When it comes to the quality and performance of an electronics device, PCB Assembly has an extremely important role to play. Particularly with the increasing trend towards miniaturization, high-density component assembly is a fine art, one that professional contract manufacturers can help you with.
In such a scenario, it is important to be aware of procurement techniques as well as PCB assembly quote rules. Here is a broad overview.
Documents required to get a realistic Circuit Board Assembly quote
First things first, what exactly are the things required to get an accurate and PCB assembly instant quote? There are 4 major documents that are needed. These include:
- Bare Board Print
- Assembly Print
- Bill of Materials
- Approved Vendor List
Let us look at each of these in some detail:
Bare Board Print
Commonly referred to as a fabrication drawing or fab drawing, this print requires the following information:
- Outer dimensions
- Board thickness
- Material
- Number of holes
- Finish
- Number of layers
- Solder mask color
- Silkscreen color
- Part number
You will also need to provide the design files in an intelligent data format.
Assembly Print
This works as a blueprint for the manufacturer and shows the location of the parts. It needs to include the assembly part number as also any details on any special packaging required.
Bill of Materials
A BOM needs to incorporate the following details:
- Part Number
- Description
- Quantity
- Approved Vendor List
- Separate drawings for any custom parts
Pro tip – It is important that any revisions are meticulously tracked while the BOM format remains consistent.
Approved Vendor List
You could have this list as a part of the BOM as there can be several approved manufacturers for each part.
Quote for circuit board assembly
With some PCB assembly companies, it may be easy to get a quick PCB assembly quote with some very basic information. Not just that, the quotation may be very detailed too. The main point here is to figure out whether when you give the Purchase Order and provide the balance information, will the quote remain the same? Your answer is likely to be a NO. What you would have lost in the process, is valuable time besides seeing your budgets go awry.
It is therefore extremely prudent to have all your requirements across in one go. After all, you need is a cost-effective PCB assembly quote without compromise on the quality of circuit board assemblies from an experienced PCB manufacturer. Imagine a scenario where in the absence of complete details from you and in a bid to quote an attractive price, the contract manufacturer goes with a tin-lead surface finish, while in reality the project requires a gold finish. A last-minute increase in price is likely to cost you dearly not only in terms of the increase in costing but also because of precious time lost. Contrast this with a contract manufacturer who insists on specifications at the outset to offer you a realistic quote. A little more time spent right at the beginning will enable you to receive the accurate PCB assembly quotes from all PCB manufacturers on a comparable basis. With all information supplied, you will be able to compare prices on an apple-to-apple basis and take an informed decision. Some of the other best practices to follow include:
- Ensure that there is a common currency unit across all quotations. In fact, stick to the currency unit you are most familiar with.
- It will also be best to ensure that the quotation is made as per a common structure and format that allows you to compare supplier quotes.
- An oft overlooked aspect is also that not enough attention is paid to the supplier’s explanation of the quotation.
- Analyzing the source of materials for the PCB assembly manufacturer and identifying the non-human factors that affect procurement cost, is also one way of arriving at the actual cost of the supplier.
- Similarly analyzing the allocation rate of expenses may also make the comparisons easy.
To sum up, a little time spent at the beginning of the process ensures that you do not have to face costly errors at a later date and get budget friendly circuit board assembly quote!
Mer-Mar Electronics has become the go-to solution for all kinds of PCB Assembly services and highly appreciated by various industry leaders for quick turnaround time, error-free, and consistent quality for small to large volume services in the USA. With over 40 years of experience in providing solution for high-reliability application in various industry including Medical, Dental, Commercial, Telecommunication, Renewable Energy, and more. All the applications are carefully manufactured with specialized support, reliability testing and certified workmanship.
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