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Drawing blanks: our guide sourcing PCB blank boards

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They say that from small acorns mighty oak trees grow.

In electronics it’s on blank PCB boards that the grandest of designs are etched – and components mounted – to create the mightiest of devices.

In this review, we’re going to talk you through the options you have when you source blank boards for your electronic PCB assembly.

Taking each option in turn, we’ll explore the different supply routes available to you and the benefits that each offers at each stage of production.

Of the factors affecting your choice you will need to consider:

  • Time
  • Cost
  • Quality
  • Availability
  • Regulatory requirements for finished product
  • Performance requirements for finished product
  • Reliability and reputation of supplier

Of course, a very real benefit of working closely with an EMS partner is to take advantage of their expertise in managing the supply chain to meet your requirements and goals. At Chemigraphic our thorough and proactive approach to sourcing ensures you can overcome supply chain challenges and realise your great oaks every time.

Blank board demand

Demand for PCBs – and the blank boards on which they are created – continues to grow.

The world market for PCBs first exceeded the $60 billion mark back in 2014. It is estimated to be touching close to the $80 billion mark by 2024, thanks to a CAGR of 3.1%.

With demand sailing this high, you’d expect some competitive drops in prices for the blank boards – but price is very much dependant on the volumes you are ordering in and the timelines you are working to.

We’ll review later how it can be subject to other factors too.

How to source your supply of PCB blank boards

The three main routes for sourcing blank PCB boards are:

  • Quick turnaround routes
  • Third-party broker routes
  • Direct from overseas manufacturer routes

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each of these.

The quick turnaround route

This is usually best-suited to the speed and low volumes demanded during the rapid prototyping <link> of products in the pre-manufacture stage.

Typically, small volumes are required for this, but they are needed very quickly. The need for speed here has tended to mean that UK or European suppliers are used to expedite the orders. But times are changing: as closer relationships are developed with overseas suppliers – particularly based in Special Economic Zones in China – then these are being increasingly used as a quick turnaround option. Delivery times are rapidly dropping and cost savings on even small quantities of blank boards from Asia can be significant.

It is time, and not cost, that remains the main driving force for using quick turnaround suppliers. Ideal for rapid prototyping and proof of concept, they are also be used for unexpected or top-up orders should insufficient stock be held in reserve.

The main drawback of such orders is related to their instant availability. They tend to offer limited technical capabilities (because they are produced so quickly) and come at a higher unit cost (because they are produced in such small quantities).

This makes them unsuitable for more complex or larger volume projects.

The third-party broker route

Using a broker or agent in an offshore location can quickly open out a base of contacts and established relationships with manufacturers and suppliers in that region.

This is an option that tends to be used when first using blank boards from an area or when looking to create an expanded list of trusted suppliers within it.

The obvious benefit offered is that it minimises risk when using a new supply source – the relationship is guaranteed, and the responsibility owned, by the broker.

Brokers can also be useful should a regular supplier’s prices unexpectedly rise or if there are supply shortages from this established source.

As the broker is ordering regularly with suppliers for a large number of customers, there is also the benefit of the reduced costs that their consolidated spend brings.

For medium-volume orders this can represent a very reliable and cost-effective route as it delivers considerable cost-savings without the additional requirements – and hidden costs – involved in managing the entire process directly.

It should be noted, however, that a typical broker fee for acting as the ‘middle-man’ is usually around 20%, and that the additional links created in the supply chain can cause delays and create complexities.

The direct route

Accessing offshore, low-cost suppliers directly is possible thanks to the range of contacts your EMS partner brings to the table.

By sourcing offshore directly a lower price can be achieved. It is critical, however, that you understand the dynamics of the supply chain involved and have developed established relationships with trusted suppliers in these offshore locations.

With no broker involved there is an instant saving of around 20% to be realised and, additionally, you gain direct control over the source and the process. With less links involved it is often easier to reach decisions and resolve any issues much quicker.

This option is best suited to those high-volume projects where engineers’ time and extra work is required as it is only then that the additional work involved in using the direct route can be justified.

The additional work here includes:

  • Managing and owning every detail of the process
  • Co-ordinating delivery and logistics
  • Understanding the conditions that affect the capabilities of the local market
  • Establishing relationships with each supplier used
The blank board through the crystal ball

Blank boards – like any other component or material – used in electronic manufacture can be highly responsive to events throughout the global economy.

In recent times we are witnessing the uncertain effects of Brexit threaten our ability to 100% rely on a stable, continued European supply at a consistent price.

Elsewhere, the effects of Donald Trump’s trade war and war of words with China may have unforeseen circumstances – and China is a critical part of our supply chain.

Our CEO, Chris Wootton outlines some more thoughts on this in a recent EPDT article, where he comments:

‘As an EMS, the benefits that China offers in terms of manufacturing and sourcing electronic components are simply too extensive to ignore.

We opened our new sourcing office in Shenzhen in January, and already, our customers are benefiting from the higher volumes and lower costs of component parts thanks to the improved access to China’s pricing structures we can now offer.’

In terms of future trends it should be noted that:

  • The Chinese government has steadily increased the level of minimum wage since 2007 – and this rise has been most marked in areas where most electronic parts and supplies are manufactured (such as Shenzhen and Shanghai).
  • India, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam are increasingly competing for larger orders – but what they save in labour costs is still at present off-set by higher material costs for smaller orders.
  • The rise in cost of copper foil will push prices up regardless of where blank boards are sourced. This is a result of limited global copper foil productivity being hit by increasing demand from the production of electrical vehicles (which use this in their lithium batteries).

As ever, OEMs with a trusted EMS partner can achieve the flexibility to successfully navigate the changes, breaks and risks inherent in any global supply chain.

And together we will ensure we grow mighty oaks from the small acorns on our BOM.

Manufacturing electronics for hostile and hazardous environments

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Why your EMS partner is your best friend for extreme environments

John Johnson, NPI Director, Chemigraphic

We all rely on electronic products

Imagine your life without your smartphone and you’ll realise just how much we all depend on our electronic products these days.

And – shock, horror! – if you’ve ever had the misfortune to watch your beloved mobile slip into a sink full of soapy water or drop into a pan of hot gravy, you’ll be painfully aware that electronics and harsh conditions do not mix well.

