This video shows why through hole components – and through hole technology – aren’t dead yet. In fact, through hole technology PCB assembly is alive and well thanks to mixed technology PCBAs and American know-how.
Through Hole Components vs. Surface Mount Technology (SMT)
For many electronic contract manufacturers (ECMs), through hole printed circuit board (PCB) assembly is a distraction from their higher-volume SMT business. But since through hole components are essential for many applications, you need to know if an ECM is equipped to handle them.
At Z-AXIS, nearly 75% of the boards we run are mixed-technology PCBs. That means they use both through components and SMT components. We have honed our ability to produce them at reasonable cost and with high quality right here in Western New York. You might say that along with THT, Made in USA electronics manufacturing is alive and well.
There’s something else to consider with through hole technology as well. Through hole components are held in place by pins as well as by solder. Therefore, you get a much stronger and more reliable bond than with surface mount components, which have only solder to hold them in place.
Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA)
So why do most ECMs concentrate on their SMT assembly capabilities alone or instead? Maybe it’s because their SMT pick and place lines can be almost completely automated, making it possible to run a high volume of boards with little human intervention and low cost per board. Through-hole assembly, whether automated or manual, is a slower process. It takes resources away from the high-volume business that many manufacturers prefer.
You might think that through hole components are old-fashioned and destined to fade away. Indeed, most modern integrated circuits (ICs) are not even available with a thru hole option. You’ll see an IC like this in our video.
Why High Power PCBs Use Through Hole Components
At Z-AXIS, nearly half of our board assemblies are for high-power PCBs that use capacitors, inductors and transformers to handle energy. The size of these components is proportional to the energy they can store. So, for a high-power board, we need to use some fairly large and heavy components – and that means through hole technology.
In addition, thinks like customer-accessible connectors must be able to withstand stress as cables are connected and removed. Typically, these are through hole components.
Mixed Technology PCBAs
If your electronic contract manufacturer is focused on the high-volume SMT business, it’s important to know how they’ll handle through hole components when you need them. At Z-AXIS, we run mixed technology boards every day. We have a single-piece flow from the line to soldering, to in-line inspection, to de-paneling, QC testing, and burn-in.
What does all of this mean for you? At Z-AXIS, we can implement any corrections or process improvements immediately instead of waiting for the next batch. We’re also continuously improving our ability to produce through hole PCB boards at a reasonable cost and with high quality.