{"id":173,"date":"2026-07-04T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/blog\/pcb-industry-guides\/"},"modified":"2026-07-04T09:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T09:00:00","slug":"pcb-industry-guides","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/blog\/pcb-industry-guides\/","title":{"rendered":"PCB Applications by Industry: Design, Manufacturing &#038; Assembly Requirements"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n        PCB applications by industry differ because electrical stress, thermal load, operating<br \/>\n        environment, inspection depth and product documentation change from one programme to the<br \/>\n        next. <a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/\">RLX Solutions<\/a>, a contract electronics manufacturer in Concord, Ontario, treats those<br \/>\n        requirements as design inputs rather than details to add after the printed circuit board<br \/>\n        layout is complete.\n      <\/p>\n<h2>Industry requirements change the PCB before layout begins<\/h2>\n<p>\n        The schematic may define what a circuit does, but the application defines what the physical<br \/>\n        circuit board has to survive. An industrial controller mounted inside an electrical cabinet,<br \/>\n        a medical instrument, an automotive electronic module and an LED power board can all use<br \/>\n        similar component technologies while requiring different design and manufacturing decisions.\n      <\/p>\n<p>The differences usually appear in five places:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Electrical stress:<\/strong> current, voltage, switching speed and noise environment.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mechanical environment:<\/strong> vibration, connector loading, enclosure constraints and mounting.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Thermal environment:<\/strong> heat density, ambient temperature and available cooling path.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Manufacturing controls:<\/strong> workmanship class, traceability, inspection and first article requirements.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Regulatory context:<\/strong> product standards, documentation and programme-specific verification.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n        These factors feed directly into layer count, stackup, material choice, copper weight,<br \/>\n        creepage and clearance planning, via architecture, surface finish, assembly inspection and<br \/>\n        test strategy. That is why copying a proven PCB layout from one product category into<br \/>\n        another can create risk even when the electrical function appears similar.\n      <\/p>\n<h2>Industrial control PCBs need electrical margin and serviceable construction<\/h2>\n<p>\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/blog\/industrial-pcb-manufacturing\/\">Industrial electronics<\/a> often combine logic, communications, relays, power conversion,<br \/>\n        sensors and external field wiring on the same assembly. The main design problem is keeping<br \/>\n        high-energy and high-noise circuits from interfering with low-level control signals while<br \/>\n        preserving a board structure that can be fabricated and inspected consistently.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Layout should establish high-current paths, switching loops and voltage-isolation regions<br \/>\n        before routing lower-priority signals. Copper weight then has to match the routing geometry.<br \/>\n        For example, a two-layer board using 1 oz outer copper can support 3 mil trace and 3 mil<br \/>\n        spacing within the available fabrication envelope, while a two-layer design using 2 oz<br \/>\n        copper moves to 6 mil \/ 6 mil geometry.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        That difference matters because adding copper for current handling can consume routing<br \/>\n        density. A designer who increases copper weight late in the project may discover that a<br \/>\n        layout already packed at fine pitch no longer fits the preferred fabrication geometry.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Industrial control design may also involve regulatory requirements such as UL 508A for<br \/>\n        industrial control panels or UL\/CSA 61010 for laboratory and test equipment. Those<br \/>\n        requirements should influence the design architecture before release rather than being<br \/>\n        treated as a documentation exercise after the PCB is built.\n      <\/p>\n<h3>Worked example: an eight-layer industrial controller<\/h3>\n<p>\n        Consider a hypothetical eight-layer, 1.6 mm industrial control board with Ethernet,<br \/>\n        switching power supplies, digital I\/O and relay drivers.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Layer 1 carries components and critical signals, Layer 2 is a continuous ground reference,<br \/>\n        Layers 3 and 6 provide internal routing, and the centre layers support power and ground<br \/>\n        distribution. Ethernet pairs remain referenced to continuous planes, while switching nodes<br \/>\n        are kept compact and physically separated from sensitive I\/O.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        If the designer routes a high-speed pair across a plane split to shorten its path, the<br \/>\n        signal current may have a short copper route but the return current does not. The return<br \/>\n        must detour around the split, increasing loop area and potentially raising electromagnetic<br \/>\n        interference. Industrial reliability therefore starts with current-path geometry, not with<br \/>\n        trace length alone.