Pointers For Outsourcing Pcb Assembly And Prototype Making

Purchasing high-priced production equipment isn't viable if you merely want to run the PCB assembly of a couple of prototypes

. As an alternative you most likely wish to subcontract the prototype assembly to a reliable contract manufacturer. I will give some advice as to what to watch out for when searching for a contract manufacturer.

Often you will find a quote system on contract manufacturer websites. Utilizing this system, you can get an immediate quote for your board or assembly. This will help you save time when evaluating different vendors. This quote system should allow you to enter all of the board information. Such data include board thickness, material and any particular manufacturing requirements like milling. This will help you avoid any surprises in case of surcharges for particular manufacturing requirements.

If you produce a low quantity of boards, the cost usually will be higher per board than the cost when making a higher quantity. This is a result of the board manufacture and assembly setup expense which is generally fixed. A number of manufacturers which specialize in smaller-quantity prototype production will use a system where boards from several clients are combined. This allows the setup process to be done once for a number of orders which will help lower the expense per board. For medium quantity, utilizing a normal fabrication process is more cost effective however. When you are still in the design phase of your product, you do not want to spin a high number of boards at first. Once you refine your design you may gradually want to raise the board volume.

If you are manufacturing a prototype board then vendors will usually only offer particular types of standard materials and thicknesses since they are trying to combine production of your boards with other customer boards. The production cost will usually decrease with a longer lead time which will give the vendor more flexibility in scheduling the production. You should find that the quotation will vary depending on the lead time when you input your information in the instant quote section.

Be sure that your contract manufacturer will support the file format for manufacture that you provide. The most common format for PCB manufacture is the Gerber format but some vendors will also accept board files from common PCB software products. Several manufacturers also offer in-house PCB design. Even if you design your board yourself, picking a vendor with design services may prove practical in case there is a problem with your files. In this situation your supplier can make fast changes which will eliminate expensive delays.

When outsourcing PCB assembly, make sure that your supplier can mount all of the package types that your board uses. Some manufacturers cannot mount particular type of IC packages such as BGA, chip-scale packages or very small component types. If in doubt be sure to get in touch with your vendor ahead of time.

If you wish to simplify the purchasing of board components, you can select a vendor which carries inventory of standard parts. That way you only have to consign special types of components. Ensure to state which components you want to consign yourself when you upload your bill of materials.

Most vendors will also offer manufacture of the SMT stencil which is needed for PCB assembly. Ensure to buy the stencil immediately when buying the circuit boards themselves to eliminate delays.

To ensure that your circuit boards will work, make certain that your supplier is quality certified and offers the tests and board inspection methods that are needed. Please note, though, that particular tests, such as ICT testing requires additional time and expense to prepare appropriate test fixtures.

by: audiogadgets

POST COMMENT

IT Outsourcing Company- Brings in the India Advantage Outsourcing Payroll How to Tell if You Need Payroll Outsourcing Why Should Smes Outsource Their Hr? Aarkstore Enterprise -2009 Top Accounts Payable Outsourcing Vendors, Black Book Survey-aarkstore Ent Top 5 Reasons for Outsourcing Call Center Projects to India Aarkstore Enterprise - Black Book Survey : 2009 Top Recruitment Process Outsourcing Vendors-aarkstor Aarkstore Enterprise -2009 Top Knowledge Process Outsourcing (kpo) Vendors-aarkstore Enterprise Mark It Outsourcing: Facing The Challenges O Is For Outsourcing Human Resource Outsourcing provides cost reducing solutions Why Outsource IT? The Financial Benefits Of Outsourcing