How to Save the Cost When ManufacturingPCB &PCBA?
Six ways to save you PCB production costs
1. Choose the right PCB & PCBA suppliers:
There are many people ask questions: “How I can find the cheapest PCB & PCBA suppliers?” or “How can I cut-down the cost?”. But to be honest, I would like to say “You will never get the cheapest price”.Instead, I would rather to tell you that It’s better for you to find the balance between price and quality. Below are some tips to find the balance andI hope it will work.
- I. Check if they have qualifications:
Quality management certifications: ISO 9001 which accurately ensures a PCB assembler’s manufacturing capabilities and management regulations they follow.
Environmental management certifications: ISO 14000 is a series of environmental management standards developed and published by theInternational Organization for Standardization (ISO) for organizations. The ISO14000 standard provides a guideline or framework for organizations that need to systematize and improve their environmental management efforts.
Automotive certifications: Any company wants to produce automotive-related products you need to get the IATF16949certification so that you can ensure compliance with national and international regulat
ions and standards of automotive.
UL Certifications: It is one of the oldest safety certification companies around. They certify products, facilities, processes or systems based on industry-wide standards.
RoHS certifications: RoHS stands for Restriction ofHazardous Substances. RoHS, also known as Directive 2002/95/EC, originated in the European Union and restricts the use of specific hazardous materials found in electrical and electronic products (known as EEE).
Other certifications or awards.
- II. Check the qualification of Equipment:
For the factory, it is necessary to equip advanced machines to save time and get quality products.
For PCB factories, it is important to check whether the factory has the necessary internal AOI, external AOI and other test instruments, such as: inner AOI, AVI checker, flying probe tester, impedance measurement, 2-D Test, online output layer test, Thermal shock tester, FQA, micro-section test, peel strength tester.
For PCBA, the most important technology is surface mount technology (SMT) because SMT placement equipment is closely related to the precise placement and manufacturing speed of the components. At the same time, it is important to have the necessary test equipment.
2-D Tester
- III. Check the raw material supplier
As one of the important elements of cost, usually, the component is the main cost. Because the value of components far exceeds board and assembly costs. Thus, if you can find a company with a good electronic supply chain, then don't hesitate to move forward. But as you know, this will take a lot of time to check its quality and delivery time.
Therefore, I suggest that you ask them a few questions, such as “Where do you get the parts?” or “Do you also provide stock parts?” because parts should normally be purchased from the original factory or authorized dealer. However, if someone says that they are also purchased from the market, the risk of counterfeiting or poor quality is high.
2. Optimize the schematic design of bare PCB based on low-cost concerns.
Everyone thinks that we should reduce the cost by finding the right manufacturers but actually the key point is you should consider it during the very beginning ofthe design. Below I will give some tips about some elements which will influence the cost:
Layer count:if you can design a product with 1 layer then never do with 2 layers. Because more layers added more cost appear.
Via technical: Including blind vias, buried vias, small vias or vias plug with resin or vias plug with solder mask. Usually, the vias quantity and dimension will influence the price. Therefore, you should carefully design the vias usually below 0.2mm need add some cost.
Shape and size: The PCB should design according to the functions but try to make it neatly and functionally as this may influence the price. It should be designed exactly match with needed dimensions because if oversize then it will appear waste of material. And some special ones like half-vias will appear more cost.
Another question that needs to be considered is that it doesn't mean small is cheaper. Sometimes a small one can be even more expensive. As the shape also influences the price.Basically, standard shapes such as a square or rectangle lead to lower prices, while special shapes are typically more expensive. Because you cannot use V-cut.
Surface finish: While surface finishing is one of the most important steps when manufacturing the PCB. According to different finish types, it will influence the solder ability and electric performance. For example, HASL, OSP, ENIG. It doesn’t mean the more expensive the better, you should choose the type which best fits your products.
PCB thickness: Thickness will affect the price of the PCB because you need to use different types of PP to meet the requirements. Usually, 1033 is as expensive as 3313, and 108021167628 is as common as 1013. Therefore, try to design a suitable thickness. And reduce the use of those expensive PP.
