What is a through hole in manufacturing?
Through-hole technology (also spelled “thru-hole”), refers to the mounting scheme used for electronic components that involve the use of leads on the components that are inserted into holes drilled in printed circuit boards (PCB) and soldered to pads on the opposite side either by the manual assembly (hand placement) …
What does an SMT process engineer do?
A surface mount technology (SMT) process engineer generally assists in the production line of surface mount technologies, which involve attaching electronic materials to printed circuit boards. Finished products will be inspected by an engineer to assess their quality.
What is SMD and through-hole components?
While surface-mount devices (SMDs) are secured only by solder on the surface of the board, through-hole component leads run through the board, allowing the components to withstand more environmental stress.
How do I become a SMT engineer?
Experience and Education Requirements: 5 to 10 years’ experience in Electronics Manufacturing (SMT manufacturing, PCB manufacturing). Technical expertise should include a broad background in circuit card assembly with a strong concentration in surface mount technology/processes.
How is via plating done?
Via plating – the process of filling a drilled hole with copper to provide a path for current from a surface of the board to an inner layer, between two inner layers or from one surface to the other. These plated through holes (PTHs) are better known as vias.
What is through-hole and SMD?
There are two main methods for mounting components onto a PCB: through-hole mounting and surface mounting. While surface-mount devices (SMDs) are secured only by solder on the surface of the board, through-hole component leads run through the board, allowing the components to withstand more environmental stress.
How to use through-hole mounting in PCB design?
The designer needs to place through-holes in their PCB layout, where the hols are surrounded with a pad on the surface layer for soldering. The through-hole mounting process is simple: place the component leads into the holes and solder the exposed lead to the pad.
What is plated through holes in a PCB?
With plated through holes there is a conductive path from one side of the board to the other, as seen on Figure 1. This technology was extensively used in PCB Assembly during the 70s and early 80s as a substitute for Point-To-Point constructions.
Why use through-hole technology in printed circuit boards?
Why use through-hole technology in printed circuit boards (PCBs) when it seems surface mount technology (SMT) components are smaller and allow more compact component placement in your PCB? Like most design decisions, there are tradeoffs involved using each type of component.
How to Design SMD PCBs with through hole components?
To maximize efficiency, you can try to place all SMD components on the same side of the through hole components. Doing so allows the through hole components to be machine soldered instead of going through the more costly labor soldering process. Creating footprints for through hole components require precision and strong PCB design software.