Picture yourself in a scenario where you are receiving multiple complaints due to defective PCBs. You then arrange shipment of the defective parts and facilitate endless meetings to analyze, contain, correct, and prevent the issue. If done right in the beginning of PCB fabrication, these time-consuming and expensive fixes could have been avoided.
There are various issues in the finished products that are being pinned down to the gaps and weaknesses in PCB fabrication. With the advent of automation where low-cost mass production products are being offered, PCB fabrication manufacturers in China have also grown in numbers that you will most likely start with a long list of potential suppliers. Choosing a reliable PCB supplier is a key step in your decision-making process. We will itemize the significant factors that you need to weigh and evaluate to single out the best PCB supplier for your project.
PCB Quality
Cost
Delivery and Leadtimes
Technical Know-How and Capability
Customer Service
PCB Quality
You will hear Quality as the most-used marketing pitch among suppliers and we cannot overemphasize more. Quality is defined based on compliance to certain international standards. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is a broadly known certifying body that validates and tests the safety and reliability of PCBs. UL has several test methods that vary according to end-user hazard such as electrical shock, flammability, and mechanical strength. This certification ensures that components are compliant with requirements. So we should also find a PCB fabrication manufacturer with a UL certificate.
IPC is also an association that have set of standards for electronics industry suppliers. They have set out standards in PCB design, assembly, inspection, and testing. Adhering to the IPC standards means that the supplier has control over quality. The widely used IPC standards for PCB fabrication are IPC-A-600 and IPC-A-610.
Another standard that is globally recognized is ISO certification. If you are looking for a PCB supplier that has stringent quality management systems and policies, ISO certification is a must-have. If you are eyeing for the best PCB supplier, these certifications from their external auditors must be evident. Aside from external auditing being done in regular frequency, the supplier must also have a system to internally audit their assembly facility. These types of audits must be openly discussed to you with the findings, root cause and corrective actions that are to be implemented. ISO certification is important to ensure that a PCB fabrication manufacturer will follow a quality management system in their PCB board fabrication. And besides, ISO is qualified management system for medical PCB fabrication.
A quality PCB also means that the product has undergone a series of quality inspections prior to shipment of the PCB. You can start to assess the PCB fabrication manufacturer by asking them to respond to a self-assessment checklist. The checklist should ask the type of inspection methods and testing that they are implementing to ensure only good parts are shipped to their customer. Only the qualified operators and inspectors should be placed on each process during fabrication. Souring teams must jointly assess the production line together with a technical expert and engineer.
Cost
The PCB needs not only to be working based on its intended performance, but it also needs to be price competitive. As there are increasing options for PCB fabrication manufacturers in china, you must consider the one with reasonable quotation that fits right into your allocated budget. Cost is a metric that can quickly be compared among suppliers. This sourcing phase is called Request for Quotation or RFQ wherein the scope of the pricing is put into details such as minimum order quantity, board specifications, quality requirements, delivery lead-time and validity period of the quote. The review of suppliers&#; costing is very crucial and must be put into well-stated and airtight contract to avoid misunderstanding and re-costing in the future. Depending on your business strategy, cost is often the first-to-second consideration in shortlisting a supplier list.
Delivery and Lead-times
A PCB fabrication manufacturer that is resilient against changing customer demands has greater advantage. Being able to deliver on time speaks volumes about a company&#;s assembly facility, logistics system and resource utilization. Know the suppliers&#; average lead-time and expedite rules to ensure that your expectations are met. Logically, transportation and logistics will be more complex if the PCB supplier has farther proximity from your location. There will be higher chances of delay in the shipment. You must also probe the supplier&#;s relationships with shipping services and logistics providers in your area. To have an easy communication, check if the fabricator has local support that can monitor shipment and has the means to expedite if necessary. The fabricator should also have contingency plans to mitigate and address potential supply chain or logistic issues.
