ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the printed wiring board (PWB) in electronics manufacturing will be viewed not only as a component in the assembly process as a qualified mechanical and/or electrical/electronic component in the selection and testing process. The PWB is an important component of electronic assemblies. Historically, it has been regarded more as a mounting medium for electrical components: a platform through which they could be interconnected. Historically, the etched circuit board was called a printed circuit board. The name was appropriate as the printing of circuitry resembled the printing of text and graphics in the classical sense. The dielectric substrate for a PWB is generally formed from a sheet of insulation such as paper, glass-epoxy, other more exotic materials such as ceramics, and several classes of proprietary fibrous materials. At this point it is instructive to distinguish between process “panels” and “boards” as understood in the PWB industry.