CooperThickness: Normal copper thickness is 1 oz, thicker copper like 2 oz, 3 oz will increase the price, but sometimes you need to reach certain features to use the feature of 3 oz. Very good, but usually copper will affect the price.
Honestly, there are many factors that affect prices, other factors that affect prices, delivery times, or special packaging or other factors. These are some of the key skills based on our many years of manufacturing experience.
3. Prepare an effective and complete bill of materials.
The BOM (Bill of Materials List) is a key manufacturing document that contains a list of raw materials, materials, components, and electronic parts. Because electronic components are much more expensive than PCBs. A good and clear BOM allows your suppliers to efficiently find the right parts.
Some good designers even send spare part numbers so that suppliers can know the parts accurately and find cheaper parts. Includes part number, manufacturer name, reference code, quantity, description, packaging/packaging, SMT method, top/bottom, point/package, and BOM level. Typically, the SMT factory will have a template so you can write and save time on it.
Here, I strongly recommend that you choose some replacement parts. Some of the resistors or capacitors produced in China are also of good quality and the delivery time is even longer. Because sometimes some parts are out of stock or require a long lead time. Therefore, please try to avoid products with long design cycles. If you do this in advance, you can avoid delaying production time, because usually the prototype time is money and you have to control the time well.
4. Identify component purchases.
For small companies or newly designed companies, it is very difficult to reduce costs. If you are a small company, you can choose to have SMT provide you with a one-stop-shop. Because they can produce PCBs and purchase components and assemblePCBs. This way you can save time on the design. Often, SMT companies may have a friendly relationship with franchisees because they may have different projects from different customers.
Therefore, they can get good prices and fast delivery from those distributors. Typically, for SMT companies, they will be purchased directly from an authorized agent or original factory. If time is limited, some factories will buy from existing suppliers, but there may be a risk of counterfeiting. However, it is a good thing to let professionals do professional things.
5. Adjust the order quantity and lead time.
Usually, the number of products affects the price. Here, I recommend that you choose two factories at the time of manufacture, but no more than three. Because you can compare prices at the time of manufacture, and if a factory has an emergency, you can replace it with another. However, as long as you work with the two factories, as usual, you won't escape when they make a mistake. Just like discovering a new factory, you need to do the same thing again.
Therefore, stay with your suppliers and grow with them. Start with the sample, then proceed to medium yield and then mass-produced. You will find that the supplier will be part of your company, and you can save a lot of money even if you don't know it. In general, longer lead times will save costs because they can purchase electronic components with long lead times from the original factory.
6. Never neglect inspection or test.
As I said at the very beginning, our goal is to save but there is one thing can not ignore that is inception or test. Because you need to get your products work but not only cheap. And in fact the test and inspections the last important step which influences the quality of the product.
The aim is to reduce costs without diminishing the quality of products.
Inspection and tests have played a critical role in produce high-quality products by illuminating issues or mistakes in advance. Some companies even would like to suggest you give some test procedure or methods which can check the PCBA quality before they ship out. Because it’s more convenient and efficient to have those problems solved in the manufacturing house.
If your factory provides an inspection service at the end of the production line, you should provide your test jig so that their test can be implemented according to your specifications. Ordinary inspection methods range from visual inspection to automated optical inspection (AOI) to automated X-ray inspection (AXI).
There isn’t a company that doesn’t make any mistakes even they have the certifications ofIS09001 or strict management. But for those expose issues such as component orientation and polarity, and enables modification to be made in time. You can forgive them but solve them before shipping. That's test and inspections matters. Time permitting, you can even ask your assembler to deliver sample products so that you can have it run in real circumstances.
One more rule: If your supplier’s price if high you can negotiate with them if your quality has problems then you can choose go away but for small problems it’s normal. When you build a long business relationship with your factory you can count on them in the toughest situations. And it’s not only about the business but also about the cooperation of the connection. If you stick with one partner then your partner can follow with your step. What’s more good communication matters, you can deliver your messages fast and they can match with you fast.
Rigorously conforming to the rules of thumb discussed in this article can help shape your decision and ultimately select your new partners. And you’ll surely cut some cost without sacrificing quality.
