PCB assembly manufacturer: Picking the right one!

by Nian Zhen Blogger

This article talks about what to look for when picking the right PCB assembly manufacturer. Let’s start.

Without a doubt, if you wish to invest in costly production equipment, it is of high importance to outsource your PCB assembling and prototyping needs to an experienced PCB assembly manufacturer instead of spinning some prototypes on your own. Let’s discuss what points to consider when taking the services of a PCB assembly manufacturer.

If you search for an assembly manufacturing provider on the web, you would locate an instant quote mechanism on their business websites. You can visit a few websites to compare prices and more without putting a lot of effort and time. More often than not, the instant quote mechanism allows you to fill the requirement in detail. You can fill in crucial details as copper thickness, material type, method type, and more. This system saves you from later surprises as you know all the important details in advance.

You will get the benefit of economies of scale by hiring a manufacturing company. This is because of the somewhat high setup cost of board assembling and manufacturing. In the present time, there are some companies that use a system in which they combine circuit boards from various customers. This is a great technique to distribute the setup expense among various customers. Obviously, if you want to manufacture a product in bulk, you want to improve your design meanwhile and do not want to manufacture the boards all at once.

Some of the most common printed circuit board assembly methods are through hole technique and surface mount technique. Other names of these methods are TH and SMT. Each technique has its own advantages and downfalls. However, the most common and the most modern technology in the present time is the surface mount technique or SMT. You can choose the assembly method based on your requirements. More often than not, most of the vendors offer both types of assembly methods.

A few of the below pointers would help you to make sure that your prototype will work well:

Your vendor should be certified

An easy way to make sure that your prototype will function well is by checking the certifications of your prospective vendor. Certifications like ISO are important for a qualified and reputed PCB assembly manufacturer. These certifications also guarantee you that the vendor has the best class assembling and manufacturing facility and further assure you that the vendor has state of the art tools and technologies.

A quick search on any big search engine can easily find you a vendor that has the certifications that speak their capabilities.

Your vendor should offer cost effective services

No doubt, producing prototypes on your own is costlier as compared to making them manufactured through a professional vendor. However, you can save costs by choosing a dependable vendor that can offer you the best price. As mentioned above, you can find a cost effective vendor by comparing costs on the online quote system available on the websites of the vendors. Therefore, it is advised to explore the minimum 6-7 options prior to zeroing down your search on any one option.

Your vendor should be experienced

It is recommended to find a PCB assembly manufacturer that has experience of working with different clients hail from different industries. A vendor that has experience working with clients of different industries can fulfill your requirements easily. Further, they have the experience of dealing with strict deadlines. You can take benefit of the huge experience.

Also, check the reputation of the vendor before hiring one. You can check with the former and existing clients of the vendor. They can tell you about the experience that can help you make up your mind.