It typically 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 trustworthy vendor. I will give some ideas as to what to watch out for when searching for a contract manufacturer.
Numerous contract makers will offer an instant quote mechanism on their web site for manufacture of circuit boards and assembly of prototypes. This will save you time when comparing different vendors. Make positive that the quote technique makes it possible for 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 no any surprises later on.
Typically the cost per board will reduce as quantity increases. This is due to the relatively high setup expense of circuit board manufacturing and element assembly. Some vendors will use a method exactly where they combine boards from a number of clients. This way the setup cost will be distributed amongst many shoppers. When you manufacture a solution, you certainly do not want to have to manufacture a massive quantity of boards appropriate away when you refine your design and style.
1 limitation with tiny-quantity prototypes although is that the selection of components and material thicknesses will be limited. If you are employing a special material then chances are there won’t be any other customers using the identical material. In addition, lead time plays a significant function in determining cost. A longer lead time enables the manufacturer much more freedom in slotting your production. This is usually reflected in lower expenses which you will see in the quote section. Certainly if you are in a rush and want to be moved to the leading of the pile you will have to have to devote more funds.
Make certain that your contract manufacturer will help the file format for manufacture that you provide. flexible printed circuit for PCB manufacture is the Gerber format but some vendors will also accept board files from popular PCB application items. Some suppliers also offer in-house PCB design. Even if you style your board yourself, picking a vendor with design and style services may prove valuable in case there is a issue with your files. In this case your vendor can make swift changes which will stay away from costly delays.
When subcontracting PCB assembly, assure that your vendor can assemble all of the package sorts that your board utilizes. Some vendors cannot assemble particular type of IC packages such as BGA, chip-scale packages or quite tiny component sorts. If in doubt be positive to speak to your vendor ahead of time.
Some contract companies will carry an inventory of common SMT and by way of-hole components. You will save time if you can pull from your vendor’s inventory rather than acquiring every single component your self. Make positive to specify which elements you want to consign your self when you upload your bill of materials.
Most vendors will also provide manufacture of the SMT stencil which is expected for PCB assembly. Be positive to order the stencil proper away when ordering the circuit boards themselves to prevent delays.