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This section provides an overview for printed circuit boards as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 17 printed circuit board manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked printed circuit board companies as of December, 2024: 1.ExPlus Co., Ltd, 2.OKI Circuit Technology Co.,Ltd..
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PCB is essential components for electrical engineering.
It is possible to fabricate electronic circuits by placing transistors, resistors, and other components on a mainly copper wiring pattern on the surface of an insulator (plastic) and soldering them together. PCB is used in almost all electronic devices (TVs, PCs, smartphones, home appliances), and the electronic circuits built into devices are operated by PCB.
Japan was the first country in the world to obtain a patent for PCB around 1936, and the development of the technology has been progressing. As a result, Japan was the world's largest producer in terms of production value around 1990. In recent years, production of electronic devices has shifted to China and Asia, and large quantities are produced in China and Asia.
PCBs are used as wiring boards for PCs, televisions, and electrical equipment as well as for electronic construction.
The PCBs for these particularly precise electrical devices already have the necessary circuit patterns formed on the board itself, and electronic circuits are completed simply by placing components on them. For even higher density, there are also multilayer boards with multiple layers of circuits on a single board, which are used in electronic equipment such as PCs and smartphones.
There are also many types of materials and hundreds of varieties, depending on the application. Generally, rigid materials are the main materials used, but in recent years, flexible materials (films) are increasingly being used for smartphones and other mobile applications, with many soft flexible substrates being used.
PCBs are made by drilling small holes in an insulating board and plating the holes with copper or other materials. (called through holes or via holes). By soldering electronic components and wires to the small holes, a circuit can be built by allowing electricity to flow through them. In the case of a multilayer board, signals in the board are connected to other layers through holes and via holes.
PCBs can be single-sided, double-sided, or multilayered. The more layers there are, the more circuits can be built, which saves space.
For home appliances (refrigerators, washing machines), paper phenol substrates made of paper impregnated with phenol resin are the main materials used as substrates for PCBs. For PCs, smart phones, automobiles, measuring equipment, etc., where reliability is required, glass epoxy substrates (glass cloth impregnated with epoxy resin) are used.
Aluminum substrates with good heat dissipation are sometimes used where heat dissipation is required. Recently, demand for these substrates has been increasing due to the trend toward EVs, which require higher current.
Flexible substrates made of thin polyimide or polyester film have also emerged. While flexible substrates have low mechanical strength, they are flexible and can be bent. The materials used for these substrates are required to be flame-retardant (i.e., they do not burn easily even if set on fire). For this reason, halogen-based substances are used, and some customers require halogen-free materials for environmental reasons.
In recent years, circuit patterning methods have become more automated, and products are being developed to accommodate smaller size and higher density.
There are several types of PCBs, each with a different structure, material, etc., depending on the purpose.
A substrate with copper foil only on the patterned side. Only relatively simple patterns can be realized. It is the cheapest type of printed circuit board to manufacture and is the most commonly used type for self-made PCBs.
PCBs with copper foil on both the front and back sides. Patterns can be drawn on the front and back sides, and more complex patterns can be realized than on a single-sided board. Although it is a bit more advanced, it is also possible to make it yourself. Be careful of pattern misalignment between the front and back sides. Solid ground pattern boards also require through holes.
Used for complex patterns that cannot be realized with double-sided boards (computer boards, etc.) or when patterns need to be stacked due to board size restrictions (cellular phones, portable audio equipment, etc.). Multilayer substrates with up to 8 layers are used. For boards that require mass production, it is necessary to combine equipment costing hundreds of millions of yen per unit to manufacture several hundred thousand boards per month, making it an equipment industry.
There are several types of printed circuit board materials, each with different properties. Select the one that matches your purpose.
Paper is used as the base material, and the adhesive resin is phenolic resin. Also called "Bake substrate" or "Bakelite." It has been used for a long time. It is inexpensive and easy to process, but the substrate easily warps and has poor heat resistance and moisture absorption. It also has poor insulation resistance and high-frequency characteristics, and through-holes cannot be formed.
