Manufacturing & ProductionISCO 8212
Printed circuit board assembler
Printed circuit board assemblers read blueprints and drawings to assemble printed circuit boards. They use hand- and automated soldering tools and machines to connect electronic components to the board.
Check yourself in a minute: printed circuit board assembler
Rate 5 of the 16 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.
interpret circuit diagrams
solder components onto electronic board
operate insertion mount machine
read assembly drawings
assemble printed circuit boards
European Skills Framework
Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential (16)
integrated circuitsintegrated circuitsElectronic components, made up from a set of electronic circuits which are placed on semiconductor material, such as silicon. Integrated circuits (IC) can hold billions of electronic components on a m...printed circuit boardsprinted circuit boardsPrinted circuit boards (PCB) are essential components to almost all electronic devices. They consist of thin wafers or substrates on which electronic components, such as microchips, are placed. The el...through-hole technologythrough-hole technologyThrough-hole technology or THT is a method of mounting electronic components onto the printed circuit board through inserting leads on the components into holes in the circuit board and soldering the ...electronicselectronicsThe functioning of electronic circuit boards, processors, chips, and computer hardware and software, including programming and applications.semiconductorssemiconductorsSemiconductors are essential components of electronic circuits and contain properties of both insulators, such as glass, and conductors, such as copper. Most semiconductors are crystals made of silico...interpret circuit diagramsinterpret circuit diagramsRead and comprehend circuit diagrams showing the connections between the devices, such as power and signal connections.solder components onto electronic boardsolder components onto electronic boardSolder electronic components onto bare electronic boards to create loaded electronic boards using hand soldering tools or soldering machinery.operate insertion mount machineoperate insertion mount machineOperate the insertion mount machine or inserter to insert the leads of electronic components into holes in the printed circuit boards.read assembly drawingsread assembly drawingsRead and interpret drawings listing all the parts and subassemblies of a certain product. The drawing identifies the different components and materials and provides instructions on how to assemble a p...ensure public safety and securityensure public safety and securityImplement the relevant procedures, strategies and use the proper equipment to promote local or national security activities for the protection of data, people, institutions, and property.assemble printed circuit boardsassemble printed circuit boardsAttach electronic components to the printed circuit board through applying soldering techniques. Electronic components are placed in holes in through-hole assembly (THT), or are placed on the surface ...meet deadlinesmeet deadlinesEnsure operative processes are finished at a previously agreed-upon time.coat printed circuit boardcoat printed circuit boardAdd a protective layer of coating to the finished printed circuit board.prepare board for solderingprepare board for solderingPrepare the loaded printed circuit boards for solder operations. Clean the board and mark designated areas.ensure conformity to specificationsensure conformity to specificationsEnsure that the assembled products are conform to the specifications given.apply through-hole technology manuallyapply through-hole technology manuallyUse through-hole technology (THT) to attach the leads of larger electronic components through the corresponding holes in printed circuit boards. Apply this technique manually.
Optional (32) — show
3D printing process3D printing processThe process of reproducing 3D objects by using 3D printing technologies.printing on large scale machinesprinting on large scale machinesMethods, processes, and restrictions related to printing on machines that produce large quantities and sizes of graphic print materials.printed circuit boards testing methodsprinted circuit boards testing methodsPrinted circuit board (PCB) testing methods consist of those processes in which PCB components or systems are tested, such as the in-circuit test (ICT), joint test action group (JTAG) test, and automa...printing techniquesprinting techniquesThe techniques and processes to reproduce text and images using a master form or template such as letterpress printing, gravure, and laser printing.microelectronicsmicroelectronicsMicroelectronics is a subdiscipline of electronics and relates the study, design, and manufacture of small electronic components, such as microchips.electroplatingelectroplatingThe process of plating together different types of metals through hydrolysis, silver plating, chromium plating, or copper plating. Electroplating allows for the combination of different metals with di...printing materialsprinting materialsThe materials, such as paper, film, metal foils, and glass, on which texts or designs can be transferred by applying ink through direct pressure or with intermediate rollers.IPC standardsIPC standardsStandards and guidelines with regards to the use and manufacture of electronics and printed circuit boards. These regulations provide rules and guidelines on topics such as general safety rules, elect...maintenance operationsmaintenance operationsThe preservation and restoration of products and systems, and the methods and logistics of these practices.surface-mount technologysurface-mount technologySurface-mount technology or SMT is a method where the electronic components are placed on the surface of the printed circuit board. SMT components attached in this way are usually sensitive, small