SMT Assembly Technology: All You Need to Know

With the rapid development of information and communication technology, SMT assembly has become an important part of our lives. The core work is to assemble components on circuit boards by soldering them with tiny amounts of molten solder paste and manually inserting passive components such as resistors, capacitors, and diodes. Let’s take a closer look at what SMT assembly technology is about.

What is SMT Assembly Technology?

SMT assembly technology is the process of mounting electronic components to a printed circuit board (PCB) by soldering. In this process, tiny amounts of molten solder paste are used to attach the component leads to pads on the PCB surface. SMT assembly typically involves using automated equipment that positions and mounts the components onto the PCB.

What are the Advantages of SMT Assembly?

SMT brings a raft of advantages to the PCB assembly process. They include the following, among others:

The Ability to Automate

This is perhaps the major benefit of SMT assembly and has driven its wide adoption. Automated equipment can mount components quickly and accurately, resulting in high throughput and reduced manufacturing costs. While overhead rates may be higher, PCB manufacturing companies can minimize costs by building products faster. 

Note that the automation ability minimizes labor rates, which effortlessly bridges the gap between the China and US costing.

The Ability to Use Smaller Components

SMT offers the ability to use smaller components lighter and more compact than their through-hole counterparts. This has allowed engineers to maximize space on PCBs, reducing product size without compromising functions or performance. In addition, manufacturers can reduce the weight of products, making them more portable.

The Ability to Use Higher-Powered Components

Higher-powered components can also be used in SMT assembly instead of through-hole technology, where the component leads are inserted into holes drilled in the PCB solder joints. This allows for a higher packing density and eliminates the need for lead forming, which can be difficult and time-consuming.

High Component Density

SMT assembly technology allows for the placement of a large number of components on a small PCB surface. This is because SMT components are typically much smaller than their through-hole counterparts. The high component density afforded by SMT PCB assembly can be particularly advantageous in applications where board space is limited, such as handheld devices.

Smaller Footprint

SMT assembly results in smaller PCBs due to the elimination of through-hole components. This makes it ideal for applications where board space is at a premium.

Reduced Weight

The use of smaller and lighter components in SMT PCB assembly leads to printer circuit board products that are typically much lighter than those assembled using through-hole technology. This can be especially advantageous in applications where weight is critical, such as portable devices or aerospace and defense systems.

The Benefits It Brings To the PCB Assembly Process

Its Eases Assembly

Since the component leads are surface mounted to the pads, there is no need for lead forming. This makes SMT assembly much simpler and faster than through-hole technology, where the component leads must be bent into shape and inserted into holes drilled in the PCB solder joints.

Its Reliability

Surface mount components are typically more reliable than their through-hole counterparts because they are less prone to vibration and shock. In addition, the use of solder paste instead of molten solder greatly reduces the chance of component failure due to cold-solder joints.

The Ability to Use Fine Pitch Components

SMT assembly allows using excellent pitch components, which is not possible with through-hole technology. This can be a major advantage in applications where space is limited and component density is high.

Its Versatility

SMT assembly technology is highly versatile and can be used for various applications, including consumer electronics, telecommunications, medical devices, and industrial control systems.

The Ability to Use Mixed Technology PCBs

With SMT assembly technology, PCBs that combine both through-hole and surface-mounted components are also possible. This is useful in applications where space constraints necessitate using both types of connectors, for example, when building an audio mixer board that includes both stationary controls (through-holes) and sliding faders or potentiometers (SMD).

Uses of SMT Assembly Technology

Some of the uses of SMT assembly technology include:

• Consumer electronics
• Telecommunications
• Medical devices
• Industrial control systems
• Aerospace and defense systems

Company of First in World Products 

Geospace Technologies has set the standard for engineering and manufacturing incredibly robust, hardened geophysical seismic data acquisition systems that perform in the world’s most austere environments. Our SMT assembly technology has SMT lines with speeds of up to 100K components per hour, making us perfect for your next SMT assembly project. Contact us today!