Technical Know-How and Capability
With the recent advancements in electronic assemblies, PCB designs have become smaller, denser, and more complex. The right PCB supplier is the one equipped with technical capability and sufficient expertise in executing and interpreting your design requirements. During the beginning phase, you can ask the supplier to accomplish a capability matric for you to have an immediate assessment and comparison among fabricators. The technical information may include minimum conductor width, via width and spacing, lead pitching, tolerances and process flow. You can also take a hint during prototyping services and engineering about the PCB design and manufacturability.
If not done right, redesign of PCB layouts implies reprogramming of component placement machines and revision of production instructions. The best supplier is not the one that always accept and agree with your requirements but also the one that foresees potential issues and risks. As there are specific design rules in every assembly house, design and manufacturing engineers should work collaboratively to understand the technical details.
Customer Service
Customer support should be consistent throughout the lifecycle of the product. The responsiveness of a PCB supplier can either be technical or non-technical and must be carefully assessed to avoid headaches prior, during and after production. As there are unavoidable situations where you need to communicate product issues, requests and improvements, the PCB board fabrication supplier must be able to respond to your requirements actively and effectively. The supplier should also be transparent and open to site audits to help you verify their quality systems and capability. These attributes of the supplier&#;s responsiveness give you higher confidence and better reference on the performance of various potential suppliers.
A Short Summary
There are many decision-making tools and methods that you can employ to determine the best supplier for your PCB project. One popular technique is by listing down all the factors that contribute to your objective and putting weight to each factor. The total score can be obtained by summing the individual score for each essential factor. The factors that we listed are the most critical considerations and must be scrutinized elaborately to ensure you have a logical and practical conclusion when choosing a PCB fabrication manufacturer. Another step to consider in your supplier analysis and selection is through actual plant visits. You can verify on-site the manufacturer&#;s quality management systems, capability, and line controls rather than just having a supplier fill out a written checklist.
Printed circuit boards prove pivotal to the functioning of any electronic device. It can include your digital watch, smartphone, or large and complex industrial electronic devices. A PCB helps a device&#;s components communicate through electronic and electrical signals to serve their intended purpose. But regardless of the type of device, information on the type, make, and functionality of a PCB becomes instrumental in informing your purchasing choices. Otherwise, you can end up buying the wrong printed circuit board.
Are you an electronics enthusiast interested in buying PCB elements? Well, you might think that you have it figured out until you get to the market. But, unfortunately, PCBs can confuse you, especially when it comes to the right fit for your intended function. Therefore, the best buy PCB needs to have the crucial components and prove equally suitable to the intended device&#;s purpose. So what goes into shopping for a suitable printed circuit board?
Sometimes, the best way to shop for a PCB entails first understanding the type of PCB you want before shopping. Different types of PCBs exist, and each has its advantages when it comes to usage. For instance, an Eagle PCB can prove markedly from a Breadboard PCB. Secondly, you need to know the best place to get such a printed circuit board. Plenty of organizations produce PCBs with fluctuating quality, customization options, and prices. Therefore, you have to understand the available options, pricing, and other aftersales activities to get the best buying PCB experience. Finally, you have to understand the avenues available to you regarding the PCB ordering process. Companies differ in their approaches as some prefer you to order PCB online while others have alternative in-person arrangements.
The bottom line for all this entails knowing all the available PBCs and what type suits your intended application the best before buying.
Additionally, can the company produce your customized PCB design? The company you opt to procure a PCB from should have the capacity to customize the unique features you want to incorporate into your printed circuit board.
Once you figure out what kind of printed circuit board you want and consider earlier stipulated, it becomes instrumental in placing an order of the PCB from your preferred PCB Company. But, before you order, try and gauge whether the manufacturing company you have settled on only produces standard sizes or short runs as well. It will assist you in buying an inexpensive set without any need to pay upfront for a large custom PCB batch, especially when you only want a single or two pieces.
Steps.
Additionally, note that you will have to set your project dimensions based on the customary sized board the company offers, as you will likely get these from your order. Otherwise, the manufacturer may decline to build your PCB at the specified price.
An excellent benefit of using such design software entails the standardization of the output files into the Gerber format. It is a file format that gets used for plotters when the actual track-printing occurs on the board. Therefore, any tool you choose to deploy needs to have the export option that will allow you to export your design in the Gerber format.
