Guidelines on How to Reduce the Cost of PCB Prototype Making

Getting your new electronic product design ready for mass production and PCB assembly involves many steps and risks. I will give some recommendations about how to avoid costly mistakes and how to minimize the time to market for your new product designs.

Once you have finished your product and PCB design, you want to get started building prototypes before you commit to large production volume. Many design software packages such as PCB layout design software and industrial design software have simulation capabilities built in. Doing a simulation allows minimizing the number of design mistakes before the first prototype is built.

If you are designing a complex product, you may want to consider a modular design in which all of the main functions are located in individual modules. During your testing, you can then swap modules which do not meet the design constraints. Spinning individual modules will be quicker and more cost effective than spinning a whole design.

Depending on the design complexity, you could consider manually mounting PCB components to save cost. However, for medium to large complexity this method tends to be extremely time consuming, especially if you want to build several prototypes. Therefore it makes sense considering a contract manufacturer for the assembly.

When running small-quantity production runs, the production setup cost will typically dominate the overall prototype build cost. When looking for a subcontractor, it is best to select a vendor that specializes in prototype builds to minimize the expense. Prototype PCB manufacturers typically combine the circuit boards of several customers which effectively shares the setup cost amongst several customers. The drawback is that you will typically only be able to choose amongst several standard PCB material thicknesses and sizes.

Aside from selecting a supplier with low setup costs, picking a company that will also be able to handle your full-volume production runs minimizes mistakes since switching manufacturers has the chance of mistakes due to a particular supplier interpreting production design data differently. This way your design is already translated into the specific machine data which means little or no setup cost for your final production.

Some PCB manufacturers also offer PCB design services which is a great plus in case you don't have experience with the design. Also, these vendors will be able to assist you in case there are problems with your design files and be able to spot problems before the production.

One problem with small-quantity production runs is sourcing of PCB components. Most components vendors will charge ship fees and have minimum order quantity requirements for certain components. Also, dealing with a small quantity of components is a problem in case of surface mount assembly since components will be mounted from SMT feeders. Some manufacturers will stock standard SMT components that you can purchase from the vendor. This will save you the time of having to purchase these components individually. Also, you don't have to worry about using up leftover components.

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Printed Circuit Board Manufacturers and Why We Take Electronics for Granted

It's a pretty safe bet that if you're reading this you're using something containing a printed circuit board. It's also fair to say, however, that the average person doesn't really know what they are. Basically, a printed circuit board or PCB is thin piece of board built from fibreglass or a similar substance, often a green colour.

My first experience of them, and that of most inquisitive youngsters, was when I ripped them out of discarded appliances in order to, rather optimistically, build a robot. That seems an age ago but, incredibly, this modern marvel started out in the 1940s. Many revisions have passed since that time and PCBs have improved substantially since that time. Of course, the biggest improvements have been to ensure they are considerably smaller than they used to be, and this is most evident in that most ubiquitous exponent of printed circuit technology, the mobile phone.

More recent developments are less obvious though, one being to veer away from the traditional flat and rigid construction; recent technological advances mean that some new devices actually contain 'bendy' boards made from a broad range of flexible materials.

Printed circuit boards have a starring role in the very common electronic devices like computers and digital cameras but they are evident in a lot of more serious applications and specialist products like medical equipment and airplane instrumentation. Its vital that the PCB manufacturers have very exacting standards as the PCBs are fundamental to the safe and reliable operation of this equipment. Printed circuit boards carry the lifeblood of the instrument within its circuitry and connectivity, ensuring the product works in a similar way to how electricity in a home requires circuitry, wiring and fuses etc to keep it running smoothly.

There is a notable difference, however, with PCBs in that the board's circuits are made of conductive ink. Reputable printed circuit board manufacturers are specialists in all stages, from the design and prototyping to the mass production of printed circuit boards. And as shown above, it's of great importance that they are carefully made, with a keen eye ensuring they come off the production line error-free and manufactured to function perfectly for many years. Because of this, the PCB designers and engineers' jobs contain a big responsibility and it's proof of their skill and aptitude that such intricate and delicate circuits continue to function efficiently.

Additionally to the designer's skill, it's just as important that machinery of the highest quality is employed in the printing of the circuit board or the engineers work and diligence is wasted. Printed circuit boards 'aren't just manufactured as single boards, although this is often how i remember them as a child. They can be produced with multiple layers from two to ten. Generally speaking, copper is the usual material for the circuit, seeing as it's such an efficient electrical conductor.

The key function of these printed circuits is to ensure the main processor connects to the various components within the device. A good example is the printed circuit boards manufactured for use in computers. The main circuit board, or motherboard, connects to the various smaller ones within that carry out the other related functions within the computer.

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