Ideas For Subcontracting PCB Assembly And Small Volume Prototype Making

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Buying expensive production equipment isn't feasible if you simply wish to run the PCB assembly of several prototypes. Instead you probably wish to subcontract the prototype assembly to a reliable contract producer. I will show you what to look out for when choosing a supplier. I will also give some pointers on which services modern vendors offer.

Often you will find a quotation system on contract manufacturer websites. Using this system, you can get an instant quotation for your board or assembly. This will help you save time when comparing several manufacturers. This quote system should let you to enter all of the board data. Such details include board thickness, material and any special manufacturing requirements such as milling. This will help you avoid any surprises in case of surcharges for particular manufacturing requirements.

If you produce a low volume of boards, the cost customarily will be higher per board than the cost when manufacturing a higher quantity. This is due to the board production and assembly setup expense which is typically fixed. A number of vendors which specialize in smaller-quantity prototype manufacture will use a system where boards from several clients are combined. This enables the setup process to be done once for a number of orders which will help lower the expense per board. For medium volume, utilizing a normal production process is more cost effective though. When you are still in the design phase of your product, you do not wish to spin a large quantity of boards initially. As soon as you refine your design you may slowly wish to raise the board quantity.

One limitation with small-quantity prototypes still is that the choice of materials and material thicknesses will be restricted. If you are using a particular material then chances are there won’t be any other customers using the same material. Furthermore, lead time plays a big role in deciding cost. A longer lead time allows the manufacturer more freedom in slotting your production. You should notice that the quotation will vary depending on the lead time when you enter your information in the instant quote section.

Be positive that you can deliver the file formats that your supplier needs. The most common format is the Gerber format for PCB production. A number of companies will also be capable to read design software-specific file formats. A number of manufacturers also offer in-house PCB design. Even if you design your board yourself, choosing a supplier with design services may prove valuable in case there is a problem with your files. In this case your vendor can make quick modifications which will eliminate costly delays.

When subcontracting PCB assembly, ensure that your vendor can mount all of the package types that your board uses. Some vendors can't mount certain type of IC packages such as BGA, chip-scale packages or very small component types. It is best to contact your vendor ahead of time to avoid problems down the road.

If you wish to simplify the ordering of board components, you can choose a supplier which maintains inventory of standard parts. That way you only have to consign special types of components. When using your vendor's stock, you have to make certain you point out which components you are consigning. You can generally specify this in your bill of materials. The BOM which you upload to your vendor's website must include this data.

Your vendor can usually also manufacture the SMT stencil which is required for SMT board assembly. Manufacture of the stencil requires some time. So make sure to purchase the stencil immediately when buying your boards to minimize the PCB assembly time.

To make certain that your circuit boards will work, be certain that your vendor is quality certified and offers the tests and board inspection methods that are required. Please note, though, that certain tests, such as ICT testing requires additional time and cost to prepare suitable test fixtures.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Brian Fuller has been involved with circuit board assembly and other electronic devices for over 10 years. You can get further information about pcb circuit board by clicking at this link.

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