If you are designing a product and need to produce a prototype printed circuit board (PCB), you can either manufacture the prototype yourself or outsource it to a supplier who specializes in assembling the prototype PCB. But producing a prototype PCB yourself would require an internal PCB manufacturing and PCB assembly facility, which would not be profitable if you only needed prototype PCBs, which are very small productions. It is commercially wise to outsource a vendor specializing in the manufacture of PCB prototypes. Here are the main guidelines for selecting a vendor to outsource the production of PCB prototypes:
Online Quote convenience
Providers who have an online quote system can save you time. The online quote system should be easy to use. The system should allow you to enter important details on PCB design requirements, such as thickness, material type, and production specifications. The ultimate goal of the online rating system should cost control. You will not want to know more about the surcharges after the start of production of the PCB prototype.
Reduce your costs
It is generally cheaper to manufacture a large quantity of PCBs than a small quantity. However, PCB prototypes are generally produced in small quantities as the circuit design is still under development. A specialized PCB assembly supplier knows how to keep its costs low because it can minimize assembly costs and distribute the production cost by distributing the production work among several customers to maintain the total manufacturing cost. Very small PCB small.
Delivery time
When choosing a vendor to outsource your PCB set to make sure you understand the factors that influence the delivery time. If your PCB design consists of materials or dimensions (thicknesses) that are not common, the supplier will need a longer delivery time as there will be fewer customers with the same requirements, so the supplier will take more time to plan the installation The production line. An online quote system will vary the price of the quote based on the desired delivery time.
File formats and design services
The file formats you use for your electronic circuit designs are relevant when selecting a supplier of the printed circuit board assembly. Most providers use the Gerber format, so if you are using other file formats, make sure the provider can work with these other types of formats. This is why a PCB assembly company that offers design services, in addition to contract manufacturing services, is the ideal option because the company has technical resources and internal knowledge to deal with any problem that may arise in the pre-assembly process
Types of packaging
Carefully observe the type of packaging that the manufacturer of the printed circuit board can accept for production. Quality providers will list this vital information on their website. Not all companies can accept special ball grid ladder (BGA) or chip ladder packages. By contacting the PCB manufacturer’s technical support team to verify their ability to assemble their PCB prototypes, you can avoid problems before production begins.
These are the top six factors that a circuit board designer should take into account when outsourcing their designs to a PCB assembly vendor to produce PCB prototypes.
