Build a New Product quickly with PCB Assembly Prototyping – A Brief Guide!

By | Date posted: | Last updated: October 1, 2021
PCB assembly prototyping

Before you start a full production run, you want to be sure that your PCB is functioning correctly. After all you cannot afford costly errors where a PCB fails after full production or worse still you detect the fault after you send out the product into the market.

Creating a prototype ensures that any problems that can pose a threat to the final product’s functionality are weaned out early. In fact, multiple PCB prototype runs can be made to test a single function.

There are several types of PCB prototypes that can test various aspects. Some of these include:

  • Visual Models: These are made in order to illustrate the physical aspect of the design.
  • Proof-of-concept prototypes: They are used to test the minimum viability of the product without displaying all its competencies
  • Working prototypes They have all the features of the final product and can be used to test its functioning.
  • Functional Prototype: They resemble the final product closely.

In terms of PCB Assembly, there are two ways to produce prototypes. These include:

  • Through-Hole assembly techniques that are hand-built
  • Surface Mount Technology

While SMT (Surface Mount) manufacturing has a number of advantages including accommodating smaller components, components placed on both sides of the board and being less impacted by vibration, at the prototype stage very often through-hole technology is used since you are looking at small production runs. This technology also works where time is of constraint and resources are limited. However it is suited for less complex designs.

Overall PCB Prototyping helps in building a new product quickly on account of the following:

  • It allows for changes in design. If you feel that the design does not seem to work for you, changes can be easily incorporated.
  • Any troubleshooting is easy to do. That means you do not have to deal with costly errors at a later date. With a prototype you can undergo robust testing to ensure that it is working the way you have envisaged it to.
  • It ensures quality as you are ensuring that you use the most efficient technology.
  • It allows for new product testing and revisions before production begins.
  • It allows for reduced timelines. This is made possible since it takes out the guesswork and also minimizes rework.
  • It offers the ability to test components individually. This is especially important for complex projects.

As soon as the PCB prototype has proven its capability to meet the intended performance and quality requirements, a full production run can be immediately undertaken.

To PCB prototype or not?

It is clearly important to take a long-term view and not look at prototypes as an additional cost. In the absence of prototyping you tend to make costly mistakes that could even cost you the company reputation. Depending on whether you are looking at developing a product from scratch or making small adjustments to an existing product, your approach to prototyping will vary.

If you are reasonably sure of the manufacturability of the product, you could focus on speed and cost-effectiveness. However, if it is an innovative design and particularly a complex board, prototyping is the need of the hour as it optimizes board quality, optimizes expenses as well as optimizes the time to market. It is important to remember that with complex designs early failures can be inexpensive. If by chance you are stuck with an unfeasible idea you need not come to this realization after investing sizeable resources in the project. Also early prototypes offer more time to understand the technology. Any unseen technical challenges can be addressed timely and adjustments can be made before the product releases.

If you are seeking funding, once again prototypes come in handy in presenting a minimum viable product to investors. Last but definitely not the least, early prototyping also helps you in filing patents quickly. With a prototype, you can save your intellectual property rights from infringement.

To sum up

A PCB Prototype is a powerful tool that expedites new product launches while offering benefits of cost-saving. Importantly a reliable prototype is equal to a reliable product.

It is important however, that you choose the PCB prototype manufacturer with care. The right partner will not only assist you in developing your product, they will share important industry best practices that will save you the time and effort of reinventing the wheel.

We assure you to deliver high-quality circuit boards by providing custom prototyping services with the multilayered quick-turn prototype, chips, testing, and others. Our focus is to fulfill every requirement of multichannel industries like defense, IoT (Internet of Things), Aerospace, Electronics, Medical, Telecommunication and many more.

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How to Choose the Perfect Manufacturer for Low Cost PCB Prototype?

By | Date posted: | Last updated: September 5, 2024
Low-Cost PCB Prototype

The importance of PCBs in modern day electronics cannot be overstated. However for the PCB to do its work correctly, what you also need is the right manufacturer. Particularly if you are looking at new product development you need to go with a prototype to be able to test the design or to have a minimum viable product, that in turn, could be used in the investor pitches. That you cannot go with very expensive prototypes are also a given. How then do you find the right manufacturer who offers low-cost PCB Prototypes?

While low cost PCB is an important determinant of choosing the manufacturer, it needs to be remembered that the low cost should not come at the cost of quality. Costs offered by the manufacturer need to be competitive, no doubt, as manufacturers have strong relationships with part suppliers and can drive a good bargain. However, if the cost is extremely low, even that can become a red flag as there is the fear that the cost could be at the expense of quality. Going with such low costs can turn out to be costly in the long run as you tend to face numerous consequences including product recalls.

Other than the cost, therefore, here is a handy list of things to look for:

PCB Prototype Quality

Ensure that you go with a manufacturer that has the right experience in offering high quality boards. Typically if you have a requirement for a complex board, it will work well to see that the manufacturer has the right equipment as well as experienced personnel who are armed with industry best practices to do justice to your boards. It is also necessary to check the kind of testing protocols the manufacturer follows and the industry standards that the board adheres to. It will be important to ensure that the manufacturer follows the necessary industry guidelines including offering RoHS boards that have a restriction on the hazardous substances used in the board.

