Common issues with printed circuit boards that you must know

Printed circuit boards are a vital cog in the tech industry with most products now containing one of these complicated circuits. Of course, with any tech product, there can be issues that arise and this can make using or designing these PCBs difficult.

Here, we are going to tell you about some of the common issues with PCBs that you should know about. Keep reading to find out more.

Burning

When you have spent a long time designing a PCB, it can be disheartening to find out that it has been burnt in the manufacturing process. Unfortunately, this is a common problem and it is often due to the high temperatures that your PCB has been exposed to.

To combat this problem, we recommend that you leave a lot of space between each component during the design process that you’ll use your PCB design software for. This should help to prevent burning in manufacturing and help you to create the perfect product.

Age

As your PCB gets older, the parts will become worn down and damaged. This is not really something that you can avoid in PCB design or manufacture, but it is something to consider if you are planning on creating a PCB. If old age does affect your PCB, you can replace some of the parts instead of rebuilding the board from scratch.

Acid Traps

The next common issue that you might come across with your printed circuit board is acid traps appearing. These acid traps are also known as acute angles and they can begin to appear in the etching process. When the acid gets trapped in the corner, it can eat away at the materials which can cause problems with the connections.

Make sure to consider this when choosing your etching materials as there are some ways that you can prevent these acid traps from appearing.

Chemical Leakage

The final common issue for printed circuit boards is chemical leakage which can occur in the manufacturing stage of the project. There are many different chemicals that are used in this process and so some small traces can be left behind when the chemicals have not been cleared away properly. This can then cause corrosion and short-circuiting if you are not careful.

It is important that you look out for any sort of chemical leakage and make sure that your traces have all been cleared carefully.

Final Thoughts

If you are in the tech industry and find yourself working on different PCB design or manufacturing projects, you should make sure to consider everything that we have discussed in this article. Make sure that you are using your PCB design software properly and testing your product thoroughly before sending it to manufacture. Try to prevent these common issues from happening by taking on board the advice that we have given you. This should help you to avoid the issues and create a great new product.