12 Steps to Manufacture an LED Display Screen

Around 80% of the global population has a smartphone. More than a billion households around the world have a display screen. The popularity of display screens is visible from the number of screens. Take a walk in one of the modern cities of the world. You will see thousands of display screens on the roadsides, buildings, offices, etc.

Have you ever thought about how manufacturers develop these display screens? What exactly is the manufacturing process of the LED display? Well, if you want to know, this post is for you. In this post, we will discuss the steps in a sequence of the manufacturing process. But first, let me explain quickly what the LED display is.

What is an LED display screen?

It is a display screen technology that utilizes LEDs as a light source. These display screens work on the principle of diode light emission. It controls the driver with the help of a controller. Thus, the LEDs release light based on images and videos. The LED display screen has the following characteristics:

High photoelectric conversion efficiency

Low driving voltage – 5V

Easy compatibility with computer interface

Long service life

Manufacturing of the LED display screen:

The manufacturing process of LED display screens consists of many steps. We will discuss these manufacturing steps in detail one by one.

A client orders an LED display. First, the manufacturing team studies the needs of the clients. And then, they estimate the cost of production of the display. But before starting production, the company needs some insurance. No one will manufacture a product without getting some advance payment. There is a term called “Proforma invoice.” It is an estimated bill sent to the client before supplying the product. Next, the company needs confirmation to start making the display. This confirmation is through the proforma invoice by some initial payment.

The experts at the company study the needs of the clients. For example, for what purpose are they buying the LED display? What should be the dimensions of the display screen? First, the experts go through the technical concepts of the order. Then, we create a structural design of the display screen.

After this, the manufacturing process of LED displays starts.

LED lamp baking:

You must be wondering what the LED lamp is. The lamp or light bulb emits light using light-emitting diodes. Now, the first step is the baking of LED lamps. In this process, there is the heating of electronic components. This process ensures that there is no moisture left. This moisture can be due to prolonged or improper storage.

We all know how dangerous moisture or water can be for electronic devices. If we do not bake the lamps, there will be many dead lights. In addition, it will damage the proper functioning of LED display screens. Thus, the baking of lamps ensures that such hazards do not happen. We perform this baking before any use.

PCB SMT:

The term “PCB” stands for “Printed Circuit Board.” The LED PCB has diodes mounted on it. For mounting, we generally use the technique SMT. It stands for “Surface Mounting Technique.” It has another name, “Planar Mounting.” Through the use of this technique, we mount the electronic components on the surface of the PCB.

In an LED display, there is a driver IC. Its function is to receive the data. And then, it produces the current and PWM. The driver ICs and components are surface-mount devices. It is because we mount them on PCB. This process includes the following steps:

First, brush the solder paste.

Then, paste the IC, resistors, capacitors, power, and signal sockets.

Reinforce them in reflow soldering. It is the process in which we use solder paste to fix electric components on contact pads.

LED SMT:

We brush the LED bead surface patch with solder paste.

After this, we patch it on the SMT machine.

Then, we perform the reflow soldering process.

Lighting Test:

It is a functional test that verifies whether the components work properly. It is the first lighting test. If the test shows that there is a problem, we remove the problem. After the test shows no problem, we proceed to the next step.

Use of three-proof paint:

Let me first explain three-proof paint. It is a unique paint used to coat the circuit board’s surface. It creates three-proof protective layers. The term “Three-proof” means that it is:

Moisture-proof

Salt-spray proof

Mildew proof

Moreover, it has excellent resistance to low and high temperatures. It builds a transparent protective film. We perform this three-proof paint process to achieve the following protective features:

Insulation

Anti-leakage

Moisture-proof

Shockproof

Dustproof

Anti-corrosion

Anti-aging

Corona resistance

Securing the bottom case:

After the three-proof paint, we attach the bottom case with the PCB. For this, we use screws.

Gluing:

This step is essential for outdoor LED modules only. We pour the glue on the surface of the outdoor LED display. It makes the display screen waterproof. It is necessary because such screens have to undergo extreme weather conditions. During rain or thunderstorms, water can get into the display screen. It can cause a short circuit and damage the screen. Thus, it is critical to glue the surface of outdoor screens.

And we would put the LED modules on the horizontal shelf to dry themselves.

Attachment of mask:

After the gluing step, there is the attachment of the mask. Then, finally, we link the mask cover with the help of screws.

Aging of LED Module:

LED module is a device that has a chain of LED emitting diodes. And we perform its aging on the aging rack. This step takes 6 to 12 hours. It ensures that there is no fault in the module. After we complete the test, we proceed to the further step.

Assembly:

Before this step, we have the module created. After this, we put together the module, power supply, receiving card, and cabinet. The LED cabinet is the screen frame or modular unit on which we assemble the display screen. The receiving card receives the data and sends it to each LED chip.

Whole LED screen aging:

After the assembly, the next step is to set up the entire display screen for an aging test. Generally, this step lasts at least 24 hours. During the aging, the LED screen would show in all white continually for half an hour at least. Then it would change to all red, green, blue, and other colors. Besides, we would insert some photos and videos during this process.

Packaging:

After the LED display goes through all the tests smoothly, we pack and deliver it. For packaging, we have a high-resistance package. We use plywood cases to pack LED screens with fixed installation. And for rental event LED screens, we use flight cases. It ensures the protection of the display screen during transportation.

Sunny Wong

Hello. I am Sunny Wong, the author of this post.

I entered the LED screen industry in 2008 and have always been in this field.

The purpose of this article is to share with you the knowledge related to LED screens from a Chinese supplier’s perspective.

If you want to distribute or explore your local LED screen market, please ask me any questions.