You will also want to check where the manufacturer is sourcing the PCB material from. In a bid to source cheap materials you should not be staring at a situation where the product quality differs from batch to batch.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Factor That Affects PCB Prototype Cost

Timelines for PCB prototypes

Particularly when you require PCB prototype, timelines of delivery are extremely important. This is because you need to be able to test them quickly and make any changes if need be before going to market. Going with a manufacturer that offers quick turnaround, therefore is extremely important.

PCB Prototype Order quantities

In making the choice of manufacturer, it is also important to double-check whether or not they can handle low volume PCB assembly with the same kind of commitment to quality. After all, at the prototype stage you do not want to be stuck with minimum order quantities. It will also be prudent to check that the manufacturer offers you scalability, such that when you have to go with a large production run, they are equally equipped to take care of it.

Portfolio of clients

Another aspect worth spending some time on is the kind of client portfolio the company has and the kind of testimonials and satisfaction levels the clients have. If the manufacturer has done prior work in the same industry as yours, it will be a definite advantage as they will be equipped with industry best practices that will mean that you do not need to reinvent the wheel.

Co-operative relationship

Overall, the PCB manufacturer approach towards building long term relationships can also go a long way in you making the choice. A proactive and robust customer support team can be a big indicator of this approach.

In conclusion
To sum up, the choice of low cost printed circuit boards isn’t only about looking for a manufacturer that offers low costs but also one that offers high quality, the desired quantities, quick turnaround time and an overall proactive and customer focused approach. In the absence of any of these factors low price alone will not guarantee the success of the project. On the contrary, it could lead you to dealing with errors that could prove to be extremely costly and even detrimental to the company reputation.

At TechnoTronix, we combine state-of-the-art technology with our advanced engineering to deliver unmatched quality and service. With rapid PCB prototyping and consistent delivery of high-quality PCBs, we offer a strong source of competitive advantage to our customers. We have over 40 years of experience in providing printed circuit board prototyping services. Feel free to ask if you have any questions regarding PCB prototype services. Your satisfaction is our primary goal!

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Top Things about Fast PCB Prototyping that you must know!

By | Date posted: | Last updated: June 26, 2021
Fast PCB Prototyping

In a milieu of innovation and where startups are on the growth path, the one thing that is gaining the increasing importance is need for effective PCB prototyping and quick prototyping at the same time.

After all, you need a minimum viable product in your hands for further development as also if you are seeking funding. Also, at a time where early go-to-market is a big source of competitive advantage, the importance of fast PCB prototyping cannot be overstated.

However, How does one look for the right PCB Prototype service or find the right manufacturer? Here are all the answers you have been looking for!

PCB Prototype Quality

No marks for guessing that the most important criteria for making the choice have to be the quality of prototypes. Any lapse in quality can cost you nearly both in terms of time and money. Therefore, You need to make sure that the manufacturer is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and experienced personnel who can do justice to your project. It is a possibility that you are looking for lead free prototypes in keeping with the environmental concerns or country regulations. In such cases, you need to ensure that the manufacturer has this capability.

You need to double check to ensure that the product offered adheres to industry standards and is in compliance with international standards and guidelines.

Overall, you need to make sure that the manufacturer you go with takes a prototype project seriously and has the wherewithal to do justice to your complex designs. Check their client portfolio, speak to their customer service staff to figure out what really is their strength in offering prototypes and how robust their support is. In fact, a professional company could have dedicated services to prototype development alone.

Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ)

Well, a prototype is an early-stage design, which is prone to changes. A manufacturer who binds you to a minimum order quantity, therefore, isn’t really your go-to company. In fact, in choosing the fast PCB prototyping you have to not only ensure they deal with prototype quantities but are also equipped to take up full production runs, for when you do scale up.

PCB Prototype Cost

This surely has to be a deciding factor for after all you need to remain competitive as far as your final product is concerned. A word of caution here, though- ensure that you do not trade quality for price. Low-quality PCB prototype can have far reaching consequences. It may put your entire project into jeopardy. If the inferior quality is spotted after your product hits the market, there is a lot you may need to pay with, including your company reputation. Going with a proven manufacturer with a proven track record, even if there is a slight price difference may any day work better than chasing costs alone.

Quick Turnaround Time

Well, what make fast PCB prototype, “fast” is their quick turnaround times. In turn this has a lot of implication on your go-to-market abilities and your competitive advantage. You therefore need to go with a manufacturer that offers quick turnaround time. There clearly isn’t any point to go with manufacturer who offers excellent quality but at the cost of time. You clearly need quality coming to you in a quick timeframe, to make the exercise worthwhile.

Ability to cater to bespoke requirements

Another important deciding criteria needs to be the ability of the manufacturer to deliver PCBs as per your bespoke requirements. With miniaturization becoming an important trend, the manufacturer needs to be able to deliver complex designs. Also, with increased density of components your requirement may often be for multi layered PCBs with blind or buried vias. You need to ensure that the manufacturer you go with has the capability to offer complex PCBs. For this the manufacturer needs to have the right equipment as well as a team that has the necessary experience and expertise. The one thing that the team also needs to be equipped with is industry best practices. This will ensure you do not need to reinvent the wheel.