Those intricate electronic circuits are very quick to malfunction under the slightest variance to their usual operating conditions.

Yet, there are many industries that rely on electronic products to operate in places where the environment is too hostile or hazardous for even humans to venture – take deep-sea oil exploration, for example.

Others need products that can withstand extreme shocks, such as devices designed for aviation or military use.

And often products are destined for use in extremely sensitive and potentially explosive atmospheres, like those found in mines.

Electronic products are regularly called on to act reliably in many hostile or dangerous conditions. These place the risks posed by the bubbly contents of your sink and gloopy contents of your saucepan to shame.

They include environments with:

  • Extreme temperatures, both hot and cold
  • Severe temperature fluctuations
  • Dust-filled air
  • Explosive conditions
  • Excess moisture or salty water
  • Jolts, vibrations and regular or continuous impact
  • Sudden power surges

In extreme circumstances your EMS partner is your best friend

How can electronic products be produced to withstand these challenging and dangerous situations?
The requirements of hostile or hazardous environments add multiple layers of complexity to the manufacturing process. Yet, your EMS partner can help you design and purpose-build devices to specifically operate in many different conditions. It requires the application of specialist techniques and processes throughout the product’s design and manufacture.

Beneath the waves

The marine industry and oil research facilities need sub-sea rovers and maintenance machinery to operate deep in the briny depths.

Many of these products are operated remotely, so they must be incredibly robust to reliably withstand the sub-sea conditions. The physical challenges faced include the constant threat of erosion by salt and the immense force of the water.

Salt is extremely corrosive. It will eat through metal components and casings if specialist coatings and sacrificial layers are not applied to the product structures and circuitry to protect against this.

Conformal coatings act as a protective varnish for circuit components and casings. These coatings are best applied via robotic, automated processes to increase cost-effectiveness, precision and consistency.

Encapsulation of circuitry provides an extra level of protection for the components, effectively closing them off from external elements.

Conformal coatings

Conformal coatings are not just used for underwater protection: printed circuit boards are often dipped in coatings to protect them from moisture, heat and dust particles.

There are several types of these thin layers of polymeric film that can be used – but each has its pros and cons.

Depending on the environment in which the product is to be used your EMS partner may suggest:

  • Urethane resin
    Good chemical, humidity and mechanical wear resistance
  • Epoxy resin
    Excellent performance in harsh environments with good abrasion, moisture and chemical resistance
  • Silicone resin
    Performs well in extreme temperatures and has good corrosion and chemical resistance
  • Parylene
    Best performing of all coatings but not suited to extended exposure outdoors
Explosive situations

Products which are designed for use in areas contaminated with toxic substances or carbon dust have to be manufactured to withstand contact with these particles.

Your EMS partner must ensure that all ‘critical parts’ are correct to specification. Faulty circuitry can create an over-current – and the resultant overheating increases the risk of explosion.

It is essential that the supplier of every single component part has been vetted and validated. Every single part must be 100% reputable and offer guaranteed batch traceability.

Relying on reputation alone, however, is not enough. Goods inward inspection criteria must use enhanced checks and measurements, rather than trust visual confirmations. It will also be necessary to employ batch segregation for any mixed stock received.

Impeccable material control governance will be used to ensure that each part is fitted into the correct location. This is not as simple as it sounds: the vast majority of small footprint SMT components lack markings but are visually identical, and over 500 distinct parts can be used in a single printed circuit board.

To handle these complexities, we use barcoding and intelligent materials tracking, such as RFID enabling and automated kitting. These techniques remove the very real possibility of human error when handling such sensitive products.

Further checks must be made after fitting for final verification. Once again inspection by a human is far too prone to error for this operation – and highly unlikely to be sustainable over such a high volume of parts. Automated optical inspection is absolutely necessary.

The shock factor

The sheer thrust of acceleration created by rocket-propelled devices requires careful component selection in order to ensure the device is sufficiently robust to survive the shock of take-off. This is especially true for devices with motion potential, such as gyroscopes, valves and actuators.

Your EMS partner can ensure optimal assembly integrity, starting from the bare PCB’s rigidity. Here thickness and copper weight must be balanced against payload constraints. It’s a delicate balancing act, and often to pull it off additional bracing from bonded layers, struts and multiple restraint points will be needed to provide the requisite strength.

Rough and rugged

Electronic products that are designed for harsh conditions are often referred to as rugged. There are actually four categories of rugged electronics:

  1. Commercial grade
  2. Durable
  3. Semi-rugged
  4. Fully-rugged

It’s important to realise that ‘ruggedising’ entails a lot more than simply slapping a sturdy case around the usual configuration of components. As already highlighted, many critical decisions will have already taken place at component choice and fixing stage, well before a case is even considered.

Fully-rugged computers, for example, are designed to withstand elements that would fry most PC circuitry or shock it out of any semblance of working order. US military grade computers must achieve MIL-STD-810G, as rigorous a testing requirement as the most severe drill sergeant ever offered his troops.

To manufacture suitable housings there are a variety of plastics available. These include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate, polyphenylsulfone (PPSU), ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW) and nylon. These tough materials can be used in combination to increase impact resistance, and elasometric polymers can also be added to deform during impact and reform after.

When the heat is on or the big chill hits

In extreme temperatures solder integrity is absolutely critical. What’s more, this base process must not only be robust but repeatable.

While intelligent automation offers an ideal way to ensure consistency, the intelligence here comes not from the machine itself, but from the knowledge and expertise of the EMS partner’s engineering teams who must establish its operating criteria.

Explosive environments and intrinsic safety

It is usual for electrical equipment to create tiny electric arcs and to generate heat. Under normal circumstances this presents no problems, but where there is a concentration of flammable gases or dust, such as petrochemical refineries and mines, this can become an explosive ignition source.

Intrinsic safety (IS) is a certified technique to protect against this and ensure that electrical equipment can operate safely in hazardous areas. It does this by limiting the electrical and thermal energy in the device.

An example of where this is required is marine transfer operations involving flammable products. During the transfer from marine terminal to tankers it is vital that two-way radio communication is maintained in case of an incident. To enable this the radios used must be certified as intrinsically safe.