This substrate uses paper as the base material and epoxy resin as the adhesive resin. It has characteristics intermediate between paper phenol substrate and glass epoxy substrate. It is made as a single-sided substrate. It has superior heat resistance, moisture absorption, and electrical characteristics compared to paper phenol substrates, but is inferior to glass epoxy substrates.
This is a printed circuit board manufactured by glass fiber containing epoxy resin. Currently, the most widely used type, most multilayer boards are glass epoxy boards, which are used in a wide range of applications, from thin boards as thin as 0.2 mm to boards up to 2.4 mm in thickness for power equipment, motherboards, etc. They have low dimensional change and excellent durability. It also has good electrical and mechanical properties. However, workability is poor, and special tools are required. Although the cost is higher, functionality is improved.
As described above, there are various types of PCBs, and various materials are used. Design rules differ greatly depending on the type of printed circuit board, so please contact a specialized manufacturer if you have any problems.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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North Atlantic Industries, founded in 1995 and based in Bohemia, NY, is a manufacturer and supplier of rugged COTS embedded computing products for the industrial, commercial aerospace, and defense markets. The company offers a portfolio of over 70 pre-integrated modules, Multifunction I/O Boards, Single Board Computers (SBCs), Systems, and Power Supplies supported by a highly configurable open systems architecture™ (COSA), aligned to MOSA, SOSA and FACE standards. NAI has built a reputation for supporting the world’s most demanding defense, commercial aerospace and industrial applications.
Unibrain is a manufacturer and supplier of FireWire/IEEE 1394 and USB 3.1 Gen 1 & 2 cables, which are used for high-speed data transfer and connectivity between devices such as cameras, computers, and audio equipment. The company's products are used in aerospace, automotive, medical, and robotics, as well as in research and development. One of Unibrain's products is the FireWire 800 camera. It's a digital camera that delivers high-resolution images with low noise and fast frame rates, making it suitable for a wide range of applications. In 2020, Unibrain received the Best of Show award at the Vision China Shanghai Exhibition.
North Hills, based in New York, USA, is a manufacturer of transformers, inductors and other magnetic components for various industries and applications. Established in 1953, the company offers a wide range of products, including power transformers, current sense transformers, pulse transformers, and more. These transformers provide efficient power conversion and signal isolation in electronic systems. Moreover, the company manufactures inductors that are used for filtering, energy storage, and inductance applications. Apart from transformers and inductors, they also produce other magnetic components like chokes, and coils, which are essential in various electronic and communication systems.
Concurrent Technologies, established in 1985, is a manufacturer of computing products including transition modules, processors, and carriers. The company is headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts, and has additional production facilities in Colchester and Theale in the UK. Its products include sensor open systems architecture (SOSA) aligned VPX, OpenVPX, AdvancedMC (AMC) modules, and 6U CompactPCI. The product packages support Linux, Windows, & VxWorks Operating Systems. The company also offers various accessories including breakout cables, storage modules, adapters, front panel I/O boards, and 26/60-way cables. The products have various applications in defense, aerospace, transportation, telecommunications, and medical industries.
Zhen Ding Tech Group, established in 2006 and headquartered in Taoyüan, T'ai-wan, Taiwan, is a specialist manufacturer of printed circuits and substrates. The company's products include flexible printed circuits (FPC), high-density interconnections (HDI), rigid printed circuit boards (R-PCB), and integrated circuit substrates (ICS). These products are widely used in computing devices, consumer electronics, and home appliances and are crucial components for telecommunication and networking products. As the IoT proliferates, even more complex chips and PCBs will be integrated into more than just devices, such as walls, medical implants, and swarming drone delivery services.
Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Ltd, commonly known as JAE, was established in 1953 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company is a designer and manufacturer of connectors, user interface solutions, and electronics for the aerospace, agriculture, semiconductor, and camera stabilization sectors. THe company’s product segments include IO connectors, board to board connects, cable to cable connectors, and more. The company’s motion sensing and control segment includes accelerometers, inertial measurement units, and directional modules.