A little time and energy spent in early research can go a long way in ensuring that you have fast PCB prototypes in hand, that adhere to quality standards, and which can give your project the much-needed boost.

At TechnoTronix, we combine state-of-the-art technology with our advanced engineering to deliver unmatched quality and service. With fast PCB prototyping and consistent delivery of high-quality PCBs, we offer a strong source of competitive advantage to our customers. With our 4 decades of experience, you can rest assured that we are aware of the industry best practices and will keep you ahead of the curve.

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The Complete Guide on understanding the PCB Prototype Quote Process

By | Date posted: | Last updated: April 19, 2023
pcb-prototype-quote-process

Quoting is a very crucial part at the time of dealing with the client and manufacturer. But a typical PCB Prototype Quoting process is not as easy as pie.

Many factors have to be considered from both the manufacturer and client’s side before the quoting, which is both hazardous and time-consuming. But don’t be worry; because we will highlight a complete guide for the Typical PCB Prototype Quote Process to help you get the accurate quote. This article offers tips to help you enable your CM to process your PCB prototype quote efficiently.

Phases of the PCB Prototype Quote Process:

A typical PCB Prototype Quote Process is more or less the combination of three phases. Those are-

Design Generation:

After getting data from the client, the manufacturer will start the design of the prototype first. It’s not like they directly start the fabrication; first, they draw a draft of the design they have in their head. And after the draft design gets approved by the client, the main design process is started.

For getting the best design from your manufacturer, you need to give detailed data about your desired project. Always communicate directly with the partner CM (Contract Manufacturer) to discuss your problem and suggestion with them.

Design Evaluation:

When the circuit board design is complete, the next step is testing the design. Checking is very vital to know the quality of the design. The various methods, including the X-rays method, AVI, etc. are used for testing purposes.

If anything gets wrong in the newly created circuit boards against your desired project, you can tell the manufacturer to replace it at this stage. Tracing the error and replacing them is the main aim of this phase.

Quote Generation:

The cost majorly depends on the created design, the number of testing and editing. After all the discussion and negotiations about the expense, the final Quote is successfully generated. It is not a straight-forward process; after lots of back and forth, the final quote has been addressed. In the final quote, all types of errors in the prototype are also corrected.

The Criteria for the Selection of High-Quality PCB Prototype Service:

A good quoting process varies from client to client and manufacturer to manufacturer, but some criteria must be there, in a high-quality printed circuit board prototyping and quoting process, like-

Background of Manufacturer:

Not every manufacturer is eligible for every project. Every specific project needs a different type of printed circuit board prototypes designed by a distinct type of PCB prototype manufacturer company. That’s why a complete background check of the company is very crucial before dealing with them.

While checking, focus on the points like the type of prototype circuit boards they produce, their quality, customer support, reviews from the previous customers, authenticity, etc. A background check also saves you from fraud.

Communication:

Communication is something that is the key part of every successful quote. From the starting point of the deal to getting the finalized product, open communication is very important in every step of producing a good.

The information you give in each statement of the message is the data you give for the design. Communication gap leads to errors in getting your desired project.

Besides that, when you communicate with the manufacturer more often, your knowledge about your project becomes clearer.

Documentation:

Documents from both parties are very necessary for the small or big deals that include proof you have for each action you take with the manufacturer.

In the documentation, you can add everything from dealing date to delivery date, the terms & conditions of the projects, the expenses, the materials used, etc.

Components Selection:

Components which are used in the design have to be good in quality. Based on the excellence of the material, the circuit board’s success will be depended. Take information from the manufacturer about the components used, and check their quality and characteristics in detail.

Also, grab the information of the inventory of the design. You can compare the market value and the project value by knowing the inventory.

Cost Details:

Like every type of dealing process, you can negotiate the cost to get the best quote in minimum value. You can request the quote according to the quality of the product.

Mark in detail about the Bill of Material, every expenditure, calculate expected expanse to be easy to manage cost.

Also checkout: PCB Prototype Cost

Evaluation:

Evaluation and reviewing of the final circuit board have to be done for testing purposes. By evaluation, you can be aware of the circuit board meets your expectation or not.

Conclusion:
Quoting is a back-and-forth process that goes through a series of discussions and negotiations. When only your opinion aligns with the circuit board manufacturer’s opinion, then the perfect quoting happens.

If you follow the above-discussed process thoroughly during the PCB prototype quotation, we believe you can get the deal. So, try to apply those points and make your desired circuit board prototypes.

TechnoTronix facilitates the best PCB Prototyping with no fuss, simple and fast prototyping with a unique way of using advanced techniques like automated layout analysis, algorithms & custom technical specimens depending on the Gerber file and BOM (Bill of Materials) required for a particular prototype. We assure you to deliver high-quality circuit boards by providing custom prototyping services with the multilayered quick-turn prototype, chips, testing, and others. Our focus is to fulfill every requirement of multichannel industries like defense, IT, Aerospace, Electronics, Medical, Telecommunication & many more.

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