IPC Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 Inspection Standards in PCB Assembly

 
 
 
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IPC A 610 Certification ensures our customers of our commitment to continuous improvement of product quality and reliability. IPC A-610  is the most widely used inspection standard in the electronics industry and has earned an international reputation as the source for end-product acceptance criteria.  The IPC-A-610 Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies is the agreed standard that we use to define what's acceptable, and what's not, in the world of PCBA production. We can manufacture the PCB we build to Class 1, 2, and 3 standards.

IPC-A-610 Class 1 is appropriate for low cost electronic assemblies that need to function as expected and it’s operational life sits within an acceptable time-frame. IPC Class 1 is not to be mistaken for low quality. IPC Class 1 enforces high quality solder joints, for components to be straight, nothing violates the minimum electrical clearance, appropriate solder fillets, no chips, cracks, or deformation that can affect the form, fit, or functionality of the product.


IPC-A-610 Class 2 is appropriate for products where continued performance and extended life is required. Like IPC Class 1, Class 2 does not allow for negligence of the PCB manufacturer, but includes more stringent requirements for final details such as the length of wire that mates to the pad, the amount of solder that needs to fill a supported hole, how to best mount supports to PCBs with non-supported holes, and so on. The key difference between IPC Class 1 and 2 is that 2 tries to ensure that the environment doesn’t break the boards.


IPC-A-610 Class 3 is the highest standard of the IPC classes. Achieving this level of quality sometimes requires what’s typically a high speed process to slow down and make sure things follow the entire process from start to finish. Class 3 is intended for products whose performance is critical, such as military, aerospace, and automotive applications. It is also used when the operating environment of the PCB is particularly harsh.

Henway Technologies, Ltd. takes pride and responsibility in the challenges of achieving perfection in all three IPC Classes.