com...electrochemistryelectrochemistrySubdiscipline of chemistry that studies the chemical reactions that take place during the interaction of an electrolyte, a chemical substance that works as an ionic conductor, and an electrode, or an ...microprocessorsmicroprocessorsComputer processors on a microscale that integrate the computer central processing unit (CPU) on a single chip.maintenance of printing machinesmaintenance of printing machinesUpkeep procedures and technical working of machines that produce printed graphical material.resolve equipment malfunctionsresolve equipment malfunctionsIdentify, report and repair equipment damage and malfunctions. Communicate with field representatives and manufacturers to obtain repair and replacement components.determine suitability of materialsdetermine suitability of materialsWhile designing products, determine if materials are suitable and available for production.oversee logistics of finished productsoversee logistics of finished productsEnsure that the processes of packing, storage and shipment of finished products meet the requirements.dispose of hazardous wastedispose of hazardous wasteDispose of dangerous materials such as chemical or radioactive substances according to environmental and to health and safety regulations.use diagnostic tools for electronic repairsuse diagnostic tools for electronic repairsUse diagnostic equipment to measure current, resistance and voltage. Handle sophisticated multimeters to measure inductance, capacitance and current transistor gain.check for solder defectscheck for solder defectsCheck the printed circuit board for solder defects and make adjustments as required.pack electronic equipmentpack electronic equipmentSafely pack sensitive electronic equipment for storage and transport.test microelectronicstest microelectronicsTest microelectronics using appropriate equipment. Gather and analyse data. Monitor and evaluate system performance and take action if needed.operate wave soldering machineoperate wave soldering machineOperate the wave soldering machine to solder electronic components onto the printed circuit board. Here, the board is moved over a wave of liquid solder and the connections inserted through the board ...maintain microelectronicsmaintain microelectronicsDiagnose and detect malfunctions in microelectronic systems, products, and components and remove, replace, or repair these components when necessary. Execute preventative equipment maintenance tasks, ...replace defect componentsreplace defect componentsRemove defective parts and replace them with functioning components.operate printing machineryoperate printing machineryOperate machinery for various types of printed documents, adjusting the font, paper size, and weight. This allows ascenders and descenders to be correctly placed.clean components during assemblyclean components during assemblyClean components before fixing them to other compounds or units of components during the assembly process.clean printed circuit boardclean printed circuit boardClean the printed circuit boards and components as necessary before, during, and after the assembly process.operate SMT placement equipmentoperate SMT placement equipmentOperate surface-mount technology (SMT) machines and equipment to place and solder surface-mount devices (SMD) onto the printed circuit board with high precision.keep records of work progresskeep records of work progressMaintain records of the progress of the work including time, defects, malfunctions, etc.test printed circuit boardstest printed circuit boardsTest the printed circuit board with special testing adapters to ensure optimal efficiency, functionality, and that everything works according to design. Adapt the testing devices to the type of circui...operate precision machineryoperate precision machineryOperate machinery used for the making of small systems or components with a high level of precision.operate 3D computer graphics softwareoperate 3D computer graphics softwareUse graphical ICT tools, such as Autodesk Maya, Blender which enable digital editing, modelling, rendering and composition of graphics. These tools are based in mathematical representation of three-di...
Related Occupations
Occupations that need many of the same essential skills, so the move between them is shortest.
surface-mount technology machine operator10 shared essential skillswave soldering machine operator8 shared essential skillselectronic equipment assembler7 shared essential skillsprinted circuit board test technician7 shared essential skillsautomated optical inspection operator6 shared essential skillselectronics engineering technician6 shared essential skillsmicroelectronics designer6 shared essential skillssemiconductor processor6 shared essential skills
Frequently asked questions
What does a printed circuit board assembler do?
Printed circuit board assemblers read blueprints and drawings to assemble printed circuit boards. They use hand- and automated soldering tools and machines to connect electronic components to the board.
What skills does a printed circuit board assembler need?
A printed circuit board assembler needs 16 essential skills, including integrated circuits, printed circuit boards, through-hole technology, electronics, semiconductors.
Will AI replace printed circuit board assembler jobs?
The AI disruption score for printed circuit board assembler is 55/100 (high risk). Skills most exposed to automation: assemble printed circuit boards, solder components onto electronic board, read assembly drawings. Most resilient: dispose of hazardous waste, replace defect components, maintain microelectronics.
AI Replacement Risk
55/ 100
High Risk
Low riskHigh risk
Skills most at risk from AI
Skills resilient to automation
This is the average for the whole occupation. The AI Career Shield test (about 10 minutes) shows the risk in your own work and what you can do about it.
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