\n      <\/p>\n<h2>Medical electronics add process control and documentation pressure<\/h2>\n<p>\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/blog\/pcb-requirements-for-medical-device-manufacturing\/\">Medical PCB<\/a> design is often shaped by risk control, traceability and consistency across<br \/>\n        fabrication and assembly. The circuit itself may use familiar digital, analog, power and<br \/>\n        communications technologies, but design decisions need to support inspection, testing and<br \/>\n        documented production.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Programme requirements may call for tighter control of component sourcing, moisture-sensitive<br \/>\n        device handling, serialization, first article approval and functional test. ISO 13485-aligned<br \/>\n        processes can support medical programmes, but that alignment is distinct from ISO 13485<br \/>\n        certification.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Assembly planning is especially important for packages that hide solder joints. Ball grid<br \/>\n        arrays (BGAs), land grid arrays (LGAs) and quad flat no-lead (QFN) packages cannot be fully<br \/>\n        evaluated by optical inspection alone. X-ray inspection can therefore become part of the<br \/>\n        assembly verification plan, while solder paste inspection before reflow and automated<br \/>\n        optical inspection after reflow address other defect modes.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        The design implication is direct: component selection and placement affect how the assembly<br \/>\n        can be inspected. A dense board that technically routes but leaves no access for probing,<br \/>\n        programming or functional test can create problems during production release.\n      <\/p>\n<h2>Automotive and EV boards combine thermal, power and traceability demands<\/h2>\n<p>\n        Automotive and electric vehicle electronics often place thermal management, power density,<br \/>\n        connector reliability and production traceability at the centre of PCB engineering.<br \/>\n        IATF 16949-aligned processes are available for automotive programmes, but that alignment<br \/>\n        should not be confused with IATF 16949 certification.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        High-current sections can drive copper-weight decisions, while switching converters,<br \/>\n        motor-control circuitry and communications interfaces create electromagnetic compatibility<br \/>\n        constraints. Thermal design must then account for how heat moves through copper, vias,<br \/>\n        laminate, enclosure interfaces and any external heat sink.\n      <\/p>\n<h3>Worked example: a six-layer 8 W power stage<\/h3>\n<p>\n        Consider a hypothetical six-layer, 1.6 mm board using 2 oz outer copper. A power device<br \/>\n        dissipates 8 W through an exposed thermal pad.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Layout A connects the thermal pad to top-layer copper only. Layout B uses the same copper<br \/>\n        footprint but adds sixteen 0.30 mm plated vias into internal and bottom-side copper.\n      <\/p>\n<p>The approximate via aspect ratio is:<\/p>\n<p>\n        <strong>1.6 \/ 0.30 = 5.3:1<\/strong>\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Layout B creates additional conductive paths away from the package. That does not establish<br \/>\n        a guaranteed junction temperature because the full thermal system still includes package<br \/>\n        resistance, airflow, copper area and enclosure conditions. It does change the physical heat<br \/>\n        path in a direction the thermal engineer can model and test.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        If those vias are placed directly in a solderable thermal pad, assembly requirements also<br \/>\n        change. Via-in-pad can use resin fill, copper cap and planarization so the component sees<br \/>\n        a flat solderable surface instead of open holes that can disturb solder behaviour.\n      <\/p>\n<h2>Robotics and factory automation concentrate mixed-signal problems<\/h2>\n<p>\n        Robotics and factory automation boards often combine processors, communications,<br \/>\n        motor-control interfaces, sensors and <a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/blog\/power-electronics-pcb-design-manufacturing\/\">power conversion<\/a> in compact assemblies. The challenge<br \/>\n        is not that any one circuit is unusual. It is that noisy and sensitive functions have to<br \/>\n        coexist while sharing board area, connectors and power infrastructure.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Placement should start with functional current paths. Motor or actuator switching loops need<br \/>\n        to remain compact. Sensor and analog sections should be positioned so their return currents<br \/>\n        do not share unnecessarily noisy paths. High-speed digital links need continuous references,<br \/>\n        and power distribution needs enough plane and via structure to prevent the routing solution<br \/>\n        from becoming the electrical problem.