Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1345210
80 SMT007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2021 binations of builds. ere is a great temptation for PCB factories—even those in the USA and Europe—to take shortcuts with their recogni- tion. e consequences can be disastrous for someone who supplies products without UL recognition or with incorrect marking. In the worst case, they would be forced to do a gen- eral product recall from the market—leading to huge costs and perhaps even bankruptcy. As a purchaser and user of PCBs, you risk falling into many traps regarding UL recognition. It is vital to thoroughly check that the factories' certifications really apply to the products you are buying. When purchasing PCBs with safety in mind, I recommend always buying from a reputable source, and to inspect the UL marking on PCBs. All boards must be labeled in a specific way, to enable you to track where they were manufac- tured. UL has an online directory of certifica- tions and a database for PCBs, laminates, and surface materials. When in doubt, contact your trusted PCB supplier. If they are unable to sup- port you in this matter, beware. SMT007 Jeffrey Beauchamp is a field application engineer at NCAB Group. To read past columns, or contact Beauchamp, click here. safety. Simply because all the materials used in PCB production are UL approved, materials can be influenced by the manufacturing or the design—say if two different materials are com- bined with one another. Customers from around the world demand factories that can achieve UL recognition. Hav- ing UL recognition is very important for PCB factories to produce secure boards and be able to access the international market. Specifically in China, there are more than 1,200 PCB facto- ries with UL recognition. All NCAB factories, for example, must have UL recognition for any given configuration they are approved to man- ufacture. is is one of the first steps in sourc- ing a new factory as a partner. Although it is still important to continuously evaluate this as PCB technology—and all technology—it increases and changes exponentially. As a new technology emerges, we need to make sure a factory is approved for that material and/or process. Also of note, UL does not mean the quality of the board is certified exclusively. For NCAB Group, it is just one of several factors we implement to determine quality of delivery. UL recognition can also be required by law when exporting to some countries. e big challenge with UL is that for a PCB factory it is both costly and time-consuming to obtain UL recognition for all the base laminates, pre- pregs, solder masks, and so on, in various com-