Automotive PCB Manufacturing and Assembly
We provide comprehensive support for PCB manufacturing and assembly in the automotive and intelligent vehicle sectors, leveraging our extensive experience to ensure efficient and high-quality delivery
Automotive PCB Capabilities
Automotive PCB Materials
Automotive PCB Applications
Automotive PCB Design
Automotive PCBA Manufacturers
A conventional vehicle contains numerous electronic control units, and intelligent vehicles require even more reliable electronic systems.Founded in 2002, GreatPCB has over 20 years of PCB manufacturing experience and supports automotive PCB manufacturing and PCB assembly for intelligent vehicle applications.
We understand the strict requirements of automotive electronics, including material selection, thermal performance, reliability, and process control. Certified under IATF 16949 and ISO 9001, GreatPCB provides reliable PCB manufacturing and assembly services for automotive applications.
Automotive PCB designs often combine high-current thermal demands with strict reliability requirements. For higher copper-current capacity, see our heavy copper PCB manufacturing guidelines. When the board is delivered as a populated control module, our PCB assembly service supports production and inspection requirements for automotive electronics.
Manufacturing Characteristics of Automotive PCBs
High-Frequency Substrates
Automotive collision avoidance and predictive braking safety systems function similarly to military radar equipment. Automotive PCBs are responsible for transmitting microwave high-frequency signals, necessitating the use of substrates with low dielectric loss, such as PTFE and other high-frequency materials. These materials require special drilling speeds and feed rates during the drilling process, unlike conventional FR-4 materials.
Thick Copper PCBs
Automotive electronic products generate more heat due to their high density and power requirements. Hybrid and electric vehicles often necessitate more advanced power transmission systems and additional electronic functionalities, leading to increased demands for heat dissipation and high current handling.
Manufacturing thick copper double-sided PCBs is relatively straightforward, while producing thick copper multilayer PCBs is significantly more challenging, with key considerations being the etching of thick copper images and thickness filling. The internal paths of thick copper multilayer PCBs consist entirely of thick copper, which requires relatively thicker photosensitive dry film for pattern transfer and higher etch resistance. The etching duration for thick copper is longer, requiring optimal conditions for etching equipment and processes to ensure the integrity of the thick copper wiring. When manufacturing external thick copper wiring, a combination of relatively thick laminated copper foil and patterned electroplated copper layers is often employed, followed by film gap etching, with the anti-plating dry film also needing to be of significant thickness. Due to the considerable surface differences between the internal conductors of thick copper multilayer PCBs and the insulating substrate materials, incomplete resin filling may lead to voids. To address this, thin prepregs with high resin content should be used whenever possible.
Embedded Components
Embedded component PCBs are widely used in mobile phones to increase assembly density and reduce component size, and this technology is also applied in automotive electronics. Depending on the method of embedding components, there are four primary manufacturing approaches for automotive embedded component PCBs: excavation type, laminated type, ceramic type, and module type. The excavation type involves excavating and then assembling SMDs through reflow; the laminated type achieves this with thin SMD components on internal circuits; the ceramic type refers to thick-film components printed on ceramic substrates; and the module type involves SMD assembly through reflow and resin encapsulation. Module-type embedded PCBs offer higher reliability, making them particularly suitable for automotive requirements regarding heat resistance, humidity resistance, and vibration resistance.
HDI Technology
A key function of automotive electronics is entertainment and communication, where smartphones and tablets require HDI PCBs. Technologies included in HDI PCBs, such as microvia drilling and amplifiers, as well as plating and lamination positioning, are widely utilized in automotive PCB manufacturing.
Differences Between Automotive PCB Boards and Standard PCB Boards
| Differences between Automotive PCBs and Regular PCBs | Automotive PCBs | Regular PCBs |
|---|---|---|
| Material Selection | Use higher-grade materials such as FR-4 HTG or polyimide with better temperature resistance. | Typically made from FR-4 fiberglass material. |
| Process Requirements | Must withstand harsher working environments and vibration shocks, ensuring circuit stability and reliability. Must meet higher fire safety and corrosion resistance standards. | Relatively simple processes with standard green ink and white ink, leaded or lead-free, with no special requirements. |
| Environmental Adaptability | Must adapt to more complex automotive working conditions, such as high and low temperatures, humidity, and vibrations. Requires better high-temperature, humidity, and vibration resistance. | Mainly used in general electronics with relatively low environmental requirements. |
| Reliability | Requires higher reliability due to its critical role in automotive electronic systems. Must endure long operating times and harsh environments, featuring better aging, corrosion, and interference resistance. Needs to pass strict reliability tests to ensure stability under extreme conditions. | No special environmental requirements, but should be cautious against oxidation. |
Different Reliability Requirements for PCBs in Various Automotive Locations
Automobiles belong to the category of high-reliability products, which necessitates that automotive PCBs undergo multiple reliability tests in addition to standard requirements such as dimensions, mechanical properties, and electrical performance.
