Technology is a truly a beautiful thing, isn’t it? It has life increasingly more convenient, and today’s society can enjoy basic creature comforts that were once considered a luxury if not outright impossible by previous generations. And because society has grown so accustomed to being pampered by technology, people have admittedly become a bit, well…spoiled.
Society takes technology for granted, and it’s becoming easier and easier to do so. People rely on technology so much for routine tasks that’s hard to imagine what life was like without it. Seriously though ? what did people do before Uber?
As such, it’s easy to forget where it all started. At the heart of advancing computer technology is the PCB fabrication process. Printed circuit boards or PCBs, are literally everywhere. And without PCB fabrication the modern world wouldn’t be so modern at all.
What are PCBs, what do they do, and why are they so important?
Simply put, small batch PCB or printed circuit board assembly creates a tool that allows electronic and mechanical connections to take place by routing power and signals through conductive pathways that have been etched onto the surface a circuit board. Before PCB fabrication, electronic and mechanical connections were made by wire to wire connections. Device failure was common with wire to wire connections because the wire insulation often failed and they lacked the durability of PCBs.
PCBs are found in nearly every kind of modern day electronic, including computers, printers, home appliances, cell phones, digital clocks, and even cars. As the demand for these devices and gadgets increased, PCB fabrication became an actual thing and a very important one at that. Outside of the home, PCB fabrication helps to support aerospace, medical, and industrial applications.
Now that you have an idea of what PCB fabrication is and why it’s so important, try to imagine how weird today’s world would be without PCBs. Scary, isn’t it? Here’s a few things you wouldn’t be able to do without PCBs.