November 2021

If you’ve felt like the phrase “supply chain” is everywhere lately, you’re not wrong. It’s become part of our daily language — in business meetings, in news reports, in casual conversations. And for good reason.

The supply chain affects everything. What we buy. What we can’t find. What costs more than it used to. But where did it come from? And how did it become one of the most essential forces behind modern manufacturing?

Let’s take a step back.

What It Was

Before the first industrial revolution, supply chains were simple. Life was local. People relied on what was grown, built, or traded nearby. Long-distance transportation wasn’t yet a part of life, and production was limited by geography.

That changed quickly with the arrival of industry. Each industrial revolution brought new tools, new technologies, and a dramatic increase in production — which meant we needed better ways to move and manage all those goods.

Transportation was the turning point.

Where It Went

Without transportation, there is no modern supply chain. The railroad changed everything. But it was the internal combustion engine that transformed it.

In the late 19th century, diesel engines and the invention of the semi-truck gave businesses new ways to move product. Around the same time, new tools for handling goods — including hand trucks and early forklift concepts — started to take shape.

As goods began moving more freely across long distances, we needed places to store them. Warehouses evolved. Storage buildings expanded. Pallets made vertical storage more efficient. And the forklift? It became the workhorse of the warehouse.

Simple as it sounds, these were major innovations that made modern logistics possible.

What Took It Further

World War II marked a shift.

Military supply needs drove innovation. We weren’t just managing goods anymore — we were engineering full-scale systems to track, deliver, and replenish materials across the globe.

From the 1930s through the 1970s, some of the most important supply chain advancements emerged:

New pallet systems and storage innovations
The invention of the shipping container in the 1950s
A growing shift from rail to trucks in the 1960s
IBM’s creation of a computerized inventory system in 1967
Real-time warehouse management systems (WMS), barcodes, and scanners in the 1970s

By the 1980s and 1990s, supply chain systems became more connected, more digital, and more global. In 1983, the term Supply Chain Management was officially born.

Computers, spreadsheets, networked distribution models — all of it came together to shape the supply chain into something far bigger than anyone expected. Suddenly, the world was within reach.

What’s Next

Today, the global supply chain is a living, breathing system. Goods are sourced from everywhere. Operations are monitored in real time. And artificial intelligence is used to forecast demand, manage orders, and analyze performance with a level of speed and precision that would’ve seemed impossible just a few decades ago.

This is the Internet of Things (IoT) era — and supply chains are more interconnected than ever.

What comes next? More innovation. More complexity. And more opportunity to solve hard problems with smart systems.

And that’s exactly the kind of work we do every day at FlexTrades.

PCBs are the beating heart of modern electronics. From your phone and your car to medical devices and defense systems, if it runs on electricity, it probably runs on a PCB.

The global printed circuit board market is projected to reach nearly $68.5 billion by 2025 with a 6.7% compound annual growth rate. That’s impressive growth, especially after the supply chain setbacks caused by COVID-19. So, how are these essential pieces of tech actually made?

Let’s walk through it.

What Are Printed Circuit Boards?

A Printed Circuit Board (PCB) is a board that connects and supports electronic components. But unlike older tech, PCBs do this without using traditional wires.

Instead, they rely on an organized system of pads, traces, capacitors, resistors, and more to move and regulate electrical current. It’s a clean, compact, and efficient way to bring electronics to life.

Before PCBs, electronics relied on point-to-point wiring. It worked, but it was bulky, unreliable, and prone to failure as insulation aged. The rise of cheaper, smaller electronics led directly to the widespread use of printed circuit boards.

Common PCB Components

Batteries – supply voltage to the circuit
Resistors – regulate electrical current
Capacitors – store electrical charge
Connectors – link devices together
Diodes – allow current to travel in only one direction
LEDs – diodes that emit light
Relays / Switches – control circuit flow
Transistors – amplify electric signals
Inductors – oppose sudden changes in current

PCB Terminology to Know

Pads – exposed metal areas where components are soldered
Paste Stencil – thin sheet that applies solder paste in exact spots
Surface Mount – components soldered directly onto the surface (today’s standard)
Through Hole – components with leads passed through drilled holes
Traces – copper paths that carry current
Solder – metal used to bond components and conduct electricity

Layers of a PCB

PCBs are made up of layers, each with a unique purpose. Together, they create a durable, functional platform for electronics.

