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Surface‐mounted components (SMC) for placement on hybrid substrates and small boards for miniaturised products have been in use for almost 20 years. Still, it is a fairly new technology to most designers and printed‐circuit board (PCB) assembly operations even in the US, the leading industrial nation. Surface mount technology is still in its infancy and subject to strong cross currents. There is no doubt that SMC packages will be substituted for through‐hole packages. The question is the speed at which SMCs can penetrate the market and the volumes of assemblies they can represent. The fact that more than half the components on new boards could be SMCs by the end of the decade does not mean that half of all the components assembled in the US, for example, at that time will be in an SMC format. A major issue with SMT today is the short‐term vs. long‐term prospects.

The production environment confronting manufacturers of products containing circuit boards (PCBs), in many cases typified by a high mix of possible boards, is increasing the demand for a flexible approach to the assembly process.

The management consultants Inbucon chose Glasgow for a recent seminar on electronics manufacturing. Board manufacture, surface mounted components and quality of electronics were subjects that created much discussion.