There are actually many other ways to make equipment safe for use in explosive-hazardous areas. These include using explosion- or flame-proof enclosures, encapsulation, sealing, oil immersion, venting, powder/sand filling and dust ignition protection. However, intrinsic safety is the only realistic method to use for handheld devices.

On the record

Accountability and documentation are particularly critical when developing products for harsh and hazardous environments. As so many complex conditions and procedures are involved, it’s essential that every step is prepared, researched and accounted for.

Your EMS partner will ensure that the documentation and certification you need are easily accessible at all times. And you’ll certainly be needing this evidence trail to demonstrate continuous control and traceable processes which form the basis for evidence of compliance to industry standards and regulatory requirements.

The true value of your EMS partner when manufacturing for harsh environments

Understanding the complex regulations, industry standards and latest best practices involved in making devices safe for use in different conditions is one way your EMS partner can be your best friend and safest bet.

By suggesting other, or complementary methods, they can ensure that your design is suitable not only for manufacture and regional or industry-specific requirements, but also for its intended end use.

With an increasingly complex and ever-changing supply chain they also act as your eyes and ears in ensuring that components used are exactly as required.

And through robust and rigorous checks they can ensure that the final product is 100% fit for purpose and for the environment it will be used in. Even if this environment is the kitchen sink or a bubbling pan of gravy and the product is your mobile!

A shift in power: How high output batteries are changing the power device manufacturing landscape

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John Johnston, NPI Director, Chemigraphic

Power management devices are now being used in unexpected places thanks to emerging sectors such as Electric Vehicles (EVs), creating new challenges and opportunities for the supply chain.

In the past, the power supply market was dominated by wire-powered equipment which would take power from the supply grid, either in the form of single-phase domestic mains power or three-phase industrial formats.

This equipment would power circuits handling currents from 20-100A, taking the form of motors, transformers, industrial process equipment and high-output power supplies.

However, with the growth of new sectors and technology such as EVs, a new high power source has emerged on to the scene in the form of high-output battery systems, where Direct Current (DC) needs to be converted to Alternating Current (AC).

Generating and converting power

The AC power generated by the grid and used to drive high AC loads such as motors and transformers requires minimal interface circuitry. However, in electric vehicles, battery sourced power is DC, but still drives a multitude of AC loads. Therefore, there is a requirement for a large amount of DC to AC conversion, and also AC back into DC for power-saving features.

So what does all of this mean?

High-power battery systems, and electric vehicles in particular, consume a large number of current switching devices to manage all the conversion and power governance. This is a complex process which requires careful management and a level of new industry thinking in terms of who and what is using manufactured power supplies.

Changing the power play: a new approach

These shifts in the market and the proliferation of current conversion needs have sparked a demand for high-current switching devices on a large and growing scale.

This increase in demand has in turn made it very attractive for power management device manufacturers to divert their capacity and raw materials away from “traditional” power devices and towards newer, eV-based variants.

As part of this supply chain, we are seeing established current-switching devices such as Metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) and insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) becoming subject to higher-levels of stock limitation and obsolescence.  As more conversions are required, more of these devices are being purchased and stockpiled, having a profound impact on the supply chain.

So what’s next?

There is no magic solution.

Unless an OEM has sufficient scale and spend to leverage device manufacturing commitment and capacity, then more fluidity in the power device market is an unavoidable eventuality.

Taking a proactive view of design, monitoring the supply chain and the market landscape for changes and developments is the best approach.

As a result, options can be kept open to authorise alternative parts or look to incorporate alternative circuity. Engaging with a high-capability EMS partner can help OEMs to investigate and validate these options, utilising the partner’s market expertise and knowledge of the manufacturing process.

Looking to the future

This trend in power devices being shifted to new markets will not end here.  Renewables will be increasingly used in power generation, although it is difficult to predict which other formats will join the prime source of on and off-shore wind turbines.

The core power management levels in these systems tend to sit well outside the scope of semiconductor devices, but their remote nature then drives the need for ever more complex auxiliary management systems.

One thing is for certain, however. As technologies evolve and new markets emerge, the whole electronics supply chain will continue to be challenged and tested in terms of the products we build, the parts we use to do so and the approaches we use to manage the process.

Bring it on, we are ready!

Systems Integration: More than just a box of tricks

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Box-building is typically used to paraphrase the challenging stage of bringing together the many components within a single, ready-to-go product. This idea of simply connecting up various elements to create a box of tricks remains one of the EMS industry’s most understated descriptions. It remains a highly complex manufacturing process where the expertise and facilities of your EMS partner makes a big difference to your final product. Most importantly, this expertise begins before the box is even designed…

 The term ‘systems integration’ provides a more meaningful description of how Chemigraphic brings together custom PCB assembly with sub-assemblies and modules, enclosure design, fabrication, cabling and wiring. We transform these elements into complex, multi-tier systems – often sophisticated machines – and make ready through testing, software, programming and calibration.

Below are some key considerations regarding the systems integrations process.

PCB assembly should be a core offering

By offering PCB assembly (PCBA) using both Surface Mount Technologies (SMT) alongside conventional Pin-Through-Hole (PTH), it’s possible to check and guarantee the quality of components within the system. We are the only UK EMS to use automated JUKI SMT kitting machines and the automation allows us to build to specification, removing the opportunities for human error and reducing labour costs. We have unrivalled component management systems which allow us to place components in the most detailed configurations, meaning we can assist customers with any project, no matter how complex.

Think about the box build early on

Enclosures and casings are essential components of System Integrations – plastic and metal, or combinations. There are many off-the-shelf choices available, often with the advantage of lower unit prices and small minimum orders, but rarely this is without sacrifice – it won’t be unique, the components may not fit correctly, and there’s always the possibility a supplier might modify or withdraw the product. The need to fit PCBs securely alongside other electronics, modules, wiring and fans often drives our customers towards bespoke enclosures.