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Test access also matters. A prototype may use flying-probe in-circuit test without a<br \/>\n        dedicated fixture, while production can justify bed-of-nails in-circuit testing. Functional<br \/>\n        test can then exercise the assembled board against a customer-defined pass\/fail procedure,<br \/>\n        with results tied to serial traceability.\n      <\/p>\n<h2>LED and power electronics make thermal architecture a layout constraint<\/h2>\n<p>\n        LED and other power-dense boards force the thermal problem into the board architecture.<br \/>\n        Copper spreading, thermal vias, component spacing and substrate choice can determine whether<br \/>\n        heat leaves the component efficiently or remains concentrated around the source.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Standard FR-4 may suit one design, while another application may point toward a metal-core<br \/>\n        PCB. Aluminum metal-core constructions can use alloys including 1100, 3003, 5052 and 6061,<br \/>\n        while copper-core C1100 is also available.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Substrate choice does not eliminate the need for thermal analysis. A metal core changes the<br \/>\n        conduction path, but the engineer still needs to account for component-to-board interfaces,<br \/>\n        copper spreading, dielectric layers, mechanical attachment and the final route into the<br \/>\n        surrounding environment.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Regulatory design experience can also matter for lighting equipment, including UL 8750.<br \/>\n        That requirement belongs in the design-input stage because electrical spacing, construction<br \/>\n        and documentation decisions can affect both PCB layout and enclosure integration.\n      <\/p>\n<h2>High-speed digital electronics are dominated by interconnect geometry<\/h2>\n<p>\n        High-speed products shift emphasis from simple connectivity to transmission-line behaviour.<br \/>\n        DDR memory, SerDes, PCIe, USB 3.x, HDMI and Ethernet interfaces can all require deliberate<br \/>\n        stackup, reference-plane and impedance decisions.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Controlled impedance is the relationship between trace geometry, copper thickness,<br \/>\n        dielectric geometry and material properties. It therefore cannot be reduced to a trace<br \/>\n        width copied from a previous board.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        The fabricator needs the intended stackup and impedance target. Controlled impedance can be<br \/>\n        produced to \u00b110% and verified using time-domain reflectometry on a coupon, with a test report<br \/>\n        supplied with the order.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Layer changes need equal attention. A differential pair moving from Layer 1 to Layer 3 may<br \/>\n        need more than two signal vias if the reference structure also changes. The return current<br \/>\n        needs a low-inductance path between reference planes, or the transition creates a larger<br \/>\n        electromagnetic loop.\n      <\/p>\n<h2>Two boards with the same layer count can carry very different manufacturing cost<\/h2>\n<p>\n        Industry requirements often affect fabrication cost through architecture rather than layer<br \/>\n        count. Two eight-layer boards can therefore require different drilling, lamination,<br \/>\n        filling, planarization and inspection processes.\n      <\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Decision factor<\/th>\n<th>Board A<\/th>\n<th>Board B<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Layer count<\/td>\n<td>8 layers<\/td>\n<td>8 layers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Board thickness<\/td>\n<td>1.6 mm<\/td>\n<td>1.6 mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Main via structure<\/td>\n<td>Mechanical through vias<\/td>\n<td>Blind microvias plus buried vias<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Outer microvias<\/td>\n<td>None<\/td>\n<td>Layer 1 to Layer 2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Buried structure<\/td>\n<td>None<\/td>\n<td>Layer 3 to Layer 6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Fine-pitch component<\/td>\n<td>0.8 mm pitch BGA<\/td>\n<td>0.4 mm pitch BGA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Via-in-pad<\/td>\n<td>Not required<\/td>\n<td>Filled and copper capped<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Lamination sequence<\/td>\n<td>Conventional multilayer construction<\/td>\n<td>Sequential lamination<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\n        Board A can use through-hole drilling after the multilayer board is laminated. Board B needs<br \/>\n        an internal buried-via structure and an outer blind-via structure, which changes the order<br \/>\n        in which layers are built, drilled and plated.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Its 0.4 mm pitch BGA also drives a denser escape strategy. If the layout uses via-in-pad,<br \/>\n        the vias need to be filled, copper capped and planarized before assembly.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        The boards have the same layer count and thickness, but Board B contains more manufacturing<br \/>\n        operations. This is why PCB cost discussions based only on area and layer count can miss the<br \/>\n        processes actually driving the build.