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MATERIAL & PROCESS CONTROL - MSD CONTROL - PCBA Manufacturing
How the Increasing Complexity of PCBAs Raises the Pressure on MSD Control
January 28, 2025
By Cogiscan's Experts
By Cogiscan's Experts
Industry trends and technology advancements are reshaping electronics manufacturing a little more every day. These shifts, and the expectations that come with them, have an impact on how production floors are managed, and have particularly affected how MSDs are controlled and managed during production. New requirements coupled with modernized operational realities are introducing additional layers of complexity that put significant pressure on how MSDs should be managed.
This article explores how this growing complexity affects PCBA manufacturing and why robust MSD Control has become even more essential.
This article explores how this growing complexity affects PCBA manufacturing and why robust MSD Control has become even more essential.
PCBA Complexity: New Realities and New Risks
Modern production methods continue to evolve rapidly, bringing with them an undeniable reality so many face in electronics manufacturing today: PCBAs are far more complex than they used to be. This increase in complexity introduces new risks and factors that naturally require close monitoring.
Miniaturization: Higher Sensitivity, Higher Risk
The miniaturization of components is a remarkable technological advancement, enabling impressive capabilities in regards to PCBA design and functionality. However, these tiny parts also pose significant challenges for MSD Control. Smaller components are more susceptible to moisture exposure, absorb humidity more quickly, and tolerate less thermal variation.
They reach their critical moisture threshold sooner and require more precise monitoring. Without a reliable automated system, managing these components becomes extremely challenging, as the margin for error is dramatically reduced.
They reach their critical moisture threshold sooner and require more precise monitoring. Without a reliable automated system, managing these components becomes extremely challenging, as the margin for error is dramatically reduced.
Greater Component Density and More Complex Assemblies
Modern PCBAs pack more components than ever before. Higher density means more sensitive devices on a single board, and more complexity comes with additional risks. Multi‑layer constructions and mixed packages increase the chances of cross‑exposure and make it harder to track each component’s floor life accurately.
Double‑sided reflow also introduces situations where some components sit waiting, continuing to absorb moisture while others move along the process. The more steps involved in the assembly, the more exposure risks accumulate, which makes manual or semi‑manual tracking increasingly inefficient.
Double‑sided reflow also introduces situations where some components sit waiting, continuing to absorb moisture while others move along the process. The more steps involved in the assembly, the more exposure risks accumulate, which makes manual or semi‑manual tracking increasingly inefficient.
Fragmented Production Flows and More Points of Exposure
Production lines are no longer linear. Offline stations, storage towers, inspection areas, and rework stations all introduce additional handling. Each movement between stations increases the chances of unintended exposure or inaccurate tracking if the process is not automated.
Fragmented workflows create potential data gaps and elevate the risk of relying on incomplete or incorrect exposure information, which can quickly escalate as PCBAs grow more complex.
Fragmented workflows create potential data gaps and elevate the risk of relying on incomplete or incorrect exposure information, which can quickly escalate as PCBAs grow more complex.
High Product Mix: More Variables, More Opportunities for Error
Another challenge driven by increasing PCBA complexity is the rising product mix in most factories. More revisions, more configurations, and more frequent changes mean more manipulations and thus, more chance for error!
Every order brings its own requirements and increases the likelihood of floor‑life mismanagement, forgotten scans, or incorrectly reset timers. As the product mix expands, manual MSD management becomes increasingly vulnerable to human-error via manual work.
Every order brings its own requirements and increases the likelihood of floor‑life mismanagement, forgotten scans, or incorrectly reset timers. As the product mix expands, manual MSD management becomes increasingly vulnerable to human-error via manual work.
Growing Customer Expectations and Stricter Audits
Customer expectations add yet another layer of pressure. Complete traceability and guaranteed quality are no longer optional; for many, these are mandatory. This is especially true in high‑reliability sectors such as aerospace, defense, automotive, and medical.
As PCBAs become more complex, audits are stricter and the evidence required to demonstrate compliance is more detailed. Without an automated MSD Control system, meeting these expectations is extremely difficult… if not impossible.
As PCBAs become more complex, audits are stricter and the evidence required to demonstrate compliance is more detailed. Without an automated MSD Control system, meeting these expectations is extremely difficult… if not impossible.