Shengyi Europe GmbH (SYI Europe), established in 1987 in Hüllhorst, Germany, is a developer and manufacturer of electrical assembly equipment, industrial machines, and systems. The company's main products include standard circuit boards, HDI (high density interconnect) printed circuit boards, and rigid-flexible printed circuit boards that are designed to deliver the advantages of flexible and rigid printed circuit boards. These products are used to mechanically support and electrically connect used manufacturing and other industrial machines and remote and cloud-based control systems.
Yamaha Fine Technologies Co., Ltd. was established in 1987 in Japan as a manufacturer and supplier of factory automation products and car parts. The company produces FA products such as industry-standard testing machines for electronic circuit boards, film punchers, Helium leak testers, Hydrogen leak detectors, Ultrasonic testers, and more. These equipment and machines are applicable in the automation industry for manufacturing mobile devices, home electrical products, and more, and for inspections and testing. The automotive decorative parts are based on the company's skills with wood processing and coating technologies. Precision molding is applied to produce interior parts for luxury cars.
OKI Circuit Technology Co., Ltd. is a Japanese manufacturer of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and electronic components established in 2012 and based in Tsuruoka, Yamagata. The company produces various PCBs that are able to manage high frequencies, radiation levels, currents, and speeds. These are used in automotive components, consumer electronics, medical equipment, and communication devices. Aside from its products, the company also offers custom design and testing services for customers with unique project requirements.
ICP DAS Co. Ltd., established in 1993 and headquartered in Hsinchu County, Taiwan, is a manufacturer of automation products and solutions. Operating in over 100 countries, the company is engaged in developing a wide range of products, including remote I/O controllers, distributed I/O modules, I/O data acquisition boards, programmable automation controllers, and industrial communication modules. The company provides its services in several regions such as the United States, Europe, and China, ensuring its products meet the needs of a global industrial automation clientele.
Softing Industrial Automation, headquartered in Haar, Germany, is a manufacturer of industrial communication products and technologies for manufacturing and process automation. They offer products such as gateways for multi-protocol process control, network access parallel to the controller and access for controller data, UA software platform, integration platform, and Docker container, providing secure data exchange between different systems and devices. These products are used in various industries such as automotive, industrial, and IT networks.
Oki Electric Cable Co.,Ltd. was established in 1936 and is a manufacturer of telecommunications instrument based in Isesaki, Gunma, Japan. The company produces various communications devices such as high speed interface cables, wire harnesses, EDM wire, optical cables, and OKI cables. The products have been applied in various industries such as robotic, automobile, semiconductor manufacture, medical, and financial sectors. The company also involved in real estate business as one of the four major business operations.
Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions, established in 1930 and based in Ashburn, Virginia, USA, is a manufacturer and distributor of rugged, and safe solutions. The company's product range includes embedded computing modules, processor boards, flight test and monitoring, and networking and communications.These products are used in ensuring optimal performance in defense and space manufacturing. It serves industries such as defense, aerospace, commercial aerospace, and industrial manufacturing. Its services includes obsolescence mitigation, proactive prevention against counterfeit parts, development of product roadmaps, and facilitating the smooth integration of future technological advancements.
Connect Tech, a company founded in 1985, based in Guelph, Canada, is a hardware design and manufacturing company that specializes in rugged and small form factor solutions. The company manufactures mult-port serial adapters, wireless radio modems, reconfigurable FPGA semiconductors, digital I/O products, engineering tools and ethernet-to-serial devices for the industrial and embedded PC market. Their product portfolio includes NVIDIA Jetson, COM Express, Qseven, SMARC, and Embedded Switches. These products can be purchased off the shelf for rapid time to market deployment. The company also offers custom engineering services including modification services and custom design services.
Kontron AG, a German-based supplier of IoT/Embedded Computing Technology (ECT), has been offering individual solutions in the areas of Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0, established in 1959. The company provides a combined portfolio of hardware, software, and services. With its standard and customized products based on state-of-the-art technologies, it delivers secure and cutting edge applications for various industries. It accelerates customers’ time-to-market, lowering customer total cost of ownership, and extending product lifecycles. It is a rapidly expanding multinational technology group delivering pioneering IoT solutions of the latest digitalization trends such as smart automation, real-time software, connectivity, data intelligence, and AI applications.