Since plastics and polymers are most commonly used it’s critical that an EMS supplier understands the differences between materials and manufacturing techniques. For instance, ABS is only suited to indoor environments as it will be compromised by prolonged exposure to sunlight, whereas ASA+PC resists high temperatures and harsh environments. New techniques such as MS-MMM injection moulding can incorporate soft-touch textures and colour, which avoids the use of different suppliers. It’s the job of an EMS provider to pass on this knowledge as customer benefits in the form of shorter, more reliable supply chains and economies of scale.

Chemigraphic also incorporates any metalwork using only carefully vetted suppliers of precision-fabricated materials. Coatings may be necessary to protect both the casing and components against the weather, corrosion, conductive or toxic dust particles, water and general contamination. In these instances we use automated equipment to apply protective coatings to selected board locations, increasing efficiency and reducing both the opportunity for human error and labour costs.

Don’t get in a tangle with wiring

The complexity of cable and wiring can vary enormously between System Integration projects, from a few wires stripped, twisted and tinned to complex harnesses with more than a 1000 ends and a multitude of terminations. Most projects require customised wiring – lengths, colours, special pin-outs, identification, connectors, etc. Our automated cable ‘cut and strip’ machines can accommodate low-volume complex harnesses through to medium-volume cable assemblies. Via our Shenzhen office, we can source and co-ordinate the entire supply chain with certifiable traceability.

Off-the-shelf still requires customisation

Many customers choose to make use of widely available Commercial Off-The Shelf (COTS) modules – boards and mezzanines, controllers, HMIs and displays, power supplies, etc. Development costs and timelines can be reduced using pre-tested sub-assemblies, but should be balanced against higher unit costs and possible compromises on functionality. We’ve found the most successful system integration projects take a hybrid approach, using both COTS and custom-builds to best fit the customer’s immediate and future requirements. It is rarely true that by purchasing a COTS product, no bespoke work will need to be performed. Chemigraphic has a wealth of experience integrating and combining COTS modules into larger systems. We use our Asian sourcing office to gain attractively-priced components.

Take extra care with moving parts

Electro-mechanical assemblies containing switches, electronic controls, gears, rollers, etc, contain moving parts and are inherently more challenging. Conflict with other parts especially from different manufacturers are routinely discovered. Chemigraphic has knowledgeable, specialised purchasers who are in touch with the global components markets. We use CAD 3D modelling equipment to improve the design process and have a well-equipped inspection area containing microscopes and electrical testing devices.

Honey, we shrunk the circuits: The amazingly small electronic products

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Electronics are shrinking.

Don’t let the rate at which smartphones have grown since the early years of this millennium fool you.

(Source)

The future of electronic products is to get smaller and smaller.

And these smaller devices will offer ever greater capabilities while using less power.

Smartphones’ growth in size belies this trend, but it’s a reflection of the fact that they have taken on the role of so many other devices.

It’s the need for a bigger screen that has led to their burgeoning size.

But look how slim they have become as their screen size grows.

(Source)

Consumers want smaller gadgets that can do more – and do it quickly.

So, the smartphone has become a pager, powerful camera, video recording and editing device, media player, sat nav, eBook reader, personal organiser, word processing tool, games machine, credit card, scanner and a lot more besides.

Less is Moore’s Law

The journey towards miniaturisation is being aided by advances in screen and battery technologies, but sitting right there in the driver’s seat are developments in components and circuits.

And it’s not just consumer goods that are getting smaller and smaller – this trend extends to industrial technology too.

Wherever you look less is more, and this is known as Moore’s Law.

Moore’s Law has held true for nearly 40 years now.

In truth, it’s more an observation than a law. It suggests that electronic devices will double in speed and capability about every two years.

What Intel co-founder Gordon Moore actually predicted was that ‘the number of transistors incorporated in a chip will approximately double every 24 months.”

And transistors are the tiny electrical switches that lie at the heart of any electronic gadgets you can think of. As they shrink they also get faster and consume less electricity.

Moore’s Law in effect

(Source)

It’s not just transistors that are shrinking, however.

The humble capacitor was once, in the 1970s, made from bulky axial leaded parts. These were replaced by the slimline 1206 ‘surface mount chip package’ which, at the time, appeared to be an impossibly microscopic 3.2 x 1.6 mm. But now we have 01005 packages, offering a further volume reduction of 98.5% and measuring just 0.4 x 0.2 mm!

Similarly, it wasn’t all that long ago that the tiny 60 x 60 mm IC (silicon chip) device, with 160 connection pins around the outer perimeter, was considered cutting-edge. Yet, its equivalent is now the 30 x 30 mm ‘micro-ball grid array’. This sits on a matrix of 900 solder sphere connections – and requires the use of an X-ray to fully inspect.

In recent years many have wondered if Moore’s Law is coming to an end, as components meet the limits of possible shrinkage.

Companies like Intel can mass-produce transistors 14 nanometres across – that’s just 14 times wider than a DNA molecule. They’re made of silicon whose atomic size is about 0.2 nanometers.

With transistors hovering at about 70 silicon atoms wide, the possibility of making them even smaller is starting to shrink.

We’re getting very close to the limit of miniaturisation.

We’ll return to this in a moment – first, let’s take a look at why small is considered so beautiful.

The miniature revolution in electronics

The miniature revolution in electronics is being driven by:

  • Aesthetic demandsWe have come to expect our tech devices to be design-statements and things of exquisite beauty.
  • Portability

    Our wireless devices should be easy to take with us. Light weight devices are enabled by the miniaturisation of components and PCBs, reduction in battery sizes and developments in plastics and metalwork.

(Source)

  • Cost savingsWhile cutting-edge miniaturisation can come at a premium, the use of less materials usually provides a reduction in cost in the long-term. Especially when the electronics industry absorbs and adopts innovations and the production costs for increasingly smaller parts shrinks correspondingly.
  • Eco-friendly power consumption reductionsSmaller parts use less power. This reduces running costs, extends battery life and offers greener products.
  • Less heat dissipationAs smaller parts consume less power, they lead to electronic products which generates less heat. When heat dissipation requirements are sufficiently reduced this can avoid the need for bulky heatsinks and mechanical fans. This, in turn, further reduces weight, cost, power consumption and intrusive noise.
What impact have smaller components had on electronic manufacturing?

(Source)

From an EMS and product manufacturing perspective, perhaps the most significant impact of this reduction in scale is the increased need for automation and use of robots.

