We manufacture printed circuit board assemblies, including Surface Mount Technology (SMT), Custom Hybrid Chip On Board (COB), and Plated Through Hole (PTH) electronics assemblies. We have the capability to incorporate and mix these technologies, as well as combine multiple sub-assemblies into housings and cabinetry, to supply complete units for our customers. From BGA and Flip Chip assemblies to wiring/cable assemblies and box builds, we have the capacity to meet a wide range of circuit board needs from prototype to volume production.
Surface mount placement capabilities including:
- Chip technology down to 01005
- BGA technology up to 74mm x 74mm with pitches down to 0.2mm pitch.
- Odd form and unique surface mounted components
Argo has been building custom SMT circuits since 1984. We build a wide variety of assemblies including mixed technologies that include SMT, COB and through hole components. Argo uses highly advanced equipment to build simple to complex, turnkey or consignment, assemblies. Our manufacturing process allows us the flexibility to build your quick turn assemblies and the capacity to scale up to your high volume requirements.
RoHS Compliance is a directive originally initiated by the European Union as a means to control and reduce the use and exposure of certain hazardous materials, including lead (Pb). Lead had been used to some degree in almost all solders, solder pastes, components and bare printed circuit boards. The reduction or elimination of lead from the manufacturing process caused many component manufacturers, bare board houses, contract manufacturers and OEMs to redesign their processes and equipment to accommodate the higher temperatures required to work without lead. Argo has kept pace with the industry and is proud to offer RoHS PCB assemblies. We have helped many customers transition their products from leaded to RoHS Compliant PCB Assemblies, converting raw PCB materials, components and processes to produce a compliant product.
Argo is skilled in space-restricted applications using COB assemblies. These assemblies offer an economical solution to high-density circuit packaging, using bare silicon die wire bonded directly to a printed circuit board with expoxy encapsulation. COB assemblies allow component placement on both sides of the board, rivaling, and often surpassing, the density of ceramic substrates. Micro-assemblies are created utilizing flip chips and bare die attached COB components.
Wire Bonding
Advanced interconnections are one of our core competencies. Wire bonding options include bare die attach utilizing gold (Au) or aluminum (Al), or ultrasonic wedge bonding.
Through hole soldering remains a prominent part of electronics assembly and Argo offers the skills and equipment necessary to handle any through hole assembly work. We offer several methods for soldering through hole components: traditional hand soldering, wave soldering and state-of-the-art selective soldering utilizing both RoHS and tin/lead solder. We have extensive experience combining through hole work with COB and/or SMT assembly.
Potting and coating may be applied to assemblies to protect against moisture, dust, chemicals, and temperature extremes. Argo offers a range of materials to seal and protect sensitive assemblies, including acrylics, epoxies and urethane compounds. Our application processes include spray coating, potting, fluid bed coating, brush coating and dip coating. We work with customers to determine the best material and application process for their assembly, taking into consideration the specific components and common vulnerabilities of the application.
Argo has the ability to provide final assembly services that include the incorporation of cables and PCBs into housings, testing services and product packaging. This allows us to fulfill customer orders for direct shipment to distribution channels. Box builds streamline the logistics, purchasing, tracking, and inventory of components, while also eliminating the labor required to manufacture, test, label, package, inventory and ship the finished assemblies.
Most printed circuit board assemblies are integrated into a “next higher” assembly, employing cables, connectors and wires to transfer signals and data between assemblies. We have partnered with local cable and wire harness manufacturers, allowing us to provide basic to complex integrated assemblies.
In addition to manufacturing, Argo offers DFX services to help take cost out of our customers’ design cycle. We work closely with board level designers, PCB Manufacturers and component vendors to help them design boards for optimal function. Using Siemens Unicam F/X software we can acquire and convert Gerber and ASCII files to program our pick and place machines and our SPI/AOI systems.
While all of the boards we produce are subject to strict quality standards and inspections, we also offer speciality tests to meet each project’s specific needs.
Environmental Testing
We offer environmental cycling or burn-in using Tenney Environmental Test Chambers. By using temperature cycles and real-time data charts, we can demonstrate your assembly’s performance in extreme conditions.
X-Ray and BGA Repair
VJ Electronics and Air Vac equipment give us the capability to identify and correct hidden solder discrepancies beneath BGA and other leadless components.