X-ray inspection for the process verification.

X-ray Testing

We go for this test to check on leadless components through an x-ray image of them and the solder joints to make sure that everything is working as expected.

In-circuit Testing

Through this, we look for any joint failures and we perform this through bed-of-nails tests.

Functional Testing

We perform this to ascertain PCBs will work productively and as per the requirements after the SMT assembly. With testing, we ensure the quality of delivered range of SMT PCB assemblies.

SMT PCB Assembly FAQs

Looking for SMT PCB assembly, SMT SMD PCB, Surface Mount assembly or any custom SMT PCB from Mer-mar Electronics? Send us inquiry to Get a Quick PCB Assembly Quote based on your custom requirements.

If you have any queries regarding to our SMT PCB assembly or need an urgent assistance, then please don’t hesitate to contact our team of skilled personnel’s. Send us an email with your queries at sales@mermarinc.com or call us at (760) 244-6149. We are looking forward to hearing from you.