The sophisticated soldering technologies now required to fit components and parts is no longer possible by hand. The precision required can only be carried out using high-tech equipment operated by skilled engineers.

It’s not just production that has become increasingly automated.

With components getting smaller and smaller they become, to the naked eye, identical. Many components no longer have any space to carry distinguishing codes or other markings to aid identification.

It has never been more important that your EMS partner can offer you a fully traceable and trackable supply chain and uses barcodes and sophisticated machines to inspect, select and verify (as well as place) every component used. Robust materials control is essential at every step of the supply and manufacturing process.

Are our shrinking days no Moore?

Many industry commentators have suggested in recent years that the gains we have enjoyed under the rule of Moore’s Law may be coming to an end.

Of course, we all believed things couldn’t get any smaller many times in the past.

But they did.

What’s different today is that we really are reaching the point where physical components are constrained by the demands of matter.

So, what’s next?

Some interesting developments that suggest we haven’t exhausted the potential of further miniaturisation include:

A team led by Robert Wolkow had long-known how to reduce circuitry to an atomic scale, but they have only recently found a way to perfect a technique that allows these circuits to be mass produced.

They suggest that this breakthrough could help manufacture smartphones that operate for months between charges and computers that run a hundred times faster but use a thousand times less power.

It looks like it may still become a smaller world after all.

Robotics: why are some manufacturers still afraid of the Big Bad Bot?

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The idea of a human-looking robot has been a staple of science-fiction for decades, and of mythological imaginings since as far back as the Ancient Greeks.

It is only in the last few years, however, with the recent publicity for Boston Dynamics, that this dream appears to be finally coming close to fruition.

Videos of Atlas the robot jogging through parks and practicing parkour in industrial sheds, or their ferocious military dogs resisting human kicks, are enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine.

atlas the robot

Source

The word robot comes from the Czech for ‘forced labour’ (robota) and much of the fear that exists in the manufacturing sector relates to the relationship between robots and employment. As  a Forbes’ commentator recently put it, ‘Robots Will Take Our Jobs And We Need A Plan’.

But what do we really have to fear from robots – and what do we have to gain?

When does automation become robotics?

Sorry to disappoint, but robots are nothing new.

The reality is that robotics – or at least advanced automation – has been widely used in manufacturing since the 1970s.

The machines just didn’t look particularly humanoid.

Robotics is automation plus AI. It’s the recent advent of the Internet of Things and machine learning that is increasingly making today’s robots so useful and, for some, such a threat.

The difference between robotics and automation is one of degree: automated machines perform a single set of operations but robots can smartly change their behaviour – by learning from sensory feedback or data feeds – to achieve better efficiency.

A brief history of robots in manufacturing

George Devol applied for the first robotics patents in 1954: his company Unimation were using robots to move items since 1956.

Automotive production lines were early adopters using machines to carry out repetitive processes which require high amounts of consistency such as spot welding and spray coatings.

Sophisticated robotics in logistics hubs and warehouses have been directing goods for dispatch for many years.

Today, robots are widely used in manufacturing, assembly and packing, transport, earth and space exploration, surgery, weaponry, laboratory research and the mass production of consumer and industrial goods.

In our own EMS industry, printed circuit boards are almost exclusively manufactured by pick-and-place robots, typically with SCARA manipulators: and as electronic components get smaller the need for smarter, more precise robots will only increase.

According to figures from the International Federation of Robotics the trend suggests there will be a dramatic increase for all.

Estimated worldwide annual supply of industrial robots (in units) (Source)

Today there are more than 2 million industrial robots in use – and it is expected there will be 3.8 million by 2022.

The biggest users of these are:

  • The automotive industry (33%)
  • The electrical/electronics industry (32%)
  • The metal and machinery industry (12%)
  • The rubber and plastics industry with (5%)
  • And the food industry (3%)

(Source)

What do robots bring to the table for electronics?

With the disruptive force of robots bearing down very heavily on the electronic manufacturing industry – and with IOT, data and AI looking set to increase their presence – now is a good time to take stock and review exactly what robotics is bringing to the table.

In relation to PCB manufacturing, robots can place hundreds of thousands of components per hour, far out-performing a human in terms of speed, accuracy, and reliability. As electronics shrink in size, the precision of robotic production methods becomes essential.

Robots can do much more than just build, place and weld. They can also quickly and accurately check all the components to ensure they match the required spec and are placed accurately.

As IoT sensors become ever more prevalent, the benefits start to really add up.

Using data from connected, always-on devices robots can respond to situations in real time. Our machines become not only faster and more precise, but also smarter and more aware. A robot can speed up or slow down based on its surroundings or the timing of small-batch production cycles. And it can collaborate with others to work more intelligently.

Here are some of the benefits that robots are already delivering.

  • They can work in environments dangerous to humans (such as deep sea, space or in hazardous environments.)
  • They can work faster and with more precision than humans.
  • They can create efficiencies throughout the process, from raw material handling to finished product packing.
  • They can be programmed to operate 24/7 – in lights-out situations – for continuous production.
  • Robotic equipment can perform complex functions and is absolutely essential for the latest generation of smaller products.

Why are we still afraid of the Big Bad Bot?

The threat of the robot – the opening scene of Terminator (Source)

Despite these obvious advantages, there remain three big fears that continue to hold back electronic manufacturers from embracing robots.

We touched on the first of these before: namely, the fear that robots will steal our jobs.

The second is the initial cost of introducing them.

And the third is the cultural and procedural changes that robotics inevitably demand.

  1. Consider the following, in relation to the ‘forced labour’ of robots stealing our jobs.

The cost-efficiencies of robots can help companies become globally competitive once more. They can reverse the trend of offshore production and create jobs by reshoring manufacturing work.

They protect workers from repetitive, mundane and dangerous tasks, while also creating more desirable jobs, like engineering, programming, management and equipment maintenance. By freeing up manpower manufacturers can maximize workers’ skills in other areas of their businesses.

As a recent McKinsey report put it:

‘The production systems of the future will still require people in many of the roles they hold today, but the nature of those roles will change. Operators will need new capabilities as low-skill tasks are automated and increasingly sophisticated equipment requires skilled people to run it.’