Ranking as of December 2024
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ExPlus Co., Ltd |
50.0%
|
| 2 | OKI Circuit Technology Co.,Ltd. |
50.0%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the printed circuit board page as of December 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
| Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
|
United States of America
|
4 | 30.8% |
|
Japan
|
4 | 30.8% |
|
Taiwan
|
2 | 15.4% |
|
Germany
|
2 | 15.4% |
|
Canada
|
1 | 7.7% |
127 products found - Page 4
127 products - Page 4
Shirai Electronics Industry Co., Ltd.
200+ people viewing
Last viewed: 14 hours ago
■Features - Compatible with both characteristic and differential impedance control. ・By using a TDR measuring machine (manufactured by Agilent Tec...
Shirai Electronics Industry Co., Ltd.
110+ people viewing
Last viewed: 4 hours ago
■Features ・Suitable for both double-sided and multi-layer printing. ・Can be used as a high current board or high heat dissipation board for autom...
Kyocera Corporation
40+ people viewing
Last viewed: 11 hours ago
■Achieved a multilayer structure due to the narrower pitch of mounted components High multilayer boards are used as main boards in information and ...
Kyocera Corporation
20+ people viewing
■High-density printed wiring board compatible with narrow pitch devices High-density printed wiring boards are substrates designed to house very sm...
2 models listed
Kyocera Corporation
30+ people viewing
Last viewed: 11 hours ago
■High-precision/high-reliability high-frequency printed wiring board In-vehicle radar installed in automobiles has a built-in antenna function, and...
Yokoo Co., Ltd.
160+ people viewing
Last viewed: 17 hours ago
■New solutions developed with LTCC and RF technology. Yokowo's LTCC substrates and packages are expanding around the world. Based on LTCC Low Tempe...
Yokoo Co., Ltd.
250+ people viewing
Last viewed: 17 hours ago
This is a board for converting PFC series flexible cable to discrete wiring.
6 models listed
FUJITSU COMPONENT LIMITED
20+ people viewing
Very Fast Response
3 models listed
Würth Elektronik
10+ people viewing
Standard Response
■Summary ・With frame system ・Simple ECO stencil ・Stencil steel maximum 300μm
Kokusai Dengyo Co., Ltd.
10+ people viewing
Last viewed: 1 day ago
General-purpose C/B interface communication type with interactive ASCII dedicated command communication ■CoinMech/Billbari makes it easy to create...
Castech Shoji Co., Ltd.
40+ people viewing
Last viewed: 16 hours ago
■Product features The package conversion module is an epoch-making module that can be mounted as is without changing the board when you need to cha...
Würth Elektronik
10+ people viewing
Last viewed: 9 hours ago
Standard Response
■Summary ・Maximum 16 layers ・From 3 business days ・HDI microvia ・Special work process
Würth Elektronik
10+ people viewing
Standard Response
■Summary ・2 layers, 4 layers or 6 layers ・1.00mm or 1.55mm material thickness ・Delivery time is from 10 business days ・Special configurations o...
Würth Elektronik
20+ people viewing
Last viewed: 9 hours ago
Standard Response
■Summary ・1 layer or 2 layers ・Includes 0.30mm reinforcement material ・Delivery time starts from 6 business days ・Special configurations on req...
Würth Elektronik
10+ people viewing
Standard Response
■Summary ・1 layer or 2 layers ・120μm or 170μm material thickness ・Delivery time starts from 5 business days ・Special configurations on request
Ihara Electronics Industry Co., Ltd.
20+ people viewing
Ihara Electronics Industry Co., Ltd.
60+ people viewing
Last viewed: 2 hours ago
■High current board By increasing the thickness of the copper, it is possible to increase the current capacity, so it is used in devices that requi...
Ihara Electronics Industry Co., Ltd.
40+ people viewing
Last viewed: 19 hours ago
We have a variety of high-frequency compatible materials from Japan and overseas that are suitable for transmitting high-frequency signals.
