How Customer Preferences Impact the PCB Manufacturing Process

In today’s world, printed circuit boards can be found in an astounding number of electronics, appliances, and various gadgets we use virtually every hour of every day. Not surprisingly, there are a greater number of organizations that have realized the need for PCB assembly services as a result. But if you don’t know a lot about circuit board manufacturing, you might not realize that every small change you make can have huge consequences on your final product.

The PCB manufacturing process has a great number of steps. After a PCB has been manufactured, it must then be assembled — a process with more steps to complete before the final product can be delivered. Every design choice you make has the power to impact numerous steps in both of these processes. While that might not seem like a big deal, keep in mind that an Aberdeen Group survey found that PCBs represent 31% of the cost of any product. Not only does that mean there’s very little room for error or delay, but it also means that you’ll need to balance design preferences with your need to stick within a budget.

While there are choices to be made during the printed circuit board assembly process, the majority of design decisions will impact the PCB manufacturing process. The size of the board you choose, the number of layers it has, and whether it’s a rigid or flex board will impact other parts of the process. For example, a rigid board will require solder masking to be used, while flex boards need a different type of protective coating. The amount of space between each component or surface element will impact the overall layout of the board. Asking for extras like colorful solder mask or asking for an unconventional drill hole size could slow down the process and drive costs up. And if you’re forced into making a large volume order rather than opting for small patch PCB prototypes, you could end up wasting a lot of time and money on a design that isn’t up to your standards.

That’s why it’s so important to work with a reputable PCB manufacturing and assembly company from the start. Regardless of what kinds of services you need (or ones you think you need), we’re here to help. From the initial design to the prototype PCB manufacturing process to the assembly and fulfillment of your final order, we can provide the guidance you need to ensure your product is delivered on schedule and on budget.

We understand that you have a great many decisions to make when developing a printed circuit board for your product. Thanks to our expertise, we can make that process a little easier. For more information, get in touch with us today.