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Epec's Blog | Electronics Manufacturing Solutions


Epec PCB Engineering Support: Around The Clock Commitment

Written by Angie Brown
Posted on June 21, 2016 at 10:30 AM

Epec’s printed circuit board (PCB) engineering team is here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have 6 full-time PCB CAM Engineers in the United States, along with 2 more full-time at our Shenzhen, China office. Our U.S. CAM Engineers work on 2 separate shifts, so we really do have assistance available 24/7 for all your PCB design and manufacturing needs.

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High Tech PCB Manufacturers: Advantages of a Mid-Sized Operation

Written by Ed McMahon
Posted on May 10, 2016 at 10:30 AM

Back when laser drilling equipment was north of $1M, or when plasma etch equipment was so dangerous that it needed to be housed in a special room, only the largest companies could afford to purchase the equipment required to manufacture the highest technology printed circuit boards (PCBs). The only way to maintain good yields was to staff a squad of highly experienced engineers who understood the nuances of that specific facility equipment. Today, times and technology have changed dramatically to the point where this is no longer the case, allowing for more efficient mid-sized high tech PCB manufacturers to exist.

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PCB Design For Manufacturability Analysis: Beyond DRC

Written by Al Wright
Posted on May 4, 2016 at 2:46 PM

Your PCB design for manufacturing is critical to the success of your final application. Design features which make your board difficult to build add cost to your product, either by slowing down the production process, or by increasing the scrap rate.

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Managing Quality with Asian PCB Manufacturers

Written by Chris Perry
Posted on January 28, 2016 at 1:30 PM

There was a time when “Made in China” was synonymous with cheaper, poor quality products. "Buyer beware" was the common theme associated with outsourcing to any Asian PCB manufacturers. So how did Epec approach this challenge and succeed? It was by managing quality through intense auditing, training, and qualification. Epec understood at a very early stage that first-class quality products from Asian manufacturers would require consistent presence, training, and auditing.

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PCB Cleanliness Attention to Details

Written by Chris Perry
Posted on October 13, 2015 at 3:13 PM

Cleanliness of bare circuit boards increases in importance with advances in PCB technology that continue to decrease conductor spacing. Inorganic contamination within printed circuit board fabrication can lead to electrochemical migration. Electrochemical migration is the dissolution and movement of metal ions in presence of electric potential, which results in the growth of dendritic structures between anode and cathode. These dendritic growths, which were minimal over periods of time, were not a concern of "yesterdays" bare boards.

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6-8 Layer PCB Online Quoting Made Easy

Written by Ed McMahon
Posted on September 16, 2015 at 2:08 PM

Online quoting tools that offer customers the ability to create their own printed circuit board quotes and place orders online has become quite common in the PCB industry today. InstantPCBQuote from Epec aims to do more than the competitors. Most quoting tools are designed for lower technology parts which don't need much more than the outside dimensions of the board to provide a fast quote.

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Controlling PCB Costs: Part 2

Written by Al Wright
Posted on June 19, 2015 at 2:30 PM

PCB Laminate Utilization - Part and Panel Size:

In our first post on controlling PCB costs, we detailed many of the common cost drivers people face and ways to avoid them. For part 2 of controlling costs, we are focusing on one example that can cost a lot of dollars: PCB laminate costs and utilization

Printed circuit boards are run through the fabrication process in sheet form, typically with rows and columns of identical circuit boards or sub-panels on a single sheet, which are later cut out for shipment. One of the biggest potential cost adders in PCB manufacturing is that of a poor-yielding PCB or sub-panel. While this is true for even the least complex PCBs, it is especially true for multilayers.

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Controlling PCB Costs: Part 1

Written by Al Wright
Posted on May 29, 2015 at 1:20 PM

Avoiding Expensive PCB Materials & Processes

Printed circuit boards are only one component of an entire assembly designed to meet the best cost-to-performance ratio possible. The finished product into which the PCB is installed must meet a price point that compares favorably against competing products, so the lower the expenses, the more money your product returns. In order to make the best choices during the design cycle, it is important to first understand what drives the primary costs.

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Engineering From A Woman's Perspective

Written by Sherry Clowers
Posted on April 7, 2015 at 1:18 PM

Engineering in most industries, still tends to be primarily dominated by males. When I first entered the field of Printed Circuit Board (PCB) engineering, it was a bit intimidating. This was because the men always outnumbered the women. I felt we were graded on separate standards "Men vs Women".

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Matte Finish vs Gloss Finish In PCB Solder Mask Design

Written by Chris Perry
Posted on March 27, 2015 at 9:47 AM

When creating your optimal circuit board design, one factor that must be considered is the solder mask and whether to go with matte finish solder mask or gloss finish mask for your final product. Usually, most designers don't specify their preference and end up leaving the decision to the PCB fabricator. Most fabricators will likely default to a gloss surface finish, the more popular choice of the two.

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