How to get an instant PCB online quote?

Printed circuit board technology deposition makes industry highly developed. The PCB quote comes to be transparent. PCB industry profits come to be averaged. During past a couple of months, being impacted by current global economic recession, a variety of PCB manufacturers have been withdrawing from this market, in particular the small business providing low manufacturing capabilities and without scale and outstanding services. Regarding online quote, currently many PCB makers can do this, because PCB is likely to be standard product, although the manufacturing process should be customized.

To get an instant PCB quote, you have to provide some basic info: layer(s), size, laminate, surface finish, test requirements. But in terms of special requirements such as impedance, limited line spacing and width, blind via, buried via etc., engineer has to figure out the quote through more efforts.

During the process of calculating total cost, upstream laminate price is becoming transparent, so PCB makers only have to work out cost of labor, water, electricity, workshop rental, pollution management, wastage, machinery depreciation and then figure out the BEP (Break-Even Point). For online PCB quote, price of common double layer is about $50~90 USD/m2, but $90~100 USD/m2 for PCBs with special manufacturing requirements. Of course, the price discrepancy depends on processing, quality and services of the PCBs.

5 Crucial Aspects of PCBA Quality Control

The incremental need of electronic products propels rapid expansion of electronic manufacturing industry, involving upgrading technology deposition. With popularity of smart phone and wearable devices, there are refined and high requirements of manufacturing capabilities, which contributes quality control concerns of PCBA manufacturers. Here are 5 crucial aspects of PCBA quality control.

1. PCB Fabrication

There are huge many factors to impact PCB quality, the most important are laminate, dusty-free exposure and copper plating. Rather than factory facilities and environment, we should look into these quality controls. Laminate grade starts from A to C with big price difference. We also know the purity management of dusty-free plant through third-party documents. PCB copper plating has high requirements of consistency and uniformity, regular exchange management of solution and equipment maintenance. Also, copper plating process should be enhanced during practice of a variety of projects.

2. Components Sourcing

Original branding components are crucial to surface mounting technology, which can prevent batch defects from the source. Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) enterprises should set IQC (Incoming Quality Control) position to ensure all incoming materials in consistency and uniformity. IQC will manage sample-check of components shape, default value and error limit. Also, EMS enterprises should continually optimize components sourcing channels.

3. Surface Mounting Technology

During PCB assembly process, EMS enterprises should confirm the solder paste in consistency and uniformity, set SMT programming properly to ensure high precision of IC and BGA assembly. It is necessary to put all PCBs to 100% AOI (Automatic Optical Inspection) and (IPQC, In-Process Quality Control). Meanwhile, we should fulfill strict management of tray and verify stack list.

4. PCBA Test

Test points are generally reserved by design engineer and relative test plan will be passed to PCBA manufacturer. Circuit voltage and current curve will be analyzed during ICT (In-Circuit Test) and FCT (Function Circuit Test). A collection of these results will be reviewed according to assigned test plan, then confirm the acceptance area, as well as customer future improvements.

5. Managing People

For PCBA manufacturers, well-equipped machines are only small part, the big part is the people management. Manufacturing management team should figure out scientific work flow and monitor the operation guides are handled properly.

In fierce competition of PCBA market, manufacturers should constantly optimize their internal quality management. The refined manufacturing management will adapt market demand and could be the lifeline of PCBA manufacturers.