\n      <\/p>\n<h2>Surface finish should follow the assembly and product requirement<\/h2>\n<p>\n        Surface finish protects exposed copper and creates the interface used for soldering,<br \/>\n        contacting or wire bonding. The application therefore determines which properties matter.\n      <\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Finish<\/th>\n<th>Typical engineering reason for selection<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Lead-free HASL<\/td>\n<td>General solderability where finish planarity is not the dominant requirement<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>ENIG<\/td>\n<td>Flat solderable surface for fine-pitch assembly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>ENEPIG<\/td>\n<td>Applications involving wire bonding or extended shelf-life requirements<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>OSP<\/td>\n<td>Single-reflow builds<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Hard gold<\/td>\n<td>Gold fingers and repeated contact surfaces<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\n        Finish selection also interacts with pad geometry, solder mask and assembly sequence.<br \/>\n        A connector edge that needs hard gold and beveling is a different manufacturing feature<br \/>\n        from an ENIG BGA pad, even though both appear as exposed copper in the layout database.\n      <\/p>\n<h2>Assembly class changes inspection and acceptance requirements<\/h2>\n<p>\n        Product category often influences the workmanship level specified for assembly. IPC-A-610<br \/>\n        Class 2 and Class 3 apply to assembled electronic hardware, while IPC-6012 Class 2 and<br \/>\n        Class 3 address rigid <a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/pcb-manufacturing.html\">bare-board fabrication<\/a>.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Class 3 applies tighter fabrication and workmanship expectations than Class 2. That can<br \/>\n        affect annular ring, plating expectations, solder-joint acceptance, inspection depth and<br \/>\n        documentation. Learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/pcb-assembly.html\">PCB assembly and inspection services<\/a>.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        The class should therefore be specified before fabrication and assembly begin. Applying a<br \/>\n        higher class after layout release can expose geometry or documentation decisions that were<br \/>\n        never created for that acceptance level.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Inspection can include 100% solder paste inspection before reflow, automated optical<br \/>\n        inspection after reflow on both sides, X-ray inspection of hidden-joint packages and manual<br \/>\n        visual inspection to the specified IPC-A-610 class.\n      <\/p>\n<h2>Component sourcing becomes part of engineering in long-life products<\/h2>\n<p>\n        Industrial, medical, automotive and other long-lifecycle electronics can encounter<br \/>\n        allocation, end-of-life notices or obsolete components while the product is still active.<br \/>\n        Component procurement then becomes an engineering issue because an alternate part can affect<br \/>\n        electrical behaviour, footprint compatibility, firmware and qualification.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Procurement channels can include authorized distribution, customer-supplied inventory,<br \/>\n        excess inventory and specialist global sourcing. Higher-risk sourcing requires an<br \/>\n        authenticity plan rather than simple part-number matching.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        Verification can include packaging inspection, date-code and country-of-origin checks,<br \/>\n        visual inspection to IDEA-STD-1010 criteria, lot verification, X-ray, sample electrical<br \/>\n        testing and escalation to third-party decapsulation and die analysis when required.\n      <\/p>\n<p>\n        The engineering consequence is that sourcing risk should be identified before production<br \/>\n        scheduling. A board that depends on a hard-to-verify obsolete IC can require a different<br \/>\n        procurement and test strategy from a design using readily available authorized stock.\n      <\/p>\n<h2>Release files must communicate the industry&#8217;s real requirements<\/h2>\n<p>\n        A manufacturing package should carry the application decisions that cannot be inferred from<br \/>\n        copper artwork alone.\n      <\/p>\n<p>A complete release can include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Gerber RS-274X, ODB++ or IPC-2581 fabrication data.<\/li>\n<li>NC drill files with plated and non-plated features clearly defined.<\/li>\n<li>Stackup documentation and controlled-impedance targets.<\/li>\n<li>Fabrication notes covering material, copper and surface finish.<\/li>\n<li>Bill of materials in .xlsx or .csv format.<\/li>\n<li>Pick-and-place or centroid data.<\/li>\n<li>Assembly drawings and component orientation information.<\/li>\n<li>Test, programming and serialization requirements where applicable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n        Native design data from Altium, Eagle, KiCad, OrCAD or DipTrace can also support engineering<br \/>\n        review. The objective is to prevent the manufacturer from having to infer why a feature,<br \/>\n        material or test requirement exists.