Consumer electronics PCBs and printed circuit boards are all around us, made and manufactured by top PCB and PCBA companies worldwide. But have you ever wondered how crucial the printed circuit board in the consumer electronics industry is? Especially the consumer electronics goods such as laptops, mobile phones, TVs, and more.

This article will cover computer electronics PCB types and applications in the consumer electronics industry. We will explain the everyday use cases of such electronics in the consumer industries.

What are PCB consumer electronics?

PCB, as we know, is a shortcut for printed circuit boards and consumer electronics regarding everything we, the consumers, use in our daily lives. TVs, cooking devices, Laptops, PCs, gaming consoles, etc., are all consumer electronics. Computer electronics PCBs are embedded in those devices, thus enabling them to function and operate correctly.

There are many pcb uses besides multiple applications besides consumer uses. These applications include:

• 1. Industrial PCB applications
• 2. Medical PCB types and applications
• 3. Military PCB applications
• 4. automotive pcb applications
• 5. Other non-consumer applications and kinds of PCBs

The applications and PCBs above require different needs, such as strict manufacturing and storing procedures and validation tests. Unlike industrial computer electronics PCBs, Consumer computer electronics are commonly used and easy to manufacture.

Applications for consumer PCBs

There are many applications consumer electronics PCBs apply to, such as:

• 1. Audio appliances such as music players and recorders.
• 2. Video appliances such as cameras, video recorders, etc.
• 3.  Storage devices: hard drives, USB sticks, SD cards…
• 4. Smart lighting PCBs for intelligent home applications.
• 5.  Power converters and power supply devices
• 6. Fridges, air conditioners, Ovens, and other kitchenware.
• 7.  Video gaming consoles
• 8. Surveillance security cameras and systems
• 9.  Laptops and PCs
• 10. computer Accessories such as a mouse, keyboard, and headphones.
• 11. Office and home devices such as Fax machines, printers, and scanners.

There are many more applications, and those consumer electronics surround us in our daily lives. As consumers, PCB designers, or PCB and PCBA manufacturers, PCBs are used and seen in every aspect of our lives.

PCB types for consumer electronics

When it comes to manufacturing PCBs, consumers can choose from widely available options:

• 1. PCB thickness. Multiple layers PCB fabrication, anywhere between one to 20 layers.
• 2. Ability to select the type of lead to be used (lead-free is often recommended).
• 3. PCB is finishing such as “HASL lead-free,” “ENG,” or “gold fingers.”
• 4. The consumer electronics PCBs can be accompanied by the hole and SMT components.
• 5. Functionality and validation tests for all PCBs, such as X-Ray inspection, AOI inspection, etc.
• 6. Ability to select the consumer electronics PCBs material and more.

Industrial, medical and military PCB applications are crucial but ensuring consumer PCBs work properly is not less important. Consumers have more options than ever, with the ability to choose the material, finishing, and type of inspections to perform.

Rigid PCB types:

A low-cost and scalable option would be Rigid consumer PCBs. Rigid is the most common type of PCB. It’s the “hard” PCB as we know it and is often used in consumer-grade printed circuits.

Rigid, flexible PCB:

Some PCBs require a limited amount of space due to their application. In such cases, a PCB can be bent to fit in a tight compartment. Rigid-flex PCB is a flexible circuit board design that allows the board to flex and provide small enclosures. However, there are a few disadvantages we should be aware of when using a flex PCB. Such drawbacks include difficulty repairing the PCB and fragile design if anything goes wrong.

High-density consumer board design:

Some circuit boards might require a more complex design. HDI (high-density interconnect boards) can be a great option in such a scenario. HDI PCBs enable designers to fit components in a dense circuit board design, and this kind of method becoming popular over the years in consumer circuit board types.

Advantages of consumer PCBs

The advantages when it comes to consumer PCBs quickly cover most of the disadvantages in more complex printed circuit boards such as industrial and medical grade PCBs:

1. Easy to repair – consumer applications often use simple circuits and components. Consumer PCBs are easily repaired if something goes wrong.
2. Fast PCB fabrication – consumer PCBs are relatively simple and can be manufactured within hours.
3. Low cost – many consumer applications require only two layers of PCB which reduces the fabrication cost drastically.

A simple circuit printed board is not a bad word. Simple PCBs can save your company lots of funds and time for fabrication. Industrial PCBs and medical circuit board applications often lack those advantages.

What to consider when designing PCBs for consumer needs?

When it comes to the design process, designing a consumer PCB can be pretty straightforward. There are many things in consumer PCB design you can ease your mind about. Industrial, medical, and military-grade PCBs need to worry about many things, such as:

• 1. Ability to operate in extreme temperatures
• 2. Ability to work under excessive radiation
• 3. All weather-proof PCBs
• 4. Requires to work 24/7 for dozens of years
• 5. Applicable in life-dependent situations.
• 6. Requirement of different types of industrial certifications.

The points above can take a lot of work, especially in consumer electronics. Consumer electronics serve consumers, fabricated electronics PCBs need to be both reliable and affordable to reach as many potential users as possible. The ability to quickly fabricate consumer electronics PCBs

In industrial and medical PCBs, the life-dependent application is a common thing. Those applications require multiple certifications to prove their ability to operate in those extreme conditions.

The best consumer pcb maker

If you are looking for a trustworthy, experienced, and knowledgeable consumer electronics PCB manufacturer, you have come to the right place! PCBasic has years of experience serving, designing, and fabricating consumer applications and PCB types worldwide.

We specialize in PCB and PCBA consumer electronics and printed circuit boards from the prototype stage to mass production. If you are looking for a reliable PCB factory to produce, test, and ship consumer electronics PCBs, do not hesitate to contact us and get an instant PCB quote on your upcoming order.