Robots will not steal our jobs. They will enable us to gain skills and compete more effectively for work we had lost.

  1. Consider these factors in relation to concerns over costs.

 Robots used in manufacturing tend to achieve ROI quickly, often within two years, thanks to their throughput and output gains.

Their upfront cost is quickly recouped.

Manufacturing robots are much more affordable today than ever before. Standard robot models are now mass-produced, making them accessible to smaller scale businesses.

And robotics as a service (RaaS) lowers the barrier even further, offering the rental or temporary acquisition of hardware to keep costs more manageable.

  1. And, finally, in relation to the fear of change.

 The barrier for entry has been lowered not just for cost. It has also been increasingly lowered in terms of the technical understanding and skills required to introduce robots to the assembly line. Plug and play installation is now very much a reality.

Nevertheless, the investment in the robot itself still remains only part of the equation. Resources must be committed to training and consistent optimisation, possibly over many years.

Robots also usually require a cultural shift. Fully integrating robotic solutions may well require fundamentally changing the way a business operates. Their disruptive potential can introduce changes to software platforms, material consumption, supply chains, ERP, MRP and even the working culture of a business.

Yet, the real question is are these changes for the good?

Do they introduce enhanced capabilities, realise efficiencies, result in cost-savings and create better products?

And the answer, we believe, is a resounding yes.

How Chemigraphic is using robotics to deliver the services today’s OEMs require

These are exciting times.

Times when we know we can continually enhance and improve the services we offer.

Robotics and IoT capabilities are an important part of this, but it’s investment in skills, talent and staff that ensures new technologies are optimised and effective.

Additive manufacture is already commonplace for us in areas such as enclosure development. It is also being used for immediate applications in some very niche technologies, such as specialist antennas and waveguides.

We continually monitor progress and developments in this for use in other fields, and our Design Centre collaborates closely with our customer base to take advantage of new technologies.

Our inspection tools are becoming ever more sophisticated.

Many years ago, simple comparator inspection systems – which look for differences between a stored image and the item being inspected – were superseded by inline Automated Optical Inspection, with 3D scanning and X-Ray capabilities.

Wireless monitoring systems are extensively being used to remotely check a range of conditions, including stock on shelves, reels on feeders and temperature or humidity in production areas.

And, as more RF-ID and IoT sensors collect increased amounts of data, we expect to introduce new automated tracking and production systems.

We have already developed libraries of complex database analysis and metric capture tools. These are displayed on dashboards and allow performance indicators to be assessed and immediately responded to. Machine learning and automated responses will be increasingly involved in our monitoring and decision-making over the coming years.

We’re not afraid of robotics

At Chemigraphic, we welcome the efficiencies and productivity gains that the further integration of robots, artificial intelligence and data capture will bring.

We intend to continue to harness this to deliver better service and better products.

We are not afraid of the Big Bad Bot! Are you?

How OEMs can best manage the issue of component obsolescence

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What are the biggest challenges facing OEMs today?

The usual suspects staring at us from a long line-up include:

  • Brexit and risks of disruption arising, in many different guises
  • The rise of electronics industries in low cost geographies such as Asia
  • The rapid pace of tech change
  • The concurrent need for faster production lead times

Critical though these issues are, it can be easy to overlook seemingly ‘day to day’ challenges that in reality, can have a catastrophic impact on the supply chain and the manufacturing process.

Sudden limitation of supply is currently a very hot topic and worth of an article on its own, but  outright component obsolescence– and the need to manage the risks it poses – is a specific associated problem that many OEMs tend to overlook, or at least fail to sufficiently prepare for.

The accelerated risk of obsolescence

The diminishing lifetime of electronic components is undoubtedly an issue, especially for those supplying the high-reliability medical, aerospace and defence industries.

The embedded systems used in these products are designed for a long working life. Electrical components, however, increasingly aren’t.

For defence OEMs in the past, obsolescence could be circumvented thanks to the volume and buying power they enjoyed. This is no longer the case.

Time and time again we see chip manufacturers placing products as end of life (EOL) that are required by high-reliability market providers. The simple fact is that usage is now so small compared to other more profitable product lines.

 As the life cycles of components shrink, we see counterfeiting risks growing.

To meet the swelling demand for disappearing parts – and avoid redesign and recertification requirements – some OEMs are relying, wittingly or unwittingly, on grey markets and counterfeit components. This situation is fraught with its own considerable risks.

 Another factor that is leading to increased obsolescence is the rash of mergers and acquisitions throughout the supply chain.

This is occurring as component suppliers look to enhance their offerings to meet the demands of new emerging markets such as Electric Vehicles, Smart devices and the Internet of Things (IoT).

With every purchase or partnership, the risk of component obsolescence increases. More products are struck off the list as lines are reviewed, rationalised and trimmed.

 The after-effects of mergers and acquisitions has led to unwieldy and complex supply chains.

These create problematic, diffuse communication channels that can lead to missed notifications, poor communication and increased lead times.

Other causes for component obsolescence include:

  • Lack of demand, making it unwise for manufacturers to continue their support
  • Suppliers going out of business or a catastrophic accidental damage to stock
  • Diversion of raw materials into other more lucrative areas causing legacy support to become less attractive

Many components are retired simply because they have been superseded or no longer satisfy the increasingly stringent demands of legislation.

For instance, updates to the European Union’s regulation for the restriction, evaluation, and authorisation of chemicals (REACH) and the directive for the restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS) caused many EOL notifications.

What are your options when component obsolescence occurs?

 Notifications can be easily missed or offer a very limited time for decision making.

Component manufacturers issue stock obsolescence risk flags including:

  • Product change notices (PCN)
  • End of life (EOL)
  • Last-time buy (LTB)
  • Last -time ship (LTS)

However, if OEMs are not relying on a partner to monitor these for them, such flags are notoriously easy to miss.  And some estimates have placed the proportion of components going EOL without any notice at all as high as 40%.

Often parts may only be ‘technically’ obsolete but still available under a different part number.

It’s vital that all parties understand the market and technological dynamics that can lead to physical parts being renumbered following a change in supplier or manufacturer. Once again this requires in-depth knowledge and monitoring of the entire supply chain.

