Printed circuit boards (PCBs) make modern technology a part of everyday life as you know it. Every gadget you use in a day starts with a PCB at its core — from smartphones to computers to smart refrigerators. None of these items could function without the backbone of electronics.
Understanding how far these products have come and their responsibility for advancement in the tech industry helps clarify why they are so important now and in the future. PCB assembly factories offer a variety of capabilities, including trace optimizers to reduce design time. Even the materials used to produce the boards have come a long way in recent years, making them more reliable and less expensive.
1. Compact Functions
The first PCB patent happened in 1903, when German inventor Abert Hanson filed for a device he planned to use in his telephone circuit boards. The number of transistors and connections were obviously much more rudimentary than today, but people were already tapping into the power of PCBs to drive innovation.
Today, PCBs pack in more connections than anyone thought possible in such a tiny board. PCBs are faster, smaller and lighter weight, allowing their use in almost any size device — even a computerized watch. They drive innovation because technology providers can use more powerful and faster boards than ever before.
2. Better Customer Service
Because they are so cheap to produce, when a board fails, companies can easily replace it with a newer and better-functioning one. This leads to better customer satisfaction. In surveys, 90% of people indicated customer experience mattered enough to impact who they purchase products from.
Circuit boards can and do fail, so being ready to fix any issues gives you an advantage over competitors who may not be as fast to respond. Mass production means you can keep PCBs on hand for your tech-support crew and zero wait for your customers when something fails.
3. Multiple Layers
Some PCBs have multiple layers, allowing them to work behind the scenes for complex technology such as massive servers and robotics. Signals become stronger and faster with more layers. Technological changes — such as adopting 5G — benefit from faster data processing.
At the same time, although there are more components, they can be extremely small and placed inside compact products. Multilayer PCBs also reduce the chances of interference. Picture a baby monitor with a camera and how the technology allows parents to view their child while still safeguarding the network from outside forces.
4. Mass Production Capabilities
Another benefit of PCBs is how manufacturers can mass produce them at minimal cost. The more boards a manufacturer makes, the lower the price of each one. It is little surprise mass produced items such as cell phones benefit from using PCBs. Saving time and money on the boards gives inventors a chance to add new features and the latest developments to their cell phones.
5. Long Lasting
When manufactured to be high quality — such as with surface mounting — PCBs tend to last and resist failure. For example, if businesses use computer systems for automobiles or airplanes, consumers expect them to be reliable. System failure could put consumers at risk.
Automakers and aerospace engineers must know they can trust the equipment they put in their products. PCB manufacturers must adhere to strict standards and strive to create lasting boards.
Companies must inspect and monitor the quality of their PCB products closely. Each PCB requires multiple inspections to check the variations and ensure no components are damaged, missing, or otherwise compromised. These various checks help verify a PCB will be long lasting.
6. Easy Diagnosis and Repair
Because they serve one purpose, PCBs are fairly straightforward to diagnose and repair when something goes wrong. Each label on a board shows the polarity of components. Finding issues is a matter of locating the item that is not functioning as expected and fixing it.
If the problem is more extensive and multiple areas are fried, replacing the board and having a fully functioning device in minutes is easy. While a professional technology-repair person should work on PCBs and devices, they are user-friendly enough that many amateurs take on the task after watching a few videos.
7. Faster Turnaround
Conventional boards take longer to put together. A PCB has all the components necessary and speeds up the process significantly. The longest it takes to manufacture particular PCBs is 15 days, while some companies offer options in as little as 24 hours. For businesses looking to put out a product and meet high demand, faster turnaround times can mean the difference between profit or loss.
Imagine making a gadget for consumers and it suddenly becomes popular. A big box retailer wants 10,000 units with a 30-day lead time. Utilizing premade PCBs gives you an edge and ensures you can meet high demand without missing out on sales.
PCBs Will Take the World Into the Future
The technological advances of today are a whirlwind of activity. PCBs are at the heart of everything from artificial intelligence to robots completing repetitive tasks. As machines get faster and smarter and perform more actions, expect the base components to remain somewhat unchanged.
While they may get smaller, have faster processing speeds and become more precise, the basic components will remain the same. Understanding what PCBs are and how they work gives you an edge over the competition and takes your game to the next level.
