How To Design High Temperature PCBs? - Miracle Electronics

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Any electronics, when they operate, are obvious
to deliver a certain amount of heat in the
process. And, any electronic appliance would only
function when there is a PCB installed in the
system. This makes it obvious that every PCB
assembly from India is designed to withstand and
perform well in heated environments. However,
there are certain applications where the
temperature dissipated or used is extremely high.
When designing for these applications, carefully
designing a special high temperature circuit
board is important.
Which materials can be used? First and foremost,
the materials to be used in high temperature PCBs
need to be considered. The most popular material
used in such applications is a glass-epoxy
laminate called FR-4 that can withstand
temperatures ranging between 90 and 110C.
Another material is polyamide that can withstand
temperatures between 130 and 260C. Also
remember, traditional leaded solder paste melts
at 160-180C, which is why when designing for
higher temperatures, the PCB must use lead-free
solder paste. If not, after construction with
leaded solder paste, the components will easily
fall off during the operation due to high
temperature that will cause the paste to
melt. What kind of design will be
appropriate? Many components that are generally
used in a PCB cannot function in extreme
temperatures. Many silicon chips fail to work in
high temperature environments. So, if the design
needs components like logic chips or
microcontrollers, a temperature parameter needs
to be set
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when searching for components. After picking the
most appropriate components, the placement also
needs to be considered. All the heat-creating
components should be spaced as far as possible
for example, voltage regulators, high power
resistors, etc. After component placement comes
the enclosure. We need enclosures that can
insulate against heat to protect the PCB and the
appliance. You may consider thermal insulation on
the interior walls of the enclosure, or
temperature shielding materials like titanium,
Kevlar, or ABS plastic. Ventilation A very
important aspect When multiple components within
a single circuit board generate heat, a lot of
heat can be generated, which is why ventilation
becomes very important, a small case-fan needs to
be installed in conjunction with a heat sink.
The placement of the fan is also important, which
can be decided only after knowing how the blades
of the heat sink are placed, such that cols air
can be blown over them to decrease the
temperature of the component. Also,
strategically placed vias need to be placed
throughout the design that can help thermally
taxing parts dissipate heat. The above
mentioned practices can help create boards that
can survive even the highest of temperatures.
Making the right choice and practicing to make a
perfect build can help make your appliances
perform efficiently and with ease. Although there
needs clarification of the general concepts,
knowledge about the materials and design, and
good amount of practice, you need not worry if
you have a reputed manufacturer at your service.
Miracle Electronics is a leading manufacturer of
the best quality PCB assembly from Germany, who
has a team of experts working together to build
all kinds of dense and complicated PCBs to work
in the harshest of environments like military
and aerospace.