SMT Assembly：A Basic

SMT is a technology that has revolutionized the electronic assembly process. It installs electronic components directly on the surface of the circuit board, replacing the traditional through-hole insertion method. Originating in the 1960s, with the rapid development of microelectronics technology and the increasing demand for miniaturization, SMT has rapidly swept the global electronics manufacturing industry with its advantages of high efficiency, precision, and space saving.

1、What is SMT

SMT, Surface Mount Technology, is an advanced electronic assembly technology. To put it simply, electronic components are directly placed on the circuit board at a predetermined position and soldered through reflow soldering or wave soldering instead of the traditional jack insertion method. This technology allows electronic components to be arranged densely and orderly on the surface of the circuit board, greatly reducing the size of electronic equipment and improving integration and reliability.

2、How does SMT compare with traditional electronic assembly processes

The traditional electronic assembly process, THT (Through Hole Technology), involves drilling holes into the circuit board and inserting the components and fixing them by soldering. Although this process has been proven stable and reliable for many years, in the modern technological era that pursues products that are light, thin, short, and highly integrated with functions, problems such as its large space occupation, low production efficiency, and inability to adapt to micro-components have gradually emerged.
SMT cleverly solves the above problems by attaching components directly to the surface of the circuit board and connecting them through reflow soldering. Compared with traditional processes, SMT has the following obvious advantages:

High-density assembly: The size of components is greatly reduced, allowing the circuit board to carry more functional units to meet the needs of product miniaturization;
Improved production efficiency: high degree of automation, shortened production cycle, and effective cost control;
Excellent electrical performance: reduce signal transmission paths, reduce impedance, and improve product stability and performance;
Environmentally friendly: Complying with environmental trends such as lead-free and halogen-free, it is conducive to sustainable development.

Although SMT is superior to THT in many aspects, this does not mean that THT will be completely eliminated. In some specific scenarios, such as components that need to withstand large mechanical stress, or designs that have special requirements for electrical performance, THT still has an irreplaceable position. At the same time, SMT is developing towards higher precision and more complex components, such as micro-pitch packaging technology, three-dimensional stacked packaging, etc. As a result, a hybrid process combining SMT and THT has emerged in modern electronic manufacturing, jointly building a richer and more diverse electronic world.

3、SMT production process