Glossary of Electronic Manufacturing

The electronic manufacturing industry, like every specialised sector, has developed a jargon that can sometimes be difficult to decipher that’s why we’ve put together a glossary of electronic manufacturing. Many terms are turned into acronyms and used with the assumption that everybody knows what they mean.

In this post, we have compiled a glossary of electronic manufacturing explaining the terms most commonly used in the electronic manufacturing sector.

AOI – Automated Optical Inspection

A tool that visually inspects a printed circuit board assembly.

ATE – Automatic Test Equipment

A machine used to electrically test boards and confirm their functionality.

BGA – Ball Grid Array

Integrated Circuit package that uses the underside of the chip for connectivity.

BOM – Bill of Materials

A list of all the materials needed to produce an electrical assembly.

Burn-in Testing

Electrically stressing a device to root out defects.

Capacitor

A PCB component used to store an electric charge.

CEM – Contract Electronic Manufacturing

A provider of design, manufacture, test and distribution services for electronic components and assemblies to OEMs.

DFM – Design for Manufacturing

The process of designing products in the most cost effective manner, within the shortest time frame, while maximising quality.

DMR – Defective Material Report

The report used to communicate details of a product that failed to comply with quality standards.

EAU – Estimated Annual Usage

The amount of product that a customer expects to purchase from a supplier within a year.

EMS – Electronic Manufacturing Service

A company that will manufacture electronics for businesses that do not have the capability to do so.

EOL – End of Life

Indicates a product that has been made obsolete.

FAI – First Article Inspection

The process that certifies that a product complies with the agreed design specifications.

HASL – Hot Air Solder Levelling

Process in which PCBs are immersed in molten tin/alloy to provide surface finish.

IC – Integrated Circuit

An electronic circuit formed on a small piece of semiconductor material.

ICT – In Circuit Test

A parametric test that ensures that correct components are placed on a circuit board and they are oriented the correct way.

MOQ – Minimum Order Quantity

The minimum amount of components that a supplier will sell to a customer.

NRE – Non-recurring Engineering

The one-time costs associated with starting operations for a customer’s product.

OEM – Original Equipment Manufacturer

A company that designs and sells the parts used and assembled by other companies.

PCB – Printed Circuit Board

A device that electrical components are soldered onto.

PCBA – Printed Circuit Board Assembly

The assembly of electronic components onto the PCB, resulting in a finished product.

PFMEA – Process Failure Mode Effects Analysis

An analysis used to identify risks and possible errors in manufacturing.

Resistor

A passive, two-terminal PCB component that employs electrical resistance as a circuit element.

RoHS– Restriction of Hazardous Substances

An EU directive restricting the use of dangerous substances (such as lead) in electronic manufacturing.

RFQ – Request for Quotation

The process by which a customer submits an order to obtain price and delivery information for a product or service.

SCM – Supply Chain Management

The process of managing the movement of goods within an organisation.

SLA – Service Level Agreement

An agreement drawn up between the customer and the supplier that contains details of specific service expectations (e.g. pricing, delivery, quality).

SMT – Surface Mount Technology

The method of mounting electronic components onto the surface of a PCB.

SPI – Solder Paste Inspection

Inspection to check the solder deposits on the PCB.

Through-hole Technology

Mounting scheme in which leads are placed through a plated hole in the PCB. The lead is soldered on the bottom side of the board.

Wave Soldering

Soldering process in which the PCB is passed over a pan of molten solder. A pump inside the pan generates an upwelling of solder.

Conro Electronics, is a leading supplier of materials and tools in the electronic manufacturing industry.

We’ll show you how to improve product reliability while increasing performance and lowering costs. Our team of technical support specialists will provide your company with dependable global supply, unrivalled efficiency, and superior technical support.

Feel free to contact us on 0208 953 1211 or send us an email to info@conro.com