As PCB is the most essential component of any electronic equipment, a lot of care and attention should be given to the PCB manufacturing processes. Staring from PCB prototype building to PCB assembly everything should be handled very carefully. There could be no mistakes when it comes to the quality of the PCBs. The moment you compromise on the quality, you would be immediately putting your brand at risk.
This however does not mean that you should spend an exorbitant amount of money without any discretion on PCB manufacturing process. You will be able to save a considerable amount of money when pay attention to the following factors when getting your PCB manufactured.
If you want to save money on your PCB manufacturing process, you should start focusing on the circuit board designing process. Your circuit boards should be designed by the top experts and the board space should be optimally utilized. Keep the board size as small as possible. This will automatically bring down your material costs. You should also try to keep the board shapes simple. Make them either rectangle or square because if your board is of complex shape, there will be a lot of material wastage. This will only add on to your PCB production cost. These are some of the most basic factors to keep in mind when manufacturing your PCBs. If you work with a highly experienced manufacturer, they will help you make the right choices so that you could get your PCBs manufactured in the most cost effective way.
As much as possible, try to get all aspects of the PCB manufacturing process handled by a single company. There are companies that offer end to end PCB manufacturing services. They will help you build your prototypes, manufacture printed boards and also take care of the PCB assembly. When you get all the PCBs manufactured from the same company, you are likely to get a better quote. Moreover, you will also save a lot of time, as you do not have to follow up with multiple vendors. This is another form of saving.
Similarly, you should not frequently be changing your PCB manufacturers. Every time you sign up with a new manufacturer, you need to incur an initial setup cost. If you keep changing your manufacturer you will unnecessarily be spending money on the setup cost. You should try to stick to the same manufacturer for your ongoing PCB requirements. This will however be possibly only when you manage to find the most trusted companies for your requirements. You will save a considerable amount of money on the long run. There cannot be any oversights in this regard. You will be required to start reviewing as many manufacturers as you need to patiently, checking their credibility and comparing their quotes. It has been found to be helpful to source one’s PCBs from a single manufacturer. Even if it is going to take some extra time to screen your manufacturers it is worth doing your homework well until you spot your manufacturer.
