The printed circuit board industry needs a Gerber file for making PCBs. This file format is commonly used to make the necessary PCB data. It’s the designer’s job to ensure the data they create is correct and can be read the same way by both the designer and the manufacturer.PCB makers have added more services to their businesses besides just making PCBs. Some manufacturers have become good at finding parts and assembling PCBs using machines that put the details in the right place. These extra services have been successful for some manufacturers. Customers can choose the services they want from a PCB manufacturer. This article mainly discusses PCB manufacturing, but the same ideas can be used for printed circuit board assembly.
Early Involvement in PCB Assembly Order
We have many years of experience designing and making PCBs, and we have tried to work with the manufacturer from the beginning. We do this because there are only a few producers who can make every type of PCB, and we want to make sure we work with the right one for our needs. When making circuit boards, there are a lot of things that can limit what we can do. These include our engineering abilities, like making minimal tracks and holes, using certain vias, and controlling impedance. We must also consider how many layers the board should have, use available materials, and follow specific inspection standards.
We must consider how thick the board should be, how to package and deliver it properly, and how much it will cost to ship and pay. We explain all of these things in a document we use to ask for a price quote for making circuit boards. This document lists all the parameters we need to consider, and we try to be as precise as possible with our requirements. It’s a good idea to explain these things to the manufacturer because they can tell us what they are capable of and what materials they have available.
We use the information we provide to set the design rules for the circuit board, except for a few things, like how many layers it should have. If we involve a manufacturer in the design of our circuit board early on, we can avoid having to redo the routine repeatedly. The manufacturer can help us to design the board in a way that will work well with their manufacturing process, which will save us time and effort.
Getting Quotations and Finalization for PCB Assembly Order
Once the manufacturer tells us what they are capable of, we usually don’t need to talk to them again until we have finished the initial design of the circuit board and done a preliminary check to ensure it meets the design rules. Once we design the circuit board, we can ask the manufacturer to give us a new price quote or review the old one. If we agree with the price, we will tell our senior engineers & the payment department to go ahead and pay for it.
Many producers have online tools that can calculate a price quote for us automatically. We must upload our circuit board files and tell them where we are. The device will then calculate the price based on things like setup costs, the cost of each circuit board, packaging, shipping, and any other fees that apply.
A PCB manufacturer can provide quotations in different ways:
- Almost all major manufacturers have an online tool to give us a price quote for our circuit board files. They use formulas to calculate the cost based on things like the size of the board and the materials used. We can get a quote in a few seconds without talking to anyone.
- Another way to get a price quote for making circuit boards is to provide the manufacturer with some basic information about the board, like its size, the materials we want to use, the size of the vias, and how much space we want between the tracks. We also need to tell them what surface finish we want, how many circuit boards we need, when we need them, and what payment terms we prefer. They can use this information to give us a quote. This type of quote is not very precise because numerous details could be misinterpreted by either the designer or the manufacturer.
This picture, called Figure 2, shows an example of a calculator that gives you prices online. The people who make and sell things also use a similar method to calculate costs in their offices.
- The third way is to send almost-finished information where the design of the circuit board is completed according to specific rules. The manufacturer will look at the information carefully and give you a price estimate. If you are happy with the price, the time it will take, the materials used for the circuit board, and other details that are listed in the price estimate, then it will be sent to the engineering & payment departments to make sure everything is correct and to answer any questions. It takes some days to go through the acceptance process. During this time, the circuit board design is looked at by assembly engineers. Once everything is approved, the final design is sent to the factory to be made. It’s important to note that when working with customers from other countries, many circuit board manufacturers will require full payment before starting production. It is not always the case for clients who have worked with the manufacturer for a long time. The manufacturer will tell you how long the price quote is good for. The prices can change depending on what’s happening in the financial market, so it’s essential to keep the quote expiration date in mind when deciding.
Submission of Manufacturing Data
Manufacturers often receive incomplete/ insufficient information from their clients, which causes problems for the people who make the circuit boards. This wastes time and makes it difficult for the engineers to inspect the data sent to them. Even small mistakes like missing information about the layers, cutting boundaries, tenting, and material type can cause significant problems and result in a circuit board that doesn’t work correctly. To avoid mistakes and problems, it’s important to include complete and detailed information about the circuit board in the Gerber file or an attached bitmap file. It’s the customer’s responsibility to provide an accurate & complete report, along with any special instructions the manufacturer can provide.
The next step after providing all the necessary information is to send Gerber data to the manufacturer to start making the circuit. The fabrication engineer carefully checks the data center before being given to the people who will make the circuit board.
Fabrication Queries
The best manufacturers will keep the circuit board layout engineer involved in the manufacturing process. If there are any questions or problems with the data, the customer will be notified immediately, and the area of concern will be pointed out. Some areas that may need clarification include components placed near the edges of the circuit board, solder masks & silkscreen that overlap with multilayer pads, electronic component pads with no hole size, and mechanical layers that interfere with signal layers.
The circuit board layout engineer should know the issues and provide clear guidance. If no advice is given, the manufacturer will use their expertise to resolve the proceeding. Typically, manufacturers work hard to finish their procedures within the mentioned time frame.
Summary
Even though different people may have various experiences & practices, there are some general guidelines to follow when ordering circuit board manufacturing. Here are the steps to follow.
1- Finish your circuit board design and perform a design rule check (DRC) to make sure it meets both your design requirements and the manufacturer’s capabilities
2- Contact the manufacturer to get a price quote and provide instructions for the fabrication, including details about shipping, payment, and any other terms & conditions. You can use an online quotation calculator to get an estimated price.
3- Get approval from the company management on the financial aspects. Finalize the reviews of the circuit board design & engineering data. Add the version number & nomenclature (if required) to the circuit board and complete it. Provide the final data along with any special manufacturing notes.
4- Create the Gerber files and attach the circuit board layer stack up, including all the details, such as the materials used and the thickness of the circuit board. Send this data to the manufacturer.
5- Respond to any fabrication-related questions during the fabrication process.
6- Provide guidance to the manufacturer regarding shipment, and acknowledge the receipt of the consignment.
What to Expect When Working With RayPCB Company?
After following all the steps mentioned above and selecting the printed circuit board assembly company that fits your requirements, what are the next steps that you should expect to occur?
- Project Discussion: After selecting a PCB assembly partner, the 1st step is to discuss any remaining project details. It will help determine the best techniques, equipment, and processes suitable for your work and resolve other unresolved information.
- Providing Resources and Getting Started: In this stage, if you have agreed to offer the PCB assembly company layout files, PCB components, or any other resources, you will need to provide them at this point. Once they have these resources, the company can begin making your order.
- Staying in Contact: During the PCB assembly process, the company should stay in touch and update you on their progress. They might also ask for their opinions if there are any issues.
- Receive Your Final Product: Once the PCB assembly company completes the work according to the requirements, they will inform you that it is finished & send you the order.
- Customer Support and Check-Ins: After you receive the order, the assembly company will follow up with you to ensure you are satisfied with the work done and provide any assistance if you face any issues. They may also reach out to you in the future to check if everything is working smoothly and if you need any further work done.