\n      <\/p>\n<h2>Match the manufacturing plan to the application before release<\/h2>\n<p>\n        If an application has specific electrical, thermal, inspection or regulatory constraints,<br \/>\n        RLX Solutions can review the schematic, stackup, layout, fabrication package and assembly<br \/>\n        requirements before release. <a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/engineering-design.html\">Engineer-reviewed DFM<\/a>\/DFA is included with every quote, giving<br \/>\n        the design team a chance to resolve manufacturing issues before they become production<br \/>\n        changes.\n      <\/p>\n<h2>Industry Guides in This Series<\/h2>\n<p>Each guide below covers the PCB design, manufacturing and assembly requirements of one industry.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/blog\/led-pcb-manufacturing\/\">LED PCB &amp; Circuit Board Manufacturing Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/blog\/industrial-pcb-manufacturing\/\">Industrial PCB Manufacturing: Design, Assembly &amp; Production Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/blog\/pcb-requirements-for-medical-device-manufacturing\/\">Medical Electronics &amp; PCB Manufacturing Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/blog\/consumer-electronics-pcb-manufacturing\/\">Consumer Electronics PCB Manufacturing Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/blog\/aerospace-pcb-manufacturing-assembly\/\">Aerospace PCB Manufacturing &amp; Assembly Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/blog\/drone-uav-pcb-design-manufacturing\/\">Drone &amp; UAV PCB Design and Manufacturing Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/blog\/fire-alarm-pcb-manufacturing\/\">Life-Safety &amp; Fire Alarm PCB Manufacturing Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/blog\/power-electronics-pcb-design-manufacturing\/\">Power Electronics PCB Design &amp; Manufacturing Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/blog\/automotive-pcb-manufacturing-assembly\/\">Automotive PCB Manufacturing &amp; Assembly Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/blog\/iot-pcb-design-manufacturing-assembly\/\">IoT PCB Design, Manufacturing &amp; Assembly Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/blog\/telecommunications-pcb-manufacturing-assembly\/\">Telecommunications PCB Manufacturing &amp; Assembly Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Related guides: <a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/blog\/pcb-manufacturing-guide\/\">PCB Manufacturing Guide<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/blog\/pcb-assembly-guide\/\">PCB Assembly Guide<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/rlxsolutions.com\/blog\/pcb-engineering-guide\/\">PCB Engineering Guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n<section class=\"faq\">\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<h3>Do different PCB industries need different board materials?<\/h3>\n<p>\n          They can. Material selection depends on operating temperature, electrical performance,<br \/>\n          frequency, thermal requirements and mechanical construction rather than industry name<br \/>\n          alone. Options can include standard and high-Tg FR-4, high-frequency laminates, polyimide<br \/>\n          and metal-core constructions. The stackup should be selected against the actual electrical<br \/>\n          and environmental requirements.\n        <\/p>\n<h3>When should an industry application use IPC Class 3?<\/h3>\n<p>\n          Class 3 is used when the programme specifies higher-performance fabrication or assembly<br \/>\n          workmanship requirements. IPC-6012 applies to rigid PCB fabrication, while IPC-A-610<br \/>\n          applies to assembled hardware. The required class should be agreed before release because<br \/>\n          it affects fabrication, inspection, acceptance criteria and documentation rather than only<br \/>\n          final visual inspection.\n        <\/p>\n<h3>Are automotive PCB programmes automatically IATF 16949 certified?<\/h3>\n<p>\n          No. An automotive programme and an IATF 16949 certification are not the same thing.<br \/>\n          IATF 16949-aligned processes can be available for automotive work, but alignment must not<br \/>\n          be represented as certification. The programme documentation should state the actual<br \/>\n          quality-system and customer-specific requirements being applied.\n        <\/p>\n<h3>Why does thermal design affect PCB manufacturing?<\/h3>\n<p>\n          Thermal decisions can change copper weight, via count, via location, substrate choice and<br \/>\n          whether via-in-pad fill and copper capping are needed. A thermal pad with open vias, for<br \/>\n          example, behaves differently during soldering from a filled and planarized pad. Thermal<br \/>\n          architecture therefore influences both bare-board fabrication and assembly.\n        <\/p>\n<h3>What inspection methods are useful for fine-pitch PCB assembly?<\/h3>\n<p>\n          Inspection can combine solder paste inspection before reflow, automated optical inspection<br \/>\n          after reflow and X-ray for hidden solder joints such as BGA, LGA and QFN structures.<br \/>\n          Manual visual inspection can then be applied to the specified IPC-A-610 workmanship class.<br \/>\n          The exact inspection plan should match the package mix and programme requirements.\n        <\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PCB applications by industry differ because electrical stress, thermal load, operating environment, inspection depth and product documentation change from one 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