By working with a manufacturing partner which is dedicated to watching the market for signs of change and has the knowledge to react to this and find suitable alternative routes, this process can be managed effectively without compromising timescales or cost.

Thankfully there are data-driven software tools that can scrub your Bill of Materials (BoM) and highlight any at-risk components.

Such predictive tools will reveal both EOL components and identify components considered at high risk of becoming obsolete. From here, of course, you can make the decision to identify last-time buys or replace the component.

The importance of an expert EMS partner

OEMs tend to focus on designing function, validating their creations and developing peripheral items, such as a functional test regime.

Yet the ultimate commercial success of any electrical product hinges just as much on having a fully developed and sustainable supply chain supporting it.

Even the most radical designs often have their roots in existing circuit architecture.

Your contracted manufacturing partner can scrub the existing BoM to suggest changes required – it is often tried-and-tested components that slip under the radar.

The risk of obsolescence can be mitigated by engaging early with an EMS partner which has an expert overview of all the current developments in the material market.

Of course, this early engagement in design is critical for optimising performance as well as managing obsolescence. Your EMS partner can help guide you to optimised materials selection while the design is still fluid. Once the product has undergone extensive regulatory validation it rarely remains cost-effective to make changes to minimise component life cycle risk or to improve performance.

In addition, trusted EMS partners will not only flag obsolescence risk. They will also be able to mitigate this risk before it occurs with viable and appropriate alternative suggestions, ensuring 100% BoM compliance.

In today’s dynamic global marketplace, reliable sources can suddenly come to an end. Only EMS partners with an entirely robust customer authorisation process can ensure compliance in all circumstances.

Part obsolescence cannot be avoided – but it can be managed, minimised and mitigated

Today’s rapidly changing supply chain will continue to throw up obsolescence challenges for electronics manufacturing.

That much is inevitable. But, by partnering with someone who offers you access to a robust, trusted supply chain you can minimise risk and maximise viable, cost-effective solutions.

With sound planning, a pro-active approach and long-term vision – along with solid, best in class supply chain partners – the threat of component obsolescence certainly loses its bite.

To learn more, read about Chemigraphic’s approach to effective component sourcing and supply chain management.

The disruptive effect of electronic devices on the transport sector

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“We now find ourselves at the gateway of a revolution in transport technology, the likes of which has not been seen since the invention of the combustion engine. These technological advances will create a new way of planning and managing our transport.”
Steve Yianni, Transport Systems Catapult

A perfect storm is set to hit the transport sector – and it’s not yet exactly clear where or when dry land will be reached.

Among the forces that are set to shake things up by creating new opportunities are advancements in electronic manufacturing. It’s time to chart these innovations and review exactly what their disruptive effects may be.

Before we do this, however, it’s important to note that it takes more than one weather front to create a perfect storm. The other forces bearing down on the sector are all directly or indirectly with these innovations.

They include:

  • The pressures of continued urbanisation
  • The increasingly sophisticated capabilities of automation and machine learning
  • The urgency of environmental concerns
  • The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the power of cloud-based analytical tools
  • The switch back to public or shared transport and away from the private car
  • The sky-high expectations of consumers (or users as they are now known)

With all that bubbling under here’s a look at the way that advancements in electronics are making waves amongst this maelstrom.

Electronic payment and ticketing

“My smartphone is my preferred mode of transportation.”
Rt. Hon. Patrick MacLoughlin, former Secretary of State for Transport

The influence of digital and the rise of the smartphone has already transformed many other sectors, but transport is only just starting to feel its effects. The changes we have already seen in the airline sector with paperless tickets will prove to be just the tip of the iceberg.

Electronic payment and electronic gate systems will not only make the passenger’s life easier: they will also open up a whole new world of data and understanding.

Our smartphone is already becoming our ticket in many innovative UK schemes – and the Oyster Card has greatly simplified tube travel for years. Before too long it’s likely to be a wearable that allows us to glide through the turnstiles. And, shortly after this, will be pay-as-you-go travel where sensors know exactly where and when we have journeyed without the need for pre-booking or payment.

With electronic payment the transport provider gains visibility about who uses its services, where they go and how often they travel. This new-found rich data opens up the possibility for personalised marketing in a way that public networks have sorely lacked in the past (and are struggling to discover through online booking alone).

But the data advantage is not necessarily just the providers. Alongside new ways to pay we are also going to see new ways to travel – with the user at the centre of a transport network that is increasingly interchangeable and whose real-time operations are always at their fingertips. The start of such a world of choice can be glimpsed in the disruption caused to traditional taxis by Uber.

It is hard to see road usage continuing to be paid for by a blanket road tax. The introduction of green incentives has already started to stream charges, and toll roads, such as the Dartford Tunnel, use sophisticated number plate recognition to ‘tag’ each car that uses the route. Going forward more electronic monitors will line our roads, and it’s likely the price we pay to use them will be based on data gathered about congestion at the time – with our road tax, perhaps, paid online on a top-up basis.

This dynamic charging may sound far-fetched – but it’s already happening with parking. In San Francisco smart parking meters broadcast that a space is available to drivers and adjust their price according to the number of other spaces available. Such an easy-Jet pricing policy is also used in Moscow, Santiago de Chile and Barcelona – and at its heart lies electronic sensors.

Telematics could introduce another dimension to such a personalised way to fund our roads – and it’s this we’ll review next.

Telematics and the IoT

“A modern transport system that doesn’t stream data is inconceivable. Modern infrastructure must envisage, plan and build roads, rail and digital capabilities all as one.”
Alexander Dobrindt, former German Minister for Transport and Digital Infrastructure

The electronic sensors and data sharing that facilitate telematics are already widely used by insurance companies to offer lower premiums to the ‘right’ kind of driver. They are also used to ensure that emergency services are instantly notified of accidents. It’s not a massive leap of imagination to predict that telematic data will be used to penalise or reward drivers – and not just based on the routes they use but on their driving itself.

In logistics and transportations telematics have been extended into the realm of the IoT to collect, analyse and share data across a wide network – and to use machine learning to determine suggested responses.

