Definition
Bare Board is an unassembled printed circuit board that has no components, wires or solder. It consists of copper features, drilled holes, laminate and surface finish.
How It Works
Fabricators produce bare boards to the design file specifications and subject them to dimensional checks, solder mask inspection, surface finish assessment and electrical tests for opens and shorts. Microsections are used to verify copper plating and interconnect quality.
Practical Example
An assembly house receives a batch of ENIG finished bare boards. Inspection identifies mask misregistration on several panels, which are rejected before component placement, preventing costly downstream rework.
Context & Relevance
Bare board inspection is critical to ensuring that PCBs entering assembly meet IPC acceptance standards and will perform reliably once populated.
Commercial Tie-In
At Rework, we deliver hands-on training and IPC certification that helps teams understand and manage Bare Board. Our on-site and virtual courses are designed to improve skills, prevent defects and support reliable electronics assembly.
