Top Manufacturing Factors That Affect the Cost of Custom PCB Assembly
Every part of a PCB is specific and will be incomplete if all parts are not available. Each PCB that you can find is unique on its own. And the cost for such a custom PCB assembly services will vary depending on several factors.
The problem takes place when you incur additional costs than what you have expected. You might want to know a way through which you can get a good idea of what your custom PCB Assembly costs would remain. Let’s discover which factors affect the Custom PCB Assembly and how?
Manufacturing details – what affects the custom PCB Assembly costs?
Often the question is, “What manufacturing details affect the cost of Printed Circuit Board assemblies?”. And the answer lies below:
Unavailability of PCB Design
If your PCB design is not ready for assembly, then arises additional costs issues. Several factors for DFM or design for manufacturability changes and even analysis is essential when there is designing unavailability. All such matters may lead to a rise in its manufacturing costs.
Lack of documentation
What’s the main thing for custom PCB Assembly? It’s the data. Thus, if there is a lack of documentation or incomplete information, the manufacturer would incur several problems. Then, they will have to analyze everything again, which can take more time. More time will slow down the assembly process, which somehow affects its costs.
Once you are sure that design and documentation are proper, let’s move on to the other factors affecting the custom PCB Assemblies:
PCB Layers
Layers of the PCB are a crucial factor affecting the PCB cost. Sometimes, using fewer layers on your board could reduce manufacturing costs. However, it is also to be noted that using more layers would increase its functionality.
HDI Technology
HDI or High-density interconnect design matters a lot in the cost for custom PCB assembly services. Even though it makes a PCB better, try to avoid using it as long as the circuitry doesn’t need it. It is because HDI technology may increase your costs.
Controlled Impedance routing
There are specific layer stack-up necessities for a PCB that necessitates controlled impedance routing. If you don’t do it in advance, you would have to alter the PCB again, which will increase the costs once again.
Through Hole or SMT Assembly
You would notice that Surface Mount Technology is automated in most manufacturing facilities, reducing labor requirements. Thus, it helps in lowering your Custom PCB Assembly cost.
On the other hand, Through Hole technology is a traditional method and requires more labor, which increases manufacturing costs. Thus, using this method fewer might be a better idea.
Printed circuit board assemblies finishes
The finishing of the custom Printed circuit board assemblies might have a hand in affecting the manufacturing costs. Thus, you need to check how your PCB will be finished. For example- in terms of soldering, the lead-free process will be costlier and even affect other components.
Custom PCB Assembly requirements that increase its costs
The factors mentioned above, but there are several requirements for PCB assembly that increase its costs.
There will be several cases regarding the custom PCB Assembly. The PCB might meet your manufacturer’s standard board assembly flow or maybe not. It does, then everything is fine.
However, if not, then you would have to make alterations to the materials of your PCB. Making alterations will result in increased costs. Changes are essential since not all components can go through the assembly process.
There might be another issue if some of your PCB’s mechanical hardware may not be ready for assembly. It will increase your cost even if the contract manufacturers solve the problem.
Another requirement for Custom PCB assemblies that increase their cost is testability. Testing is crucial, and a manufacturer can help in finding an excellent way to do it.
What is the role of your PCB Contract manufacturing partner?
Apart from testing, there are several other factors through which a manufacturer can help you. As you know already, you need a properly functioning PCB to meet your ambitions, and a PCB manufacturer can help you with that.
They will review and analyze the PCB from an engineer’s perspective. They will check and even clean your bill of materials (BOM). What’s more, is that they will also help in the PCB testing.
Thus, whatever your requirements may be, a PCB manufacturer can help you with it. They can even tell you what components suitable and which ones are not.
As you can see above, several factors affect the cost of a Custom PCB assembly services. Even some of its requirements (that are unavoidable) may increase the costs of PCB assembly. Thus, you need to check all such factors and reduce all the expenses as per your requirements.
Technotronix offers professional Custom PCB Assembly with 40 years of expertise. Our accurate PCB assembly process meets the quality standards, including ISO 9001:2015, RoHS, and more. Our superior engineering capabilities mean that each board matches your exact requirements and technical specifications. In case if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us via email at sales@technotronix.us
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