Top Manufacturing Factors That Affect the Cost of Custom PCB Assembly

By | Date posted: | Last updated: April 6, 2021
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 [email protected]

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Why and when you need to outsource electromechanical assemblies?

By | Date posted: | Last updated: February 16, 2023
electromechanical-assemblies

Electromechanical assemblies are increasingly becoming an integral part of major electronic products today. These are fairly complex assemblies comprising of circuit cards, custom cables and other electro-mechanical elements. For a product manufacturer, therefore, both capabilities as well as resources could undergo a severe strain in producing them. Manufacturers are therefore typically faced with a “build or buy” choice. The choices before you are clearly to either expend resources and competency mastering electromechanical assemblies or outsource it to people who have the necessary know-how and access to industry best practices to offer cutting-edge products.

One look at the numbers and it is clear that the scales tip in favor of outsourcing. The global market for electronic contract manufacturing is estimated to reach US$ 653.8 Billion by 2027 as per estimates by Strategy. Not without reason. There are many advantages of contract manufacturing PCB assembly. But here we are discussing outsourcing electromechanical assemblies, so its advantages are as follows:

Specialized Equipment

The first major advantage that contract manufacturers have is that of having state-of-the-art equipment. Whether it is wire cutting and crimping machine or a CNC mill, they invest in specialized equipment to build the assemblies. What they also have is rigorous testing protocols that ensure percentage of error is miniscule. For an OEM to invest in this kind of machinery and floor space for producing one component may not work out to be cost-effective at all.

It works far better for them to focus on their core competencies, and put that floor space to better use in creating the product that they produce, to increase their profitability.

Specialized Manpower

Once again, this is an area where contract manufacturers have an advantage. They recruit and train skilled manpower that specializes in Electronics Manufacturing Assembly Services. This kind of investment in manpower may not be worthwhile for an OEM.

Quality Processes

It is very important to having the quality checks in place when it comes to electro-mechanical assembly. This enables contract manufacturers to create assembly after assembly with the same level of precision. This ensures the OEM will receive products that are fully tested and it will ensure the efficacy of their final product. Typically, the kind of industry-best practices that a contract manufacturer has access to, is quite hard to replicate. With their existing relationships with suppliers, they also have the advantage of sourcing quality parts at the most cost-effective rates.

Additionally, with process certifications and training standards you can rest assured that what you will get is a high degree of reliability.

OEMs agree that it isn’t all that prudent to invest in people, expertise and equipment when you can get a good price as well as great turnaround times from a contract manufacturer. What it also saves them from is shouldering the additional in-house work.

The other reason why doing it in-house does not make sense is that contract manufacturers find it hard to scale up quickly. So, if the demand is for higher production volumes, it may be worth it, but, on the other hand, if the volume requirement is low, the investment in technology and manpower can be extremely hard to justify. A contract manufacturer however is fully equipped to handle full production runs as well as small quantities so contacting a contract manufacturer is a smart choice in both the cases.

Clearly then, outsourcing helps save both money and time that can be put to better use and expand your business portfolio further.

To sum up, what you get by outsourcing electro-mechanical assemblies are:

  • A reliable product
  • Cost-effective prices
  • Quick turnaround time

All of this goes into the efficacy of your final product and gives you a tangible advantage of quick time-to–market. In a hugely competitive marketplace, the time spent in acquiring talent and infrastructure can put you considerably behind. With the contract manufacturer having the pre-existing competency for your requirements, quick time-to-market can be possible.

With the negative connotations around the term “outsourcing” no longer there, OEMs see it is as a necessary option. All you need to do is to choose your electronics contract manufacturer with care. You need to partner with the one who is committed to quality standards as well as quick turnaround times. Having identified such a contract manufacturer, what you have is not just a vendor of a sub assembly but your success partner.

Technotronix offers Electromechanical assembly services with 40 years of expertise. we take an extra step to reach out to your exact PCB requirements, high quality standards and strong customer support service to provide quick turnarounds and on-time delivery to our customers. In case if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us via email at [email protected]!

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Tips for Choosing the Perfect Cable Assembly Manufacturer!

By | Date posted: | Last updated: September 4, 2024
cable-assembly-manufacturers

Choosing a cable assembly manufacturer who can do justice to your project is a critical decision. To ensure that you make the right choice, you need to undertake the necessary due diligence. Here are some aspects that you should delve into in making your choice of manufacturer, so that you do not land up wasting your valuable time and resources. With this handy checklist you can rest assured that you will make the right choice of choosing the Perfect Cable Assembly Manufacturers.

Resources and Facility

The first area to check for is the kind of resources and facility the manufacturer of cable assemblies has access to. This involves delving into a number of aspects including but not limited to:

  • Are they equipped with state-of-the-art equipment that is necessary to handle complex requirements?
  • What kind of experience does the manufacturer have?
  • Can they handle intricate requirements? Are they equipped with industry-best practices?
  • Are they able to proactively suggest solutions for your bespoke requirements?
  • Are they open to customization? Are they flexible in their approach?
  • Do they have a culture of customer support? Are their turnaround times quick?

Another major aspect to look for is their strength in terms of skilled personnel. With highly experienced engineers, there will be very little need for you to reinvent the wheel as they will be able to make effective value adds and deliver a quality product.

