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FQC (Final Quality Control) | PCB Process

By Harrison Smith 2025-03-05 1551

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FQC (Final Quality Control) is the final inspection after all manufacturing processes are completed. The purpose of this procedure is to ensure that the product fully complies with the specified quality standards. In electronics manufacturing, especially in PCBA manufacturing, minor defects or failures can have a significant impact on the final products. While FQC helps keep unqualified products from leaving the factory.

FQC Inspection

FQC inspection mainly includes the following contents:

Appearance:

Check the appearance of the product for scratches, stains or other visible defects.

Functions:

Test all functions of the product to ensure that it operates normally within the designed working range.

Performance:

Check the performance of the product meets the design specifications, such as electrical characteristics, signal integrity, etc.

Compliance:

Ensure products comply with industry standards and regulations (such as RoHS, CE, FCC…).

Packaging:

Ensure the packaging of the product is in good condition, meets the transportation requirements, and the packaging labels are clear and correct.

The following is PCBasic FQC inspection process table:

FQC Inspection Process
Procedure	Content/Main Points	Inspection Tool
1. Check the test line	Check if the test mark line is drawn and whether it meets the requirements	Visual
2. Check the process card	Check the jack/ink color, V-CUT/X plate requirements, and inspection standards	Visual
3. Check V-CUT	Check the V-cut line direction for missing V, empty, or skipped cuts	Visual
4. Check for gold fingers	Check the gold finger pull edge, position, and hypotenuse	Visual
5. Check optical	Inspect for imperfections, irregularities, tin height, or optical spots with sticking ink	Visual
6. Check the solder mask plane	Check wipe / IC / BGA / through plug oil / poor screen printing / color difference, etc.	Visual
7. Check the line	Check the line for nicks/jags/scratches, etc.	Magnifying glass
8. Check characters	Check whether there is any character; deviation/incomplete/missing/reverse/unclear characters, etc.	Visual
9. Check holes	Inspection hole breakage/hole deviation/ink entering hole/hole size/NPTH hole with copper, etc.	Visual light hole
10. Inspection cycle/marking	Check for cycle errors/clear labeling (mainly UL), etc.	Visual
11. Inspection slot hole	Check for missing slots/large slots/small slots/not in place/burrs/dust	Visual
12. Check the substrate	Check for any bursting, dents, white spots on the substrate, yellowing of the substrate, etc.	Visual
13. Check surface treatment	Check for oxidation/tinning, poor gold deposition/poor SP color, etc.	Visual
14. Check blue glue	Check if there is thin/thick blue glue, PAD on blue glue, or if blue glue falls off	Visual
15. Tree inspection plug/hole filling	Check if the plug hole is full and check for any depressions in the filling hole	Plug gauge
16. Check for board warping/deformation	Check if the board is warped or deformed	Marble table
17. Secondary inspection V-CUT	Confirm V-CUT after the initial inspection is completed	Visual
18. Draw identification lines	Draw personal identification lines on the corners of the board after all inspections are completed	Oily pen
19. Points/Writing Reports	Count the points and verify the quantity of the process card after inspection	Visual
20. Process under board production	Hand over to FQA for sampling and quality verification before proceeding to the next process	FQC inspection daily report

FAQs

1. What is the difference between FQC and OQC (Outgoing Quality Control)?

FQC: FQC occurs after the product is manufactured, including appearance inspection, functional testing, etc., to ensure that the product meets the internal quality standards.

OQC: It is carried out before the product is shipped, mainly checking the product packaging, logo, instruction manual, etc., to ensure that the product meets customer requirements.

2. What is IQC inspection?

IQC refers to the quality inspection and verification of raw materials, components or semi-finished products provided by suppliers in the manufacturing and production process to ensure that they comply with established standards and specifications. This is the first quality control step in the production process.

3. IQC and FQC

IQC and FQC together constitute the closed loop of quality management. IQC ensures the quality of incoming materials and prevents non-conforming materials from affecting production, while FQC ultimately verifies that the results of the entire production process meet standards. The two complement each other to guarantee the quality of the entire production process, from raw materials to finished products.

About Author

Harrison Smith

Harrison has accumulated extensive experience in the R&D and manufacturing of electronic products, focusing on PCB assembly and reliability optimization for consumer electronics, telecommunications equipment, and automotive electronics. He has led several multinational projects and written multiple technical articles on electronic product assembly processes, providing professional technical support and industry trend analysis to clients.