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The future of the automotive industry looks optimistic with the ongoing development of electric vehicles, self-driven cars, aerospace and what not. The evolution of the Automotive PCB Market in the automotive sector will be rising fast with the emphasis on the autonomous and electric vehicles. The printed circuit boards (PCBs) are the ones that hold together all the delicate sensors and the components that is required for the steady operation of an automotive vehicle.
In the field of Automotive PCB Market, reliability is utmost. They need to survive severe environmental conditions and vibrations without any delay in performance. Also, the boards are anticipated to be completely operative in the long run as well. The thermal resistance and durability make an automotive printed circuit board (PCBs) distinct from the rest.
The PCB manufacturers are obliged to be qualified with ISO/TS 16949 based on ISO 9001 automotive standards.
The table lists a few standards which can be used to aid PCB developers in guaranteeing their products are reliable for the Automotive PCB Market.
Few areas in Automotive PCB Market are used –
The deployment of airbags is one of the most common uses of printed circuit boards in vehicles, which necessitates their utilization in order to prioritize safety. The circuit board is incorporated within the airbag deployment rate sensor, which is responsible for dissipating static charge and triggering the airbag when it is needed.
Audio and video systems in automobiles can also employ printed circuit boards. This board connects electrical components in the car’s radio and video display gadgets to ensure that they work as expected. Vehicle-specific printed circuit boards can also be utilized for global positioning systems, or GPS. Antilock brake systems, communication equipment, power converters, engine coolant level monitors, engine timing systems, LED brake lights, power distribution junction box, remote diagnostic systems, security systems, and transmission sensors are other applications.
Modern car technologies combine conventional approaches with cutting-edge scientific technologies like mechanical and electronic equipment. Different portions rely on electronic devices with various functionalities, resulting in a variety of PCB applications.
The international automobile market has evolved. Whether for basic system functionality, producing service alerts, or enabling safety measures, more and more digital technologies began to creep in. Today, no new automobile can function without an onboard computer, which requires advanced automotive printed circuit boards to function.
With the advent of ADAS and AV technologies, automotive PCB design rules will alter. Lighting, transmission controls, comfort controls, engine and emissions management, infotainment systems, power relay timing, radar, GPS, ADAS, and many more systems and functions employ PCBs today.
A single-layer or single-sided PCB is one that is made out of a single layer of substrate or base material. One of the sides is coated with a thin layer of metal, e.g. Copper. Once the metal base plating is applied, a protective solder mask is typically used and at last, silk-screen to spot all the elements on the board.
Since single-layer PCBs only have their various circuits and components soldered onto one side, they are easy to design and manufacture. For high-volume orders, they can be purchased at a low-cost. They are generally used for a variety of applications like calculators, radio, cameras, solid-state drives, printers and power supplies.
Double-layer/ double-sided PCBs use a thin layer of conductive metal like Copper, which is applied to both sides of the board. Holes are drilled through the board which allow circuits on one side of the board to connect to the other side.
The circuits and components of a double-sided PCB are usually connected in one of two ways: either utilizing a through-hole using small wires or with the use of a surface-mount which has many short leads soldered directly to the board. This makes space to permit the board to complete more functions, usually at higher speeds and lighter weight than a through-hole board would allow.
Instrumentation, HVAC systems, LED lighting, Automotive dashboards, Amplifiers and Vending machines.
Multi-layer PCBs consist of three or more double-layered PCBs. These boards are secured together with a specialized glue and crammed between pieces of insulation to safeguard it from excess heat which can melt any of the components.
Multi-layer PCBs come in a different size, starting from four layers to ten or twelve layers.
Complicated electrical tasks require compact and elaborate designs of PCB. Applications f multi-layer PCBs include File servers, Data storage, GPS technology, Satellite systems, Weather analysis and Medical equipment.
Apart from this Rigid PCBs, Flexible PCBs, Flex-Rigid PCBs, HDI PCBs, LED PCBs are also available in the market.
Lighting. Because of low power consumption and high levels of efficiency, LED-based lighting is becoming popular. Generally, aluminium-backed PCBs are used to make them. These PCBs serve as heat sinks and permit for higher levels of heat transfer than a standard PCB. Similar aluminium-backed PCBs are used in both high-lumen LED applications and essential lighting solutions.
Automotive and aerospace industries: Both the automotive and aerospace industries use flexible PCBs, which are designed to endure high-vibration environments. Depending on the specifications and design, they can also be very lightweight. They can adapt to tight spaces that might be present in various applications, such as inside the instrument panels or behind the instrument gauge on a dashboard.
Automation advancements are occurring in almost every industry. The demand for smaller and smaller goods with increased functionality, particularly in terms of routing traces, has led to the development of high-density interconnect. This functionality allows for fewer layers in the PCB stack-up and boosts signal transmission at high speeds.
High-density connection PCBs ensure that high-speed signals are reliable. They are not only smaller and lighter than other PCBs, but they also provide a cleaner circuit route with a variety of routing alternatives. HDI manufacturing faces difficulties creating traces in such a way that a greater number of traces can be routed in a smaller area, causing concerns like noise and interference.
In order to automate high-precision inspection procedures for PCB sub-assemblies and do away with the need for specialised operator skills, OMRON has launched the new PCB inspection system VT-S10 Series, which includes an industry-first imaging technology and AI.
Inspection of in-vehicle PCB assemblies becomes more difficult with the rise in demand for the new global wireless standard 5G, electric vehicles (EVs), and autonomous driving.
By enabling high-precision inspection of such crucial components, OMRON’s new VT-S10 solution helps to maintain and improve quality, which promotes security and safety.
Inspecting PCB assemblies comes with additional difficulties as they get smaller and denser. Traditional PCB inspection methods, for instance, have difficulty capturing precise images of solder forms, which restricts the inspection’s parameters and range of application.
Employees are required to avoid close contact and movement on the production floor in order to stop the spread of COVID-19 while also dealing with a growing shortage of competent labourers.
The number of visual inspections must be conducted less frequently as a result. In addition to increased inspection accuracy, other demands include lowered experience and skill requirements for the use of modern inspection equipment.
The product supply chain grows in areas where the demand from the automotive and 5G sectors rises. Therefore, shape inspection, such as that required by the IPC standard, becomes more crucial for preserving and raising inspection quality.
The VT-S10 Series, which is outfitted with OMRON’s exclusive MDMC (Multi-Direction Multi-Colour) imaging technology, automatically optimises irradiation angles, colours, and light intensity of illumination during the inspection of the PCB assembly taking characteristics like the shapes of electronic components and soldering on the PCB into account. Initial experiments indicate that this new technology can cut the number of setup hours needed by people by about 70%.
Additionally, this PCB inspection system may use AI to automate examinations that up until now have relied solely on human perception, greatly enhancing inspection accuracy. The field of appearance and solder inspection has been a focus of OMRON for more than 30 years.
The VT-S10 Series is the most recent solution from OMRON that best exemplifies the “innovative-Automation” idea through the integration of the broadest range of control devices and the application of AI fully knowledgeable in solder inspection.
The company intends to keep modernising its production lines alongside its clients in the next few years. Expanding the scope and criteria for automated inspection will release operators from routine, repetitive work and allow them to work more creatively, thereby enhancing the security and safety of the community at large.
