The Ultimate Guide to CCA Manufacturing

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Everything You Need to Know About CCA Manufacturing

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Topics Covered:

1. What is a Circuit Card Assembly (CCA) and CCA manufacturing?
2. What are the different components of a CCA?
3. Circuit Card Assembly (CCA) vs. Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA)
4. What is a Surface-mount Technology (SMT) Assembly Line?
5. Can circuit cards be repaired?

What is a Circuit Card Assembly (CCA) and CCA Manufacturing?

A Circuit Card Assembly (commonly referred to as a CCA) is a flat board with connected electronic components placed on it.

CCA Manufacturing usually employs the use of machines (SMT and Through-hole) to automate the process of creating CCAs.
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Read More: What is SMT Manufacturing?

Below is a video that quickly goes through what a CCA (sometimes called PCBA) actually is.

Real World Uses of CCA
From household items (TVs, microwaves, laptops, cell phones, smoke detector, security cameras) to industrial uses (medical imaging systems and monitors, automotive displays, power supplies, navigation systems), you can find CCAs in a many different industries.

→ Read More: What is a Circuit Card Assembly (CCA) and CCA Manufacturing?

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What Are The Different Components of a CCA?

There is a myriad of different CCA designs, types, and capabilities. However, PCBAs are largely comprised of 4 basic elements.

1. Substrate
2. Copper
3. Solder mask
4. Silkscreen

Substrate
The material supporting all the electrical components together. Substrates can vary greatly depending on the type of PCBA. For example, you can have flexible, ridged, and metal core boards.
 
Copper
A thin layer of copper is laminated to the substrate of the PCBA connecting the electrical components with conductive tracks or traces. The number of copper layers depends of the type of PCBA, and can range from single-sided, double-sided, and multi-layer boards.
 
Solder Mask
Solder masks are applied as a coating to prevent corrosion, reducing the possibility of solder shorts.
 
Silkscreen
A silkscreen may be printed on circuit boards to display a legend identifying the components and test points.

→ Read More: What Are The Different Components of a CCA?

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Circuit Card Assembly (CCA) vs. Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA)

• Circuit Card Assembly (CCA) and Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) or Printed Circuit Assembly (PCA) both refer to the same thing: bare and assembled circuit boards.

Printed Circuit Board Assembly (​PCBA) and Printed Circuit Assembly (PCA) are both more informal terms that are commonly used in the industry, however the Intellectual Property Constituency (IPC) uses the term Circuit Card Assembly (CCA) instead. ​

→ Read More: Circuit Card Assembly (CCA) vs. Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA. What's the difference?

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What is a Surface-mount Technology (SMT) Assembly Line?

SMT stands for Surface-mount Technology, and it is comprised on 3 primary machines: Stencil Printer, Pick and Place Machine, and a Reflow Oven. All these machines work one after the other to automate printing CCAs, reducing labor costs and increasing production rates.

Stencil Printing Machine​
A stencil machine spreads solder evenly on the board through a customized stencil. After spreading the solder on the board, the machine cleans off the excess solder paste.

Automation Advantage:

• Dual squeegee for clean application
• Double-sided board capable
• Print rigid & flex circuits

Pick and Place Machine​
Electronic components are placed on circuit boards by a Pick and Place (PnP) Machine. 
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Automation Advantage:

• Placement rate ≤ 4800 cph
• Placement accuracy +/-0.001”
• Improved quality with Error Recognition System

Reflow Oven Machine
​The solder material is heated up and melted in a Reflow Oven to make electro-mechanical connections with the electronic components.

​Automation Advantage:

• 4 vertical heating zones plus cooling zone
• 18” wide conveyor and 50” heated tunnel length

→ Read More: What is a Surface-mount Technology (SMT) Assembly Line?

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Can Circuit Cards be Repaired?

Circuit Cards condition can worsen depending on humidity, duration of use, and wear and tear that affect performance. Before you recycle your CCA consider the possibility of repairing the board.
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A team of engineers will need to find out why your board is not functioning properly before you can proceed with a repair.  

Possibilities of Why Your PCBA is Failing
Is your Circuit Card Assembly (CCA) failing you? Before you throw it out, try to determine why it's failing in the first place. Depending on the cause of the failure, you may be able to salvage your CCA and have it repaired by experts.

Below are some reasons why your CCA may be having issues:

• Physical Damage
• Component Failure
• Trace Damage
• Poor Design
• Power Failure

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Get a Quote for Your CCA Repair
​Contact us for a quote on your CCA repair and have the help of our experienced engineers to diagnose and repair your board. 

Request a Repair Quote

→ Read More: Why is my Circuit Card (CC) failing and can they be repaired?

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Everything You Need to Know About CCA Manufacturing

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Related Articles

What is an SMT Process/Assembly Line?

What is a Circuit Card Assembly (CCA) and CCA Manufacturing?

Can Circuit Cards Be Repaired?

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