Surface Mount Technology

What is Surface Mount Technology?

In essence, SMT refers to the approach of mounting electrical components directly onto a printed circuit board’s surface. Electrical components that apply this mounting approach are known as surface-mount devices. SMT results from rapid developments in semiconductor manufacturing, which have provided small outline packages for vast components. First, the solder paste is screen printed on the printed circuit board, and then automatic placement tools are used to reposition the components. Next, we solder the reflow to the substrate. While both through-hole and SMT styles are commonly used, and neither seems to go away anytime soon, SMT is the advanced, more compact mounting style of the two. SMT is ideal if you want to optimize your space utilization as it provides a higher level of circuit reliability. It ranks high among the most economical tech approaches for vast applications. It’s applied in vast electronic product varieties, from smartphones and USB flash drives to portable navigation systems and medical devices.

Upgrade Your Old Technology

The primary reason that through-hole PCBs are still being produced is that many companies are still working with older designs. This can typically be done so long as you aren’t running into major component obsolescence issues. However, there are usually significant cost reductions and quality improvement opportunities to update your through-hole design to an SMT design. You can count on Aurora Boardworks for the latest SMT solutions, and we can help you with design updates. Our efficient approach involves using advanced surface mount placement tools and qualified staff with the flexibility to assemble excellent SMT circuits.