Choosing the Right PCB Assembly Source for Your Product Development Program

Services and pricing can vary greatly between PCB assembly sources and specialized manufacturers. Send your PCB design for an estimate and your research will likely return amounts that vary across the board. This is because manufacturers of printed circuit boards usually differ in their specializations, meaning some may have more appropriate tools and machinery along with talents and expertise than others. This allows them more capability to do more complex projects than others. To make sure you are getting the best value for your money, choose a company that has all the fabrication and assembly facilities that your design/product development program needs. This will also save you a great deal of time and money when building prototypes.

If you are outsourcing PCB prototype assembly and manufacturing to a company that specializes in the exact type of component, then you need to provide a cost-effective means to source materials for product development. It also allows you ensure the quality and exact specifications of the components you are using. When seeking out a good company to outsource PCB fabrication to, here are some key things you should look for:

• Delivery – Low-cost fabrication through a small company may mean slow turn out because they often take several weeks to schedule and build your boards. This could be due to lack of proper machinery or the right people for the job, especially when it comes to complex designs. Look for a supplier that can deliver quality on time.
• Fab note compliance – Choose a company that will respect the requirements and specifications indicated in your fab notes. Low-cost vendors may severely limit your options because they only build to a set of standard specs and tolerances.
• Quality – Choose a company that can get your design right the first time and reduce mistakes so you can have quality end products delivered to your doorstep without delay. Only go for a company that uses high-quality materials instead of what's cheapest at the moment. If your application needs higher quality materials, don't settle for subpar fabrication. Quality should not suffer because you are trying to keep fabrication costs low.
• Support – Choose a company that will provide engineering support to catch mistakes as they review your design before you spend money on fabrication. Good fabrication companies will point out potential flaws in your design and give you their expert input to help make your product better.

Adco Circuits electronic design and circuit board assembly services to aerospace/military, telecommunications, automotive, industrial/commercial, wireless and medical equipment markets.