PCB strain gauge and testing service
Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are often exposed to high mechanical and thermal loading both in assy/manufacturing stages as well as in service applications where vibration and board stress can be a source of failure. This also increases the danger of damage to the printed circuit board, and with-it high repair costs or expensive product failures.
The miniaturisation trend which affects both the surface component size but also a reduction in board thickness trends is setting increasingly challenging requirements for the design, production and final housing of printed circuit boards.
Sensor Solutions has been supporting manufacturers of printed circuit boards for many years by performing mechanical tests on printed circuit board using strain gauges. We use strain gauges especially developed for use with PCB’s, Data acquisition systems and analysis software that complied with standards:
IPC — JEDEC 9702 Monotonic Bend Characteristics of Board-Level Interconnects
IPC — JEDEC 9704 Printed Wiring Board Strain Gage Test Guideline
IPC — JEDEC JESD22-B111 Board Level Drop Test Method of Components for Handheld
Electronic Products
Typical application areas for mechanical tests of printed circuit boards.
Detecting sources of issues in the manufacturing and processing sequence
When problems occur in the manufacturing of printed circuit boards, mechanical tests with strain gauges can help with troubleshooting. Some examples:
- Misalignment during automatic component placement
- Breakages during the various processes involved in the manufacture of SMD/SMT
- Transient strain peaks during separation and determination of critical strains/shear strains during separation
- Strain level of bending strain during the installation of multipoint connectors and large components such as power rails, heat sinks, solder terminations and battery holders
- Elevated mechanical stress that occurs due to press fitting, tightening screws or encapsulation processes in housings
- Vibration and load tests of potted/unpotted printed circuit boards or components
Sensor Solutions offers the complete solution for mechanical tests on printed circuit boards:
- Our experienced team will analyse the requirements together with you and perform the strain gauge installation on the printed circuit board
- We can perform the required measurements with our data acquisition equipment, and dedicated software
- You can opt to have the data presented in a test report detailing the results.
Advantages with Sensor Solutions PCB testing services:
- We perform measurements for customers worldwide. This can be achieved without the need to travel if required to keep test costs down to a minimum.
- Reliable and robust results – with definitive and independent test reports
- Minimise measurement errors by using our experienced service engineers
- Your fast and efficient way to measurement results and complete test reports, without having to invest in your own expensive equipment