Repertoire of clients

The other aspect that you would definitely want to inquire about is the kind of clients that they have handled. It will help to know if they have experience in dealing with your industry, as the best practices that they have accumulated will come in handy. Looking for client testimonials and their satisfaction levels on the product performance as well as on turnaround time, the amount of customer support offered and more, are all good indicators of their dependability. If possible, you could also reach out to their clients directly to get a first hand account of what went well for them. This will give you a very clear idea of the manufacturer’s areas of strengths and whether they are a good fit for your requirements.

Quality Checks

Now this is a non-negotiable aspect of your due diligence. After all, you wouldn’t want the manufacturer to take any chances when it comes to the quality of custom cable assemblies. It is important to know of the quality checks that the manufacturer follows. That way you can rest assured that the final product will meet the necessary quality standards.

Checking for industry leading certifications is also a fairly important yardstick of their reliability.

Scale of Operations

It is also important to check for the cable assembly manufacturer’s scale of operations. It is a possibility that you could be looking at production of prototypes in small quantities. You would therefore want to go with a manufacturer who can cater to these quantities with an unstinting focus on quality. On the other hand, you could be looking at a large production run for which you want a manufacturer who can deliver large quantities without compromising on quality as also with on-time deliveries.

In fact, as your organization grows, you could be adding products to your repertoire. It is important to figure out if the cable assembly manufacturer will be able to support you with varied cable harness assembly solutions in keeping with your requirements. A long- term partnership where the manufacturer understands your business goals can be a winning combination.

At Technotronix we have over 4 decades of experience in fabricating and assembling industry leading products. Equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and skilled personnel we offer products to meet your bespoke requirements. The advantage with us is also that we can cater to all your volume requirements, right from prototypes to large production runs. A huge repertoire of satisfied clients stands as a testimony to our success. With our industry leading process certifications, you can rest assured that the products will meet the highest quality standards. Our unstinting focus on customer service and quick turnaround times are yet another reason why customers rely on us for all their requirements, no matter how complex. In case if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us via email at [email protected].

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Quick turn network switch PCB assembly for electronics industry!

By | Date posted: | Last updated: May 7, 2021
Network Switch PCB

Printed Circuit Board or PCBs as they are popularly called are the most critical component of every electronic device. In fact, they have often even been called the unsung heroes of the modern day electronic driven world. After all, this is the one component that keeps your much-loved electronic device up and running and performing the actions that consumers so love. The electronic industry benefits from PCBs on account of a wide variety of reasons, key among them being:

  • Compact design that works well especially with the increasing trend towards miniaturization
  • Ease of Testing with Prototypes
  • Low Assembly Errors
  • Low Noise and Interference
  • Immune to movement
  • Reliability
  • Cost-effectiveness
  • Time saving

Application of Network Switch PCB Assembly

One of the areas where PCBs find extensive application in, include Networking organizations. Not without reason. Here are organizations that deal with substantial traffic load. There is the need for networking organizations to:

  • Monitor
  • Filter
  • Aggregate and
  • Direct,

a lot of traffic that emanates from multiple links. For such organizations, data monitoring switches are an invaluable device to ensure data access. In turn, these switches require a lot of power to assist them in their data aggregation and monitoring process. This is where PCB assemblies come in handy. Network switch PCB benefit from standard as well as custom network switch printed circuit board assemblies that can be made available to your bespoke requirements.

The big advantage is also that the PCB Assembly can support data access switches with multiple ports. A layered PCB with FR4 material is typically known to work well in such cases. The big advantage that it offers is that while the data monitoring process generates large amount of heat, the PCB Assembly continues to perform unaffected on account of the material used. In addition, if you partner with a professional PCB Assembly company, what you will benefit from is their capability to support switched ports with high speed. This itself can turn out to be an invaluable benefit as it helps you maintain competitive advantage.

Capabilities of a PCB Assembler

Some of the other capabilities of a professional PCB Assembler include:

  • PCBs compliant with RoHS regulations
  • Lead-free soldering
  • Screen Printing
  • Comprehensive services that include PCB design, PCB prototyping, PCB fabrication and inspection
  • IPC complaint coating
  • In-circuit and functional testing
  • Assemblies that are compatible with any operating system
  • Plug and play installation

The good news also is that Network Switch PCB Assembly can be ready with quick turnaround time. What this means is that there need not be a long waiting time, which as a Network organization you cannot afford to have. Once the prototype is in place and meets your requirements, you can rest assured that you will not have to contend with costly mistakes with a large production run.

Application of Network Switch PCB Assemblies

Little surprise then that such quick turn Network Switch PCB Assemblies find extensive application in a wide variety of Networking systems, including but not limited to:

  • Network communication systems
  • Large Computer Networks
  • Network Servers
  • Web browsers
  • SNMP tools

What you tend to gain with the Technotronix Partnership

At Technotronix, we have over 4 decades of experience in PCB fabrication as well as assembly. Our experienced team is well poised to take on the most complex PCBA designs. The fact that we are equipped to take on prototype quantities as well as large runs with equal ease, is what endears our clients to us. Besides we are also equipped to offer turnkey, consignment and mixed technology PCB services. With our extensive experience in Network Switch Printed Circuit Boards, you can rest assured that our experts will guide you not just with the right product but also with the industry best practices so that you do not have to reinvent the wheel. We are not just a PCB assembler; we completely test at board level to box build level to provide the benefit of unparalleled technical expertise. The fact that we provide the most progressive solutions at the most competitive price points is what sets us apart from the rest. To acquaint with Technotronix, reach us at [email protected] to get more information for PCB Assembly services!