Telematic-enabled fleet management has moved beyond GPS location tracking to include the use of geofences to enable alerts when a truck is nearing its destination, the optimising of routes using real-time traffic data and to automatically track driver hours and fuel usage. It can also track vehicle maintenance needs and issue alerts should warning signs concerning the vehicle’s health be detected.

In many ways, the IoT is the logical extension of such telematic systems: it can be applied throughout the supply chain rather than just for each journey taken. The IoT could integrate the ordering, manufacturing and warehousing chain: the need for new parts or consumables will be automatically broadcast and, as a result, the supply chain will need to be able to respond much quicker. Its monitors could also stay with a shipment across different countries and transportation methods.

Automation

“I have never seen anything like the pace of change we are seeing today.”
Larry Keeley, Founder of Doblin

Amazon’s drone delivery force and Google’s driverless car are two of the more visible ways that automation and machine learning are gearing up to change the world of transport as we know it.

Driverless vehicles are highly likely to affect both the consumer and the logistics market in the very near future.  Several auto manufacturers have introduced semi-autonomous driving capabilities in their vehicles and Uber’s Otto division is pretty much ready with its driverless trucks for deliveries.

The only real thing that lags behind at present are the regulatory and insurance questions such technology rises.

Electronic manufacturing and transport innovation

Electronic manufacturing is set to play a major part in the perfect storm that will engulf the transport sector.

And it looks like it’s the innovators that will ride the waves created.

What does Surface Mount Technology offer OEMs?

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Surface Mount Technology (SMT) has become a core construction technology in current industrial electronic product designs.

Although there is still a considerable amount of conventional or Pin-Through-Hole (PTH) parts, especially on more rugged designs, SMT has become a fundamental method of assembly within modern electronics manufacturing and has helped expand and improve  the capabilities of the industry.

What benefits does SMT have vs. other processes?

SMT has significant benefits compared to conventional PTH processes. So let’s have a look at the most obvious advantages of SMT:

  • Reduced footprint: taking up less valuable PCBA surface area
  • Smaller mass: leading to lower power consumption (hence less use of energy, materials and heat dissipation measures)
  • Lower component cost: SMT devices often come in at a tenth of the cost of a PTH variant.

Although PTH tends to have better mechanical rigidity, this is generally not a concern unless associated with bulky connectors and high-power devices, so SMT satisfies diverse requirements.

However, SMT can also lower costs through less apparent benefits such as innovative machine-storage and component kitting processes. These techniques reduce the labour costs involved in manually retrieving components from storage as part of the kitting operation.

Automating these processes also lessens the chance of human error, eradicating costs associated with reworking recovery of these mistakes.

In addition, SMT automates the placement of components onto boards, through using innovative kitting technology such as JUKI Intelligent Storage.

Ensuring component reliability

SMT machine placement can also provide superior product yield and reliability in leadless devices, such as Ball Grid Arrays (BGAs), and more currently micro-BGAs, and chip-scale devices which require precise control during assembly but have the benefit of being a very repeatable process.

SMT also offers improved shock and vibration resistance as a result of the lower mass of components, further driving up reliability and increasing the product’s lifecycle.

The importance of kitting speed

A popular misconception in the mid-tier global manufacturing environment is that component placement speed is the primary hindrance to cost.  This is not the case.

By far the biggest variables affecting manufacturing cost and product quality in high-mix environments are:

  • Kitting speeds: pulling stock from storage
  • Setting-up component feeders
  • De-kitting: returning the components back to storage.

Whilst almost every Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) company will have some form of SMT capability, our focus on automation and process governance helps to drive significant benefits in terms of quality and cost.

We boast an array of assets:

  • SMT conversion design services, converting existing PTH designs to SMT.
  • Automated kitting infrastructure, such as a JUKI system, to speed up the assembly process whilst maintaining material control.
  • RFID tracking that codes stock usage with superior accuracy.
  • Automated component storage, removing the need for specific component bins. The system manages everything automatically.
  • SMT job clustering that minimises or even eliminates changeover times between jobs.
  • Intrusive re-flow options, allowing for boards to be retrofitted.

For further information on our surface mount offering, visit our manufacturing page.

Five Key Benefits to Rapid Prototyping

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In electronic manufacturing, rapid prototyping is the quickest and most seamless way to reduce the speed to ramp. Electronic products need to be thoroughly tried and tested before they can be launched to market. We provide customers with a working version of their Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) so that they can check functionality and meet the design specification. Our prototyping, however, goes beyond PCBs; we produce entire complex multi-level system products for our customers, including racks and cabinets.

Key benefits to rapid prototyping include:

 1. Maximise efficiency

When we produce rapid prototypes, we support our customers by engaging early on in their design process with our New Product Introduction (NPI) team. We take time to determine their exact product requirements and we never cut corners in terms of quality, measurement or process. This approach means our customers’ products are made with long-term efficiency, life and cost-reduction in mind, at the point where the design is still fluid and changes can easily be made.

2. Built-in contingency

Wherever possible, we build-in attrition and contingency plans. This means that if anything goes wrong, we can monitor progress and still deliver the full amount of product requested. However, our strict governance protocols and processes are designed to eliminate the risk of problems or failings at every stage, using automation to eliminate human error and increase efficiency.

3. Smooth transition to large scale production

The equipment we use for prototyping is the same we use for volume production. Prototypes are initially created in optimal batch sizes according to each customer’s requirements, which avoid any wastage. When the product is ready, we ensure a smooth transition to large scale manufacturing.

4. Generate accurate labour costing

We have developed sophisticated labour estimate algorithms which allow us to generate accurate and rapid labour costing based on the construction of specific items. Actual process times are measured with set KPIs against these estimates, meaning we can stay on top of progress and ensure everything is realistic and sustainable. 

5. Establish baseline costs with smart software

 We have a custom-developed programme which compares a customer’s bill of materials against our in-house stock base, before filtering this out via APIs to various distributor networks. This is a rapid and effective way to establish baseline costs and sets us apart from many of our competitors, who approach this process manually.

benefits to rapid prototyping

When a technology start-up from the US came to us for help in manufacturing its cutting-edge AR helmet, we relished the challenge. The product design was still at an early stage so we were able to quickly implement robust processes and deliver the product from concept to ramp in the shortest of timeframes.