Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCA)

In high volume environments, optimizing a process over a long run is fairly straightforward. At Paramit we typically build complex, high mix products, resulting in an environment where we don't have that luxury. Paramit's printed circuit board assembly (PCA) processes are based on a zero defect culture, using systems that are designed to provide a no-defect yield, beginning with the very first board.

We use some of the best verification equipment in the industry to control critical processes and ensure that defects do not travel down the line. Our rigorous New Product Introduction (NPI) methodology, stop-on-defect policy, closed loop work cells, and our top-notch technical staff also contribute to Paramit's best-in-class PCA operation with less than 10 defects per million opportunities (DPMO). Ultimately, the purpose of a high-yielding PCA process is not to create impressive-sounding statistics, but to eliminate latent manufacturing-induced defects which result in field failures and reliability issues.

PCA Process Validation

In keeping with our obsession to do things the right way, Paramit performs process validation on every PCA we build, whether it's a standalone product we supply to an OEM or part of a complex system that we build in-house. We thoroughly document the validation process and maintain records that are available to both the OEM and the FDA, should a field failure trigger an audit. Learn more about the importance of process validation for PCAs.

Best-in-Class PCAs

Many factors contribute to the success of Paramit's PCA operation:

• New Product Introduction (NPI). Our NPI process includes a Design for Manufacturability (DFM) review to ensure that PCAs are designed for optimum yield before they move into the production environment.
• Stop-on-defect policy and closed-loop work cells.These strategies prevent products with failures from moving down the line until the cause of the defect is resolved.
• Inline inspection. We inspect 100% of the PCAs for solder deposition with a 3D volumetric solder paste system and a post-reflow automated optical inspection. During NPI, we also perform a Design of Experiments to design the optimum stencil for screen printing and to determine the solder-paste screen printer settings for ideal solder deposition.
• Offline inspection. We verify100% of the PCAs with BGA (ball grid array) solder joints using an automatic x-ray (5DX) inspection system. This inspection allows us to evaluate the integrity of any hidden solder joints, increasing the opportunities for long term reliability.
• In-Circuit Testing (ICT). ICT verifies the electrical integrity of every PCA. Paramit's test engineers have extensive experience developing high-end custom test solutions.
• Functional test. Our engineers have product development backgrounds, allowing them to work through very complex issues in test development, trouble-shooting, and root cause analysis with little or no assistance from our OEM customers.

Top Ten Questions for Your PCA Contract Manufacturer

Over time, Paramit has developed some very effective methodologies and techniques for reducing defects during the PCA build process. Based on our experience, we have developed a list of Top Ten Questions to Ask Your PCA Contract Manufacturer that reveal a contract manufacturer's ability to reliably and consistently produce PCAs that meet specifications and function properly at functional test and in the field. We encourage every OEM to discuss these questions with us -and with any other contract manufacturers they're evaluating.