PCBs have a diverse range of reliability, complexity, price, and quality points. However, the typical circuit board can cost as low as fifty cents to about three hundred dollars based on your requirements. But the cost of PCB gets influenced by many factors, including the following.
Printed circuit boards (PCBs) provide the foundation for almost every electronic device. But what factors determine the cost of procuring custom PCBs?
This comprehensive guide examines the key considerations impacting PCB pricing including design complexity, board materials, manufacturing volumes, lead times, testing requirements, and more.
By understanding the drivers of PCB costs, electrical engineers can budget appropriately and make informed design tradeoffs. We&#;ll provide example quotes across hobbyist, prototype, and production scenarios to illustrate how widely prices can vary depending on application requirements.
Let&#;s dive in to understand what makes some PCBs cheap while others become quite costly!
Below are some of the main factors that influence the pricing when sourcing custom PCB manufacturing:
Manufacturing Volume &#; Small prototyping quantities cost much more per board than high-volume production runs.
Board Size &#; Larger boards require more materials and cost more than smaller boards.
Layer Count &#; Base 2-layer boards are cheaper; each additional layer adds expense.
Board Thickness &#; Thinner PCBs use less material than thicker boards.
Board Shape &#; Rectangular boards are most cost effective. Irregular board outlines increase cost.
Materials &#; FR-4 glass epoxy is standard. Higher performance materials cost more.
Trace/Space &#; Tighter trace spacing and thinner traces increase fabrication difficulty and price.
Finishes &#; Immersion silver or gold cost more than standard HASL, OSP or ENIG.
Coatings &#; Conformal coatings add additional process steps and cost.
Hole Sizes/Counts &#; Many small holes and vias increase drilling time and tooling complexity versus fewer large holes.
Tolerances &#; Tighter fabrication and assembly tolerances require more attention and expense to fulfill.
Testing &#; Electrical testing, AOI inspection, x-rays, and other testing add cost but reduce escapes.
Lead Time &#; Faster turnaround requirements may command a premium to expedite the order.
Order Quantity &#; Due to setup costs, ordering many small panels costs more than fewer large panel batches.
Location &#; Local vs. overseas manufacturing involves tradeoffs of cost, lead time, communication, quality, and IP risk.
We&#;ll now explore how these factors contribute to overall board fabrication and assembly pricing across various use cases.
To better understand how the dependencies above impact cost, let&#;s look at PCB price examples for hobbyist, prototype, mid-volume, and high-volume production scenarios:
For hobby designers making boards at home in very low quantities, costs may be as little as $5-$10 per board in single unit batches.
Key characteristics:
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At these vendors, customers upload Gerber design files which get panelized and batch processed together to amortize setup costs. The turnaround time is typically 1-2 weeks.
For hobbyists, attributes like lead time, minimum order quantity, and convenience often take priority over lowest cost per board. But unit costs up to $10 are attainable.
For professional engineers making 10-100 quantity prototypes in a lab, prices typically range from $50-$300 per board.
Characteristics include:
In this range, full-service domestic or regional prototyping shops are best suited to provide quick-turn fabrication with testing and engineering support.
For bridge manufacturing runs from 100- boards, pricing averages $10-$50 per board.
Attributes include:
Chinese manufacturers offer cost advantages at this volume through high automation, purchasing scale, and labor efficiencies.
For mass production quantities above units, costs drop below $10 per board, sometimes below $1.
Characteristics:
At this scale, overseas assembly allows drastic cost reduction through extreme economies of scale and highly mature automation.
As shown by these examples, PCB cost varies tremendously based on the design requirements, order quantities, lead times, and quality needs of the application. Let&#;s now examine the cost structure further.
A PCB&#;s total price consists of a combination of direct fabrication costs, engineering support expenses, and profit margin for the manufacturer.
This includes the raw materials, labor, and equipment usage required to produce the boards:
More complex boards require more processing steps and expense.
