Why Leading PCB Manufacturers, OEMs, and EMS Providers are Sending their Employees to PCB Repair Training Centers

1. Why Leading PCB Manufacturers, OEMs, and EMS Providers are Sending their Employees to PCB Repair Training Centers

2. We live in a world where Murphy’s Law is constantly proven right – if something can go wrong, it’s quite likely that it will go wrong. If your world also involves the manufacture of Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), electronic assemblies, and other electronic components and products, you definitely have to respect Murphy’s Law. Modern-day PCBs are extremely dense and compact. There are hundreds of multifaceted components on each board. When you’re manufacturing or working with PCBs, you’ll also have to expose these boards to unbelievably high temperatures. During these intense PCB manufacturing or electronics assembly processes, there are countless risks of damage the boards face. Some of the most common risks of damage PCBs face are – Poor Manufacturing Standards – If any component on the PCB is loose, connection issues are guaranteed. These issues are caused mainly due to bad soldering practices. For instance, if the technician doesn’t heat the solder well, cold soldering can happen, and moisture may contaminate the solder, causing fire hazards and connection failures. Environmental Factors –When PCBs in manufacturing plants are frequently exposed to harsh environmental elements, moisture, or dust, PCB components react strangely. These factors may warp the boards and dismantle all existing soldering joints. Similarly, excessive moisture exposure can cause PCBs to corrode. The rust particles may even clog up to overheat the PCBs.

3. Missing Solder Masks In-Between PCB Pads – Solder masks cover the copper layers in PCB boards, protecting them from external elements like moisture. When there’s not enough solder protection on these copper traces, the formation of unnecessary solder bridges during assembly is guaranteed. PCBs with solder bridges often suffer from short circuits, so manufacturers usually have to through the whole batch of damaged PCBs out to avoid future problems. Chemical Leakages – Some small traces of chemicals used during the manufacture of the PCBs may get left behind and cause the board to short-circuit unexpectedly. There’s, of course, the risk of PCB components burning from excessive heat. There’s also the risk of not having enough space around the PCB components for applying proper soldering techniques. The point we’re making is that PCB manufacturers, OEMs, and EMS providers need on-site engineering experts to immediately address such risks and repair damaged PCBs. When your workforce is full of PCB repair experts, avoiding and overcoming these damage-related risks becomes much easier. That’s why sending employees to a reputable and IPC-certified PCB Repair Training Center is being viewed as an essential responsibility by PCB manufacturers, OEMs, and EMS providers. These repair experts help their employers avoid the costly risks that arise from PCB failures. Here’s why these PCB repair training centers are so important to the electronics manufacturing industry.

4. What are PCB Repair Training Centers? A PCB repair center is exactly what it sounds like – an IPC-certified institution where any member of the electronics manufacturing industry can learn about the basics of repairing damaged PCBs. These certified institutes ensure that the students not only learn how to rework or repair damaged circuit board assemblies but they also make sure that all students follow the work standards set by the IPC. The most important standard or guideline students learn about at these centers is the IPC- 7711C/7721. This manual is officially known as the “Rework of Electronic Assemblies and Repair and Modification of Printed Boards and Assemblies.” When members of the electronics manufacturing industry receive IPC-7711/7721 training, they can repair the circuit board assemblies that initially fail to meet the quality requirements. The training enables them to make component replacements and repairs. These repair operations help PCB manufacturers, OEMs, and EMS providers save the circuit board assemblies that they would otherwise have to throw away. Efficient repairs conducted as per the guidelines mentioned in the IPC-7711/7721 document can transform heavily damaged circuit board assemblies into high-quality circuit board assemblies that fully meet all quality-related requirements.

5. PCB manufacturers, OEMs, and EMS providers can save a lot of money by avoiding the dismissal of entire circuit board assembly batches. Plus, IPC 7711/7721-certified operators can identify potential causes of circuit board failures long before they happen. So, they’re also able to resolve board-related issues long before the products come out of the assembly line and save their employers a lot of money and hassle. IPC-7711/7721 Training at a Glance In the past, the IPC issued two separate documents on the topic of PCB repairs – one was called IPC-7711 and the other IPC-7721. In recent times, these two IPC standards have been merged, and all the guidelines related to PCB repairs are now summarized in one standard called the IPC-7711/7721 standard. IPC 7711/7721 certification is mandatory for electronic assembly professionals looking to enter intensive industries such as medical device manufacturing or military manufacturing. Training only lasts five days, but IPC-7711/7721 training is by far the most hands-on training program of all IPC courses. Students are appraised on both lab and coursework. Students gain a complete understanding of the technical guidelines mentioned in the IPC 7711/7721 document. They also have to demonstrate proficiency at reworking, repairing, and modifying damaged PCBs to obtain certification. From learning how to replace sensitive PCB components correctly to differentiating between defective components (or incorrectly assembled components) and high-quality components – students learn everything about PCB repairs in IPC-7711/7721 training through hands-on demonstrations. That’s why IPC-certified PCB repair training centers are extremely important for PCB manufacturers, OEMs, and EMS providers with large workforces.

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