PCB aka Printed Circuit Boards also called printed wiring boards (PWB) can fail to operate for different reasons. Poor quality components, excessive heat or dust, copper soldering issues, and sudden ESD (electrostatic discharge) can all cause a PCB to fail.
As we know a printed circuit board is a plate on which different types of electrical equipment are soldered together to function systematically. However, if that circuit design is faulty and there is some chemical leakage, the circuit board can fail.
After thorough analysis and conducting several experiments, we found out 10 exact reasons for the failure of a printed circuit board. Let’s know about them in detail.
10 Absolute Reasons Why Printed Circuit Boards Fail
When we analyzed lots of data on the failure of printed circuit boards, our company concluded that PCB fails mainly for 10 reasons. Poor components, electrostatic surge, leaking of chemicals, and faulty design are the main causes.
Other than these reasons old PCBs, thermal stress, and lack of cleanliness can create printed circuit board failure.
Here are the 10 reasons why printed circuit boards fail:
1. Components of the Poorest Quality
A PCB consists of many things like capacitors, registers, ICs, rectifiers, silicon diode transistors, and many more. To smooth the operation of the circuit board all of the components must be working synchronously. And when these components are of poor quality and can’t function properly then the printed circuit board will fail to perform.
When the equipment on the board is soldered they go through an immense automated process. At that time if some low-quality ICs, rectifiers, or registers are used they can not bear the heavy manufacturing stress and fail to function. Also after successfully running for some time, the low-quality equipment can stop working suddenly.
So while designing, the IPC recommended way is to use the highest quality of components so that some unwanted failure may not happen to the PCB.
2. Natural Factors
Sometimes environmental issues can also damage the parts of the PCB, and as a result, they fail. As PCB is a very sensitive equipment it can get damaged from dust, moisture, leakage, rust, and heat.
Heat and humidity are the primary external factors that can cause a problem so while manufacturing the assembly room temperature and humidity are kept in control. Heat can cause the board to expand and as a result, the copper soldering sometimes becomes disconnected from the required equipment.
So, for PCB manufacturing the IPC certifies ways is to control the environment as much as possible.
Additionally, a sudden short circuit can also cause the circuit board to fail. Because during a short circuit when a lot of charged ions flow through the component of the PCB, the internal component can not hold the pressure and they shut off.
3. Soldering Problems
You know when we connect one electrical component to another we use copper soldering. Printed circuit boards are no different, but during soldering extra copper edges, moisture on the surface, and proximity of the soldering can cause an electrostatic pulse. Which ultimately causes PCB failure.
Extra solder edge, moister on the solder, and solder bridges all can cause the conduction of electrons on the circuit board surface as a result the PCB fails to operate.
Let’s see some soldering problems that can cause PCB to fail:
- Slight gaps between soldering copper.
- Excessive soldering connection to separate components.
- Insufficient solder bridges.
- Extra copper remains on the circuit board.
- Small pads gap.
4. Sudden Electrostatic Discharge
When two components of different charges come into contact they generate static electricity which is commonly known as Electrostatic Discharge (ESD).
So when one positively and negatively charged equipment of a circuit board comes into real contact the static electron can pass through them. As a result, damaging them and ultimately creating failure in the circuit board.
That is why in assembly manufacturers use several precautionary measures to eliminate sudden ESD. ESD-safe costumes, shoe grounder, ESD-free floors, and surfaces are a must for secure PCB manufacture. All these can downgrade the risk of sudden ESD.
5. Faulty Design
When designing the PCB, the interconnection of the components and proper spacing are crucial. Improper design and alignment on the circuit board can cause failure.
Due to faulty design, the components do not get proper gaps, and soldering becomes thinner. That can cause the circuit component barrier breakage and liquid leakage, also due to those the possibility of the brunt component remaining high.
So you can understand design is the most important thing of a PCB. If you can design it with precision and well-equipped apparatus it will become a great deal. And then it will not fail so easily and you can use that PCB in AC, refrigerator, and wherever you want to use it.
If the main design is faulty it will cause problems and eventually, the circuit board will fail. To avoid that calamity you can connect with some IPC-certified PCB builders like us. We will design your PCB with such precision that the chances of its failure become near zero.
6. Leakage of the Chemicals
During the cleaning process and final review, all of the acids used during the manufacture are cleaned. But if some residue from those acids remains in the circuit board then those will act as a powerful connector joining one part to another and will cause fault.