The Limits of Traditional (Non-Modernized) Methods
All these pressures highlight the clear limitations of traditional (or non-modernized) methods. In an environment where processes multiply and precision is critical, manual or semi‑manual tools simply can’t keep up. They require significant time investment, are exposed to numerous points of failure and are plagued by accidental human error. Data becomes inconsistent, and floor‑life tracking loses reliability.
Some factories try a hybrid approach, utilizing part manual, part automated method and while which this can be a good starting point, it’s far from optimal. Partial systems create blind spots: rework areas, inspection points, offline stations, and other waiting zones can remain untracked. Wherever automation is absent, the risk of undetected exposure increases.
In a production environment where monitoring is meant to maintain control over what is being manufactured, it’s essential to keep a record of everything that occurs — including mistakes! However, traditional systems are unable to go beyond simple documentation and can’t prevent errors from happening. Without safeguards or alerts, these methods can allow MSDs that have exceeded their floor life to slip back into the production line, potentially causing significant damage in the field.
Some factories try a hybrid approach, utilizing part manual, part automated method and while which this can be a good starting point, it’s far from optimal. Partial systems create blind spots: rework areas, inspection points, offline stations, and other waiting zones can remain untracked. Wherever automation is absent, the risk of undetected exposure increases.
In a production environment where monitoring is meant to maintain control over what is being manufactured, it’s essential to keep a record of everything that occurs — including mistakes! However, traditional systems are unable to go beyond simple documentation and can’t prevent errors from happening. Without safeguards or alerts, these methods can allow MSDs that have exceeded their floor life to slip back into the production line, potentially causing significant damage in the field.
Why MSD Control Must Evolve Alongside Market Trends
MSD Control can no longer operate as an isolated tool and must function as an integrated element during every stage of production, starting at the very beginning of material reception. It should be setup as an integral part of the production process that provides full visibility into the PCBA flow, rather than as a siloed activity.
This evolution should include a shift in mindset as well as work methods. Errors that were once tolerated as learning opportunities now carry a high cost, whether financial or reputational. Where traditional approaches only allow manufacturers to detect issues after the fact, a modern manufacturing floor demands errors be identified as soon as possible.
Modernizing processes and ensuring effective tracking through MSD Control ensures manufacturers can adapt to both market pressures and evolving expectations. Better visibility across the entire production lifecycles reduces errors and defective parts. Ultimately, achieving complete and reliable MSD Control at every stage is crucial to eliminating blind spots and wreaking havoc in the field.
This evolution should include a shift in mindset as well as work methods. Errors that were once tolerated as learning opportunities now carry a high cost, whether financial or reputational. Where traditional approaches only allow manufacturers to detect issues after the fact, a modern manufacturing floor demands errors be identified as soon as possible.
Modernizing processes and ensuring effective tracking through MSD Control ensures manufacturers can adapt to both market pressures and evolving expectations. Better visibility across the entire production lifecycles reduces errors and defective parts. Ultimately, achieving complete and reliable MSD Control at every stage is crucial to eliminating blind spots and wreaking havoc in the field.
Conclusion
The pressure is now too great to rely on outdated practices for effectively managing MSDs: miniaturization, increased density, fragmented workflows, and higher product mix have reduced the margins for error to virtually nil. PCBA manufacturing has fundamentally changed, and reactive, traditional methods for MSD control is clearly no longer sufficient.
This need is reinforced by rising customer expectations. They now demand impeccable traceability and quality assurance at every stage due to requirements they themselves must pass on to their own end-customers. Given these additional demands, traditional methods quickly become obsolete and unsupportable.
A modern, integrated, and truly proactive MSD Control system is therefore essential to help act as a guardian of the production line. This system should support the reliability, performance, and competitiveness of modern electronics manufacturers.
This need is reinforced by rising customer expectations. They now demand impeccable traceability and quality assurance at every stage due to requirements they themselves must pass on to their own end-customers. Given these additional demands, traditional methods quickly become obsolete and unsupportable.
A modern, integrated, and truly proactive MSD Control system is therefore essential to help act as a guardian of the production line. This system should support the reliability, performance, and competitiveness of modern electronics manufacturers.
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