7 Considerations When Choosing Your PCB Fabrication and Assembly Services

How Soon Do I Need My Boards or Speed?

Check for a positive review. It helps to see whether the manufacturer delivers the PCB before the due date. Take into account the time taken to complete the entire fabrication process.

Add up the time taken for assembly, testing, and delivery. The last is the time taken to obtain the total time taken for the process.

In this scenario, the manufacturer performs only a PCB fabrication process.

How Much Am I Willing to Pay for My Boards?

There are three types of contract manufacturers:

1. PCB Fabrication Process.

2. PCB Fabrication cum Assembly Process.

3. PCB Turnkey Manufacturing.

Among the three, the PCB fabrication-only process is the cheapest option available. It is the first stage of the unfinished PCB manufacturing process. The remaining tasks include completing the assembly.

Also, consider the costs of construction, procurement, and managing the components. Even for an error-free functioning PCB, it would be best to consider the associated costs. 

In totality, it is up to you to select the required service for your PCB business. If you have a unit set for assembly with the required resources, opt for PCB Fabrication. It’s just the right thing to do. 

What Level of Quality Am I Looking for?

Know when you will get manufactured boards. Domains requiring very high levels of accuracy and precision have other requirements. They need to meet satisfied IPC (Institute of Printed Circuits) standards.

A turnkey manufacturer must ensure and verify the quality of the products before shipments.

How do Fabrication Manufacturers ensure quality?

It is essential to ask the contract manufacturer questions. Asking questions facilitates a clear understanding of excellent, high-quality work. Here are some questions that you can ask the manufacturer.

• What are the testing systems in your facility?

The test system sometimes determines whether your PCB quality passes, which is very important. There are many testing methods, such as ray tests, software tests, etc. You can ask your supplier what test method is used, which will ensure product quality.

• What are the quality control methods used in your manufacturing unit?

Each PCB supplier has a different quality control process. To ensure the completeness of PCB production, you can consult the supplier for this process.

• Is your quality control system in compliance with ISO 9001?

• Do the fabricated boards meet IPC Class 1, 2, and 3 standards?

The electronics manufacturing industry uses the IPC standard. IPC-A-610 [3], Acceptability of Electronic Components, is used by OEMs and EMS companies worldwide.

More than 3,600 trainers worldwide are certified to train and test to standards.

Industry volunteer committees develop standards. Task forces have been established in China, the United States, and Denmark.

What Your Fabrication Manufacturer Can Do For You?

Let’s look at some things you might want to know.

• Does the CM base the entire Fabrication Process strictly on the DFM? If so, inform them about the preferred PCB design software– to avoid hassles.

The DFM (Design for Manufacturing) represents the design sent for manufacture in engineering. PCB designs are often made in PCB Design software such as Altium Designer, OrCAD, Pads, KiCad, and Eagle.

After you approve a plan, the manufacturer exports it. They send it in standard format for the manufacturers – such as the extended Gerber (also known as IX274X).

• Does the CM provide a review in the DFM? Most Contract Manufacturers have engineers specializing in the design segment. Good PCB manufacturers often give a review of the design. They do this before sending the design into production. It helps in providing unnecessary discrepancies.
• When and how do they provide the estimated quote and BOM (Bill of Materials)? The estimated quote and BOM takes the production cost and shipping into account.
• Are the components sourced from respectable suppliers in the industry? High-quality components make better products, and this is of paramount importance in the PCB fabrication process. PCBs are used in a wide variety of domains, some of which may require higher performance than others.
• What are the programming options available?

Does the manufacturer perform assembly tests and conformal coating? Several processes can be used to check the quality of the finished workpiece.

Depending upon the amount of work done, the methods may vary. So does the number of steps involved. The entire Quality Control Test comprises of:

• Component Inspection
• Verification of component Values
• Optical Inspection (Automated is preferable)
• X-Ray Inspection
• Ionic contamination Test
• Checking after Assembly set-up.
• Flying Probes.

How about their Flexibility and Responsiveness?

Flexibility refers to the readiness to adapt in case of a change in design. Where the support section comes into play, it can become an integral part of the entire. You can ask the contract manufacturer upfront about the level of support. It varies widely in the PCB Fabrication Service industry. To determine the level of responsiveness from the manufacturer, ask them:

• Do you have a support team to answer my questions?
• What is the level of expertise your support staff has? Can they answer the technical questions?
• If you see DFM errors in my designs, what level of help can I expect from you?
• What is the usual response/turnaround time if I have a question?
• Who would be my specific person of contact?

What is the field of expertise of your contract manufacturer?

The entire PCB fabrication industry needs to build high precision and accuracy. Your contract manufacturer cannot compromise on this.

An expert contract manufacturer should be able to deliver functional, quality PCBs. They must also be able to handle the capacity of your requirements and provide them in a timely manner.

Communication is the key to any business, and it is the same here too. As a client, you have the right to know the real-time state of your commissioned work order. Real-time communication is an essential deciding factor.

The contract manufacturer should also have a professional technical team. Tasks like PCB Fabrication and Assembly are technically demanding, so the manufacturer needs a specialized group of engineers who specialize in PCB design and manufacturing.

Conclusion

Deciding which of the three PCB fabrication methods is suitable for you is essential. Then, implementing the rest of the workflow is easy.

You will need to select the right contract manufacturer for PCB Fabrication Services and procure the right components according to reputed industry standards.

After receiving the shipment of the unfinished product, you need a checkup of the product. You’ll also need to perform a checkup after the assembly is complete.

After ensuring the work meets the required quality level, you’ll be ready to ship your product.