The Internet of Things is generating a lot of traction in a number of industries, but printed circuit board assembly could stand to gain the most.
Spotlight on IoT
Everything in the world connected and synced to one point-of-use product. That's the basic understand of IoT. Self-driving cars are becoming possible because of the intercommunication between the speedometer, gas pedal, wheel and engine. Homes are being outfitted with energy management systems linked up to every appliance that consumes energy to better manage consumption rates. There are seemingly endless possibilities as technological advancements are coming by the boatload annually.
This industry is expected to be worth $11 trillion by 2025, according to a report by McKinsey and Co. Although the technology is not fully developed just yet, there's a lot of hope that it will have full market penetration in a nearly every vertical: residential, commercial and military.
As with most conversations surrounding interconnected electronics, PCBA manufacturers play a pivotal role in the discussion. This technology will need to be hyper-connected and without flaw, according to a report from Printed Circuit Design and Fab.
How PCBA manufacturers can gain an edge
Printed circuit board assembly for these products has to be without error, or serious issues could result. As the report mentions, each working part is connected to what the author of the report called an ecosystem, which dictates certain actions.
If these electronics were to be off due to wiring issues, devastating consequences could follow. Car crashes would be seemingly rampant, and other interconnected devices would leave certain ecosystems in the lurch or cause fiscal concerns.
"PCBA testing will be impacted by IoT."
According to the PCD&F report, testing of PCBA manufacturing will take a new form. Instead of the pattern of development currently in place, industries will push for better evaluation of connectivity between the assembly and finished operation. This aims to weed out any potential flaws before the technology hits the market, rather than hoping the blueprint matches the predicted final version.
For many manufacturers, this added step may throw off the production process. The industry will, in turn, lean heavily on printed circuit board assembly teams that use lean manufacturing methods. This will mean greater care into the quality of materials, as well as ensured functionality.
While many PCBA manufacturers have years of experience creating circuit boards, the demands that will begin to come in for each design could overwhelm some. Businesses able to adapt to the environment - as IoT technology will surely change many times before settling on a final design - will eventually stand out from the competition.
What can you do to get ready for this change? The PCD&F report suggested that manufacturers begin to develop strategies geared toward incorporating testing in a cost-efficient manner that won't throw off production yields. Being qualified for the IoT revolution will put the facility in better position than merely accompanying it. With so many other interesting technologies hitting the market over the next decade, this is just another product that will change how PCBA operates.