Furthermore, sometimes leakage of the acids and chemicals from the boards can also create faulty PCBs.
Additionally, the components can carry liquid. Although in the manufacturing process, those remaining fluids tend to be cleared out when that’s not the case they can cause short circuits. Also, rapid aging and corrosion can then happen which will cause the PCB to fail.
7. Lack of Gaps Between Circuits
In the time of design and assembly, proper gaps between transistors, ICs, and rectifiers should be maintained. And when we solder one part with another we have to be so conscious that the extra remaining copper is not connected to other parts.
When there is a lack of gaps between the components the electrostatic surge can disrupt the board finally resulting in fault.
8. Thermal Stress
As we have discussed in the second point on natural factors heat and humidity can cause the circuit board to fail. Let’s see how:
- The expansion rate of each apparatus in the PCB is different. As a result, during thermal increase, the component becomes bigger than usual and breaks the copper soldering barrier which will hamper the operation of the circuit board.
- When the environment is not maintained in the manufacturing process, humidity can stick in the circuit and increase the chance of conduction.
- Not appropriate solder weight and circuit plate issues also can cause massive thermal stress which will shut down the PCBs.
9. Lifetime
Just like everything else in this world, there is also an aging time for each PCB. After the life expectancy is finished every component of the old PCB starts to stop functioning slowly. That’s why the need to change the circuit boards become eminent.
Fully changing the PCB is more expensive than fixing the old one. To do that you must consult with an experienced and IPC-certified company. We at Renova are always there to assist in your every step.
10. Human Error
The most common problem for printed circuit board failure is human error. It happens all over if the appointed persons are not expert enough and the design of the circuit board is not up to the mark.
When the engineers or assemblers do not complete their task carefully and efficiently the error will appear. Poor soldering, placing components too close, not taking enough precautions during the manufacturing process, schematic misreading, and placing the wrong component in the wrong manner can cause a PCB to fail.
Renova always takes care of these errors actively with the help of our engineers and professional assemblers. Obviously, we followed the IPC standard when designing the circuit board.
So these are the main causes of the fault in your PCB.
Is The Device Permanently Gone When Its PCB Fails?
When the PCB of a device fails the device will be shut off and will not turn on even after numerous tries. But it doesn’t mean your device is gone forever. Surely if you fix the circuit board the device will be up and running again.
However, the real challenge begins when you want to repair the Printed Circuit Board. If you are an expert then the task is easy, you just have to find out why the PCB failure happened and solve that ASAP. But if you are new then knowing the reasons can help you in the way.
Now let’s move further into the topic and see the reasons why the fault in your PCB happens. I will also provide the solution at the end of this article so sticking with it can be of your help.
How Can You Solve The PCB Failure
If your PCB stops working then there can be calamities and replacing the whole PCB can cost you a lot of money. So let’s see how to solve the PCB failure problem:
- Use a well-certified component when you are creating the PCB.
- Try to keep your PCB clean so that natural effects do not harm them.
- During soldering use a steady hand and proper security and it's best to use a professional like us.
- Place the negatively charged equipment at a safe distance from one another so that ESD can't form.
- Give a certified designer the job of design so that no faulty crafts happen.
- Clean the residue of acids and chemicals properly after completing the build.
- Maintain proper gaps between one circuit to another.
- Take care of your PCB promptly with the help of a professional.
Overall, a printed circuit board can be a tricky component sometimes but properly following the instructions I have provided you can easily solve the problem. And of course, as a professional organization, we are here to help.
Why You Should Select Us For Fixing Your Printed Circuit Boards
First of all, Renova is certified in this area. Many users from around the world rely on us to create PCB models and designs for their utility. We also access PCB designing problems and direct clients to the right path so that they can eradicate the issue with their circuit board.
Here are the processes we follow to solve the PCB failure:
- 1. We thoroughly check the system.
- 2. Then we identify the main cause of your printed circuit board failure.
- 3. We review the problems with our expert engineer.
- 4. With the help of our experts, we select a solution.
- 5. We implement the solution and fix your PCB.
- 6. Double check and when we are certain we conclude the process.
Wrap it Up
From this write up you now know why printed circuit boards fail and what measures there are to be taken to solve that issue. Poor components, ESD, design, soldering, and chemical leakage all can cause the problem.
But to solve your PCB design issue connect with us also if you have any queries regarding the matter contact us. Our expert engineers and professionals are always here to help.
Till then bye!
