It usually does not make sense to invest in pricey production equipment if you just want to spin a couple of prototypes and alternatively outsource your PCB assembly and prototype manufacturing to a dependable vendor. I will give some suggestions as to what to watch out for when searching for a contract manufacturer.
Numerous contract producers will offer an instant quote mechanism on their web page for manufacture of circuit boards and assembly of prototypes. This will save you time when comparing distinct vendors. Make certain that the quote technique enables you to enter all of the particulars, such as board material, thickness, copper thickness, milling and so forth. so that you can get an accurate quote with out any surprises later on.
Ordinarily 94v-0 per board will decrease as quantity increases. This is due to the fairly higher setup cost of circuit board manufacturing and element assembly. Some vendors will use a method exactly where they combine boards from quite a few buyers. This way the setup cost will be distributed amongst numerous buyers. When you manufacture a product, you definitely do not want to have to manufacture a significant quantity of boards right away when you refine your design.
One limitation with smaller-quantity prototypes although is that the choice of supplies and material thicknesses will be restricted. If you are using a specific material then chances are there will not be any other shoppers using the exact same material. In addition, lead time plays a large role in determining expense. A longer lead time allows the manufacturer far more freedom in slotting your production. This is normally reflected in lower expenses which you will see in the quote section. Clearly if you are in a rush and want to be moved to the best of the pile you will need to have to invest more money.
Make sure that your contract manufacturer will support the file format for manufacture that you provide. The most popular format for PCB manufacture is the Gerber format but some vendors will also accept board files from typical PCB application items. Some suppliers also offer you in-house PCB design. Even if you design and style your board oneself, choosing a vendor with design solutions may prove valuable in case there is a challenge with your files. In this case your vendor can make rapid changes which will stay clear of costly delays.
When subcontracting PCB assembly, ensure that your vendor can assemble all of the package sorts that your board utilizes. Some vendors cannot assemble particular kind of IC packages such as BGA, chip-scale packages or quite smaller component types. If in doubt be sure to get in touch with your vendor ahead of time.
Some contract manufacturers will carry an inventory of typical SMT and by way of-hole components. You will save time if you can pull from your vendor’s inventory rather than buying each element your self. Make sure to specify which components you want to consign yourself when you upload your bill of materials.
Most vendors will also offer you manufacture of the SMT stencil which is essential for PCB assembly. Be sure to order the stencil appropriate away when ordering the circuit boards themselves to keep away from delays.
To guarantee that your circuit boards will perform, be confident that your vendor is excellent certified and offers the tests and board inspection solutions that are essential. Please note, however, that certain tests, such as ICT testing demands added time and expense to prepare appropriate test fixtures.