Thanks to the evolution of LED PCB technology, many LED manufacturers have developed and designed a wide range of breakthrough products that did not exist before. In recent years, it has witnessed a surge in demand for LED PCBs. In our previous blogs, we have covered the meaning, advantages, applications and other important aspects of LED PCB. As an engineer or LED light manufacturer, you may also be interested in how LED PCBs are manufactured. Hence, this article will give you an overview of the LED PCB manufacturing process and look to help you find the right manufacturer for LED PCBs. So let’s get into it.
What Is LED PCB?
LED PCB is seen as a revolutionary technology in the printed circuit board industry. Therefore, we need to understand the meaning of LED PCB first to help you understand how LED PCB works in practical applications.
So let’s start with LED. It stands for Light Emitting Diode and features semiconductor diodes. You need to solder these LEDs onto the circuit board with soldering materials and integrate a chip that creates light when electrically connected. In general, LED PCB refers to the printed circuit board with LED components soldered onto it.
Apart from soldering the LEDs on the PCB board, there are other critical properties of the board. To reduce the temperature on the board and ensure its proper function, manufacturers often use a thermal heat sink along with a ceramic base to bond the chips.
One issue deserving mention when it comes to high-quality LED PCB manufacturing is heat dissipation. The thermal management of the LED PCB is particularly important to avoid overheating the board. This often requires special techniques rather than traditional methods to achieve a good heat cooling effect. Not all PCB manufacturers can handle the impact of heat dissipation, instead only a few such as MOKOLight can do it well.
Owing to their high thermal conductivity, MOKOLight prefers to use metal core circuit boards, especially aluminum PCBs to remove the excess heat to keep the board cool and efficient.
Advantages of Different Types of LED PCBs
Due to their beneficial features, LED PCBs are highly favored across multiple industries. Different types of LED printed circuit boards present their own relative advantages. Some common advantages may include:
Double-sided hybrid LED PCBs are known for their rigid properties. Compared to other common standard PCBs, they are therefore more durable.
Thanks to the good qualities such as free to bend, small size and light weight, flexible LED PCBs offer great flexibility while saving money and space.
Manufacturers can produce a wide variety of LED lighting devices with different LED PCB designs. LED PCBs cover a wide range of applications involving consumer lighting, medical, transportation and even military sectors.
Applications of LED PCBs
With the increasing recognition of the benefits of LED PCBs, the application of LED PCBs in various industries is also increasing. Some of these overwhelming LED PCB applications include:
Medical sector
There are several aspects of the medical sector benefiting from LED PCBs. Most of the medical lighting used in medical examinations and surgeries utilizes LED PCBs due to their enhanced efficiency and brightness. In addition, various medical equipment in the hospital is made from LED PCBs, too.
Telecommunications sector
As in the medical sector, LED PCBs also play a major role in the telecommunications sector. LED PCBs are preferred in telecommunication displays and indicators for their compactness, durability, and capacity to transfer heat from the source.
Automotive industry
LED PCBs have become an integral part of automobile production. Their durability, longevity, efficiency, and competitive price make LED PCBs desirable for the automotive industry. You can often find these LED PCBs in the indicators, brake lights, headlights and other applications of most automobiles.
ICT and Tech industries
There are also massive applications of LED PCBs in the ICT and tech industries, such as LED displays and indicators. The heat sensitivity of computer devices makes LED PCBs an ideal choice. PCs and computers are typically made from LED PCBs because they can efficiently dissipate heat from the circuit board and extend the lifespan of the device.
In addition to the above four applications, there are some additional use cases for LED PCBs such as aviation applications, military applications, marine applications, power converters, solar lighting, decorative light, traffic and signal light, flashlight, elevator lighting, and camping accessories.
LED PCB Manufacturing Process
If you are a circuit board manufacturer or a client who is looking for the right manufacturer, you need to be equipped with the knowledge of how LED PCBs are manufactured. Now, let’s dive into the important steps involved in the LED PCB manufacturing process.
LED PCB Assembly
The first process of producing LED PCB boards is to assemble the materials and components you need. If you are certain about what materials to buy and where to buy them, you can source them yourself. However, if you are not so conversant with the material sourcing process, you can always contact MOKOLight – a quality LED PCB manufacturer who is willing to help you source the right materials and components from the best suppliers.
