Your Guide to Aerospace PCB Assembly

If you know anything about the aerospace industry, you’ll know it relies on timeliness and efficiency. As such, it’s important to understand the best strategies for successful aerospace PCB assembly.

This article will discuss some of the most important considerations for your aerospace PCB assembly—including the aerospace industry, material choice, and top strategies for success.

Let’s get started. 

What Is Aerospace PCB Assembly?

To begin with, aerospace PCB assembly is the process of building and testing electrical circuits on a printed circuit board (PCB). This can be done to ensure that an electronic system works as intended.

It can also help identify any flaws or problems in these systems. This is before they reach customers who might be using them.

There are many benefits involved with aerospace PCB assembly. Firstly, reduced costs. When products go through successful testing processes, companies won’t need to pay for extra parts or labor costs later down the road. This is because their machine will function properly from day one.

That’s why it’s essential for companies that manufacture electronics such as aircraft to invest time into careful planning before manufacturing. This not only saves money but also serves their customers better. It provides quality products every time.

What to Consider for Your Aerospace PCB Assembly

There are several factors to consider when choosing an aerospace PCB assembly supplier. Here are some considerations.

The size and complexity of the project are essential. Geospace is a Houston-based company that provides cost-effective and reliable project management to clients locally and internationally. We understand that every project is different, and we work hard to meet the needs of our clients.

However, we are experts at managing large and complex projects that require specialized expertise or equipment and smaller assembly projects.

The costs and time frame for completion are high. When considering cost and time frame issues, don’t forget about shipping from overseas. Remember this can add several weeks to your delivery date. We always try to give a realistic project timeframe but use the best and fastest shipping partners. 

Also, think about how long your suppliers will take to produce prototypes. Prototyping will likely take longer if you’re working on something new or cutting edge.

At Geospace, we review the design for a manufacturability test or DFM check. This complementary process lets us know if the PCB file has issues affecting its manufacturability or functionality. 

The check helps us look for any redundant, missing, or problematic features that help us know what needs to be fixed. While the DFM check is done at no charge, verifying all customer information and how they fit together, plus a full DFX service, are done at an affordable price.

The Best Material for Aerospace PCB Assembly

When choosing a PCB material, there are many options. Each has its pros and cons, so you’ll want to consider your specific needs before making a final decision.

For example, FR4 is an affordable and durable material that’s easy to work with. However, it’s not waterproof or flame-retardant. This means it can’t be used in most industrial applications.

On the other hand, there’s glass-reinforced epoxy (GRP). This more expensive but highly durable material can withstand extreme temperatures. It also has excellent electrical properties and is highly resistant to corrosion and abrasion, making it ideal for use in harsh environments where high temperatures are expected.

If you’re looking for something that combines durability with electrical integrity in an affordable way, you might consider using FR4 or GRP boards with copper traces embedded within them.

These materials offer excellent conductivity. They also protect against abrasion plus temperature extremes. They’re also easier to work with than other options since they don’t require special equipment like lasers or plasma cutters.

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are the common point of contact between your product and the flight control system. 

The two main processes for aerospace PCB assembly are pick-and-place and SMT. While both processes rely on similar hardware, they differ in their overall effectiveness.

SMT vs. Pick-and-Place

SMT and pick-and-place are two different ways of getting components onto a circuit board.

SMT, or surface-mount technology, uses a machine to place the components onto the board. It’s called SMT because the components are placed on top of the board.

The components are not soldered into place. This technology is generally used in mass manufacturing and is more reliable.

Pick-and-place machines are used when you have a lot of smaller components that need to be placed on your circuit board manually. This process can be time-consuming. It requires a lot of fine motor skills. However, it’s also much less expensive than using an SMT machine.

Check Certifications for the Best Quality

Geospace has a lot of certifications. This is to make sure you get the best quality products and services.

We’re ISO 9001 certified. This means that we follow a rigorous process for product development, manufacturing, testing, and distribution. It also means we’re committed to continuous improvement with our internal processes and external stakeholders.

We’re ISO 14001 certified as well, which means we have a management system in place. This protects the environment by reducing energy use and waste generation.

Finally, we’re AS9100 certified. This means our aerospace parts meet the highest level of quality standards. This ensures they’ll perform safely in harsh environments like space.

Our quality management system is also ATEX compliant. Our products can therefore be used safely in explosive atmospheres. This is because there’s flammable gas or dust present.

Our EAR compliance also means our products can be used on aircraft registered outside the United States without additional testing required by law.

The Future of Aerospace PCB Assembly

With the rise of IoT devices and smart technology, there’s an increased demand for more intelligent and sophisticated products. As a result, the world of electronics is expanding at an exponential rate.

Aerospace companies are seeing this growth as well. They’re looking for aerospace PCB assembly. This is because it allows them to streamline their product design and manufacturing processes.

At the same time, they can also improve quality control. In addition, they can find ways to reduce costs by using automation and robotics while still maintaining high-quality standards.

There is a growing demand for aerospace products. This is due to the rising number of people investing in commercial space travel.

It’s, therefore, likely that there will be more PCBs in the 2030s and 40s as we potentially enter a new space age. 

The Aerospace Industry Relies on the Timeliness and Efficiency of PCB Assembly

The aerospace industry relies on the timeliness and efficiency of PCB assembly. The complexity of each assembly job can vary, but any component is rarely easy to work with. A high degree of precision coupled with a high level of skill is required to get each component assembled properly and shipped on time.

To achieve this level of success in your own aerospace-related PCB assembly projects, you will need access to proven tools and techniques that have been developed over years of experience in the field.

For more on how we can help your aerospace PCB assembly grow, contact us today.