Layer 1: Base Material – usually fiberglass, gives the board structure
Layer 2: Copper – laminated foil forms the conductive pathways
Layer 3: Solder Mask – protective green coating that insulates copper
Silkscreen – text and symbols printed for easier identification

Single-sided boards have one copper layer. Double-sided boards have two. Multi-layer boards can include many layers for more complex devices.

How PCBs Are Made

Here’s a high-level breakdown of the process:

Create the fiberglass base
Laminate copper layers
Etch away excess copper to leave traces
Apply the solder mask for insulation
Add silkscreen for labeling
You now have a blank board — time to populate it

How PCB Components Are Added

There are two main ways to populate a PCB:

Hand Soldering

Technicians work from labeled prints and kits
Each component is placed and soldered by hand
Great for prototypes and small production runs
Here’s a look at hand soldering in action

SMT (Surface Mount Technology) Machine Operations

Boards move along a conveyor through multiple machines
Components are placed, soldered, inspected, and packaged
Ideal for large-scale production of less complex boards
See SMT machines at work here

Examples of PCBs

Blank Board – a clean, component-free circuit board, ready for population
Populated Board – a finished PCB with components mounted and soldered

For a visual of the full PCB manufacturing process, the team at FlexTrades recommends this industry resource and encourages you to dig deeper.

At FlexTrades, we’re in the business of solving problems. That means we ask a lot of questions — and we answer a lot of them, too.

One of the most common questions we get from clients, technicians, and new recruits is about IPC standards. What are they? Why do they matter? And what do all those numbers and letters mean?

Let’s clear it up.

What Is IPC?

When most people say IPC, they’re referring to IPC International, Inc. But that wasn’t always the name.

Back in 1957, six printed circuit board manufacturers came together to form the Institute of Printed Circuits. Their mission? To set shared standards, push industry innovation, and eliminate the kinds of supply chain headaches still common today.

As the industry grew beyond PCBs, so did IPC. In 1999, the group expanded to include all of electronics manufacturing. That expansion came with a name change — The Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits. Eventually, that mouthful became IPC International, Inc.

Today, IPC is the organization responsible for setting the standards that govern electronics manufacturing. That includes the way PCBs are developed, tested, inspected, and assembled. And that’s where J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 come in.

What Is J-STD-001?

You’ll often hear this called J-Standard for short. The official name is IPC J-STD-001H, and it’s a critical global standard in electronics manufacturing.

It outlines the process requirements for soldered electrical and electronic assemblies, including everything from the materials used to how assemblies are tested and inspected. The standard emphasizes process control — meaning it’s not just about the end product, but how you get there.

If you’re working in PCB assembly, soldering, or inspection, you’ll likely need J-STD-001 certification. It verifies that your processes meet industry expectations for quality and repeatability.

What Is IPC-A-610?

This one is often shortened to IPC-610, but the full name is IPC-A-610 Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies.

Where J-STD-001 focuses on how electronics are built, IPC-610 focuses on how they’re judged. It defines what an acceptable finished product looks like and qualifies people to perform that final inspection.

If you’re certified to IPC-A-610 standards, you’re trained to assess the quality and acceptability of PCBs based on IPC-defined criteria.

Together, IPC-610 and J-STD-001 create a comprehensive system: build to the standard, inspect to the standard, certify to the standard.

Want to Learn More?

There are dozens of additional IPC standards, far too many to cover here. But if you’re interested, you can explore the full list to learn more about each certification and what it covers.

Are You Certified in J-STD-001 or IPC-610?

FlexTrades is always looking for experienced technicians with IPC certifications. If you’ve got the credentials, join our Talent Network and get connected with projects that match your skills.

Got a Question We Haven’t Covered Yet?

We want to hear it. Send your questions to writingteam@flextrades.com and we just might answer it in a future blog post.