Once all the LED components are ready, the manufacturer will utilize conventional methods to solder them onto the circuit board.
LED PCB Manufacturing
After all the components are soldered, it’s time to fabricate the PCB board. Depending on your contract with the PCB manufacturer, they might provide you with a prototype of the board to give you a rough idea of what the final product will look like. Once the prototype meets your requirements and gets your approval, the mass production of LED PCBs will begin.
Key Points to Note
Worthy of mention is that you might need to have some important points in mind before deciding to manufacture LED PCBs:
Number of layers
You need to determine the number of layers required for an LED PCB based on several factors such as the capacity of the device, the efficiency of the layers, etc. In normal cases, LED PCBs use three types of layers including one layer (very popular), two layers and four-layer LED PCB (suitable for outdoor LED screens).
More lumens
We can’t rule out the effect of lumens for LED PCBs, as more lumens will make your lights much brighter. Manufacturers often apply super white solder masks to the circuit board to increase lumens. Therefore, if you want your LED PCB to be more efficient in creating more light, it is necessary to tell the LED PCB designer to increase the number of lumens on the board.
Add more LED lights
Another important factor you should consider is to increase the number of LED lights on the circuit board, as not having enough LED lights on the board may cause the board to overheat and further damage the LED chips. Therefore, the manufacturer must add a large number of LED lights to the circuit board to enhance the thermal performance of the board while reducing the risk of chip damage.
Tips on Choosing the Right LED PCB Manufacturer
As mentioned above, the manufacturing process of LED PCBs is complex and requires the manufacturer to process relevant assembly knowledge and manufacturing equipment. Therefore, there are always several key factors to consider when choosing the right LED PCB manufacturer.
Ability to meet your requirements
The LED PCB manufacturer should strive to meet customers’ design requirements, including the right dimension, appropriate hole dimensions, right LED components to be soldered, etc. In addition, LED specifications such as color coding and power rating should also be met.
LED PCB manufacturing experience
Manufacturing experience is the crucial factor that makes quality LED PCB manufacturers stand out from the crowd of generic manufacturers. As PCB technology evolves, manufacturers need to use LED PCB designs to innovate and develop a number of breakthrough products. In such cases, their manufacturing experience plays a particularly important role. Therefore, when choosing a manufacturer, it is crucial to ensure that it has relevant experience in LED PCB manufacturing.
LED PCB quality
Quality is a key issue to consider before deciding to buy the right LED PCB. High density, high speed, good conductivity and durability are all key factors in making a PCB a quality product. Electrical and functional testing is also an important measure of LED PCB quality. In addition, it is critical to ensure that the chosen LED PCB supplier can consistently deliver high-quality products.
LED PCB cost
The pricing for LED PCBs differs depending on the quality and design. The selection of LED PCB materials such as the base and solder mask has a significant impact on its manufacturing cost and quality. Therefore, balancing cost and quality is critical to purchasing the right LED PCB.
Fast delivery time
The manufacturer should offer sufficient flexibility to meet custom or bulk order needs. Plus, the manufacturer should design, develop, and deliver the circuit boards with a fast turnaround time. MOKOLight can assure you that we will supply the boards with the fastest delivery rate without compromising the quality.
Customer support
Customer support is one of the crucial factors in the success of any LED PCB manufacturer. The manufacturer with excellent customer service should be open to suggestions from others and respond to customer queries and questions through their seasoned professionals.
Find Custom High-Quality LED PCB Manufacturing at MOKOLight
LED PCB is the latest breakthrough in PCB technology and the future of the circuit board industry. Despite the increasing demand for manufacturing LED PCBs, the manufacturing process is not as simple as we may think. Therefore, it is crucial to choose a manufacturer that can overcome the challenges of LED PCB manufacturing. A good LED PCB manufacturer should be able to provide reliable products at an acceptable price and a fast turnaround time.
As a reputed LED PCB manufacturer and supplier in Shenzhen, MOKOLight can consistently deliver high-quality LED printed circuit boards with high density, high speed and excellent performance. Our LED PCBs utilize cutting-edge soldering technology to minimize the heat impact. Furthermore, we are flexible for LED PCB custom and volume manufacturing orders. To find more information about our LED PCB manufacturing, feel free to get in touch with our experts online.