Additional services wrapped into board pricing often include:
These value-added elements increase with order complexity.
On top of base costs, manufacturers typically apply a profit margin from 10-30%. More competitive pricing requires minimizing this margin.
By understanding the underlying cost structure, engineers can identify opportunities to reduce pricing through design modifications, vendor negotiation, or fabrication process improvements.
Several design-stage choices influence PCB pricing. Below are techniques designers can apply to minimize fabrication and assembly costs:
While these guidelines help reduce cost, performance and reliability should not be sacrificed solely to lower price. Like any engineering decision, design tradeoffs should aim to balance technical needs and cost impacts.
When budgeting for a new board project, how can accurate cost estimates be obtained? Here are some tips:
Leverage Experience
Use intuition from past boards of similar specifications to gauge initial expectations for pricing.
Request Quotes
Reach out to potential manufacturers with key project details to receive formal quotations.
Use Cost Calculators
Many fabricators provide web forms allowing input of basic project parameters to estimate price ranges. These help set expectations.
Seek Manufacturing Input
Engage potential vendors early in the design phase to get guidance around cost optimization opportunities.
Compare Multiple Vendors
Collect several quotes to benefit from competition and get a sense for pricing distributions.
Analyze Bill of Materials (BOM)
Review material, component, and processing line items making up cost structure.
While the lowest bid may be tempting, quality should not be sacrificed solely for lower cost. Vet manufacturing partners carefully based on technical capabilities.
Beyond base fabrication and assembly pricing, a few additional factors influence overall budgeting:
NRE Charges
Upfront non-recurring engineering fees are common to cover DFMs, testing development, stencils, etc. This adds cost prior to volume production.
IP Protection
For sensitive designs, steps like exclusively working with trusted domestic vendors, securing SBIR data rights, or even producing in-house may be warranted to protect intellectual property. These steps can increase costs.
Expediting Fees
Aggressive delivery demands requiring manufacturers to rearrange production planning often incur premium charges. Timelines should provide reasonable scheduling flexibility.
Component Supply
Long lead times and shortages of certain components adds delays and cost. Vet component availability/lead times upfront.
Shipping/Logistics
Budget for shipping costs, customs clearance, duties, and taxes when using overseas production. These expenses can accumulate.
While focusing first on base manufacturing pricing, engineers should incorporate these additional contributors into total project cost estimates as well.
This guide provided a comprehensive overview of the factors impacting PCB cost and how widely pricing can vary across hobbyist, prototype, medium volume, and high volume production use cases &#; from under $10 per board into the thousands.
Key takeaways include:
Of course, sourcing boards is about far more than just price &#; quality, reliability, scalability, and manufacturability ultimately provide the value proposition. By using the knowledge provided here, engineers can make informed design and sourcing decisions optimizing all these vital factors.
For prototypes making 10 PCBs, expect costs around $200-$500 per design. Making 50 units may reduce this to $100-$300 per board. Costs drop sharply above 100+ quantity.
Basic testing like in-circuit test and flying probe can add $500 per design. Full ICT plus automated optical inspection may add $2,000-$5,000 for programming, setup, and execution.
Using cheaper substrate materials, reducing layer counts, optimizing panel utilization, standardizing processes, eliminating unnecessary requirements, leveraging supplier relationships, and qualifying alternate component vendors are key tactics.
Rules of thumb for initial estimating: $10/in2 for 2 layers, add $3-$5/in2 per additional layer. Add $5K-$10K for initial DFM and NRE. Reduce cost by 30-40% above 1,000 boards. Confirm with quotes.
For small volumes, total markup approaching 100% including margin is common. At higher volumes above 1,000 boards, expect more competitive pricing with margin reduced to 30% or below.
Estimating PCB prototyping and production costs involves assessing numerous design, manufacturing, and fulfillment factors. But by leveraging the guidance provided in this guide, engineers can forecast expenses accurately throughout the development lifecycle. With greater visibility into PCB sourcing budgets, projects can achieve the best tradeoffs between capability, quality, reliability, and meeting critical time and cost targets.
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