Friday 23 August 2013

Choosing The Right Custom PCB Manufacturer

By Andrea Davidson


It does not make any sense to invest in costly production equipment if you only want to spin a few prototypes. Instead, you can outsource custom PCB manufacturer who can be your reliable vendor. This could be achieved only if you conduct a small research regarding the same.

This is so since orders are filled promptly and no backlog occurs. In such cases it might end up causing delays and lost business due to late shipments of circuit boards. Cost is another key consideration. All of these factors together can help a business find the right designer for its supply chain. The following are just a few points to contemplate on while searching for a good firm to help you out.

One of the points that is important to check on when selecting a printed circuit board manufacturer is if they have an affiliate network that they can access so they can source bare circuit board requirements. This and the main company turnaround time will be critical to your own business being able to meet deadlines. A good rule of thumb is to look for PCB manufacturers that can promise a 3-4 week turnaround on an order ideally, regardless of size.

Another factor to take into consideration when choosing a good firm is if they can handle prototyping. This service can be important if one just needs a prototype run. It can also help a business decide if that particular PCB manufacturer is one that would be good to work with over the long term. Some firms that are good at prototyping can get prototypes done in 7-10 days.

Typically, this is reflected in the lower costs that will be able to see in the quote section. So if you are in a rush and desire to be moved to the pile, you have to be spending more money. Another thing you have to remember is you have to ensure the contract designer can support the file formal for the manufacture you are providing.

It can be a daunting task to find just the right PCB assembly company, but a bit of investigation into several facilities can yield not only cost savings but possibly a partner one can work with over the long term. It is quite important to find a manufacturer that has a solid track record. Try to find companies that have at least a decade or more of printed circuit board assembly experience.

Companies with a history such as this can provide surface mount, through-hole, and mixed technology, leaded and lead-free manufacturing, and consignment and turnkey capabilities. They also can usually offer fast quotes and take care of a full production run within 4 weeks.

A typical good custom pcb manufacturer should have an inventory of typical SMT as well as through-hole components. One can save a lot of time if you pull from the inventory of the vendor instead of buying every component yourself. It is important to specify the components that you want to consign yourself when uploading your bill of materials.




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