Some Important Factors To Consider When Finding Prototype PCB Manufacturers!!!

prototype pcb manufacturers

It is not an easy task to find the right prototype PCB manufacturers. Hiring the wrong manufacturer can lead to a lot of complications. It always helps to keep a few pointers in mind which will help you make the right decision. 

1. PCB quality. Quality should be the main determinant when choosing the right prototype PCB manufacturers. Quality here means that the board must not have any flaws and must be as per your specification. The quality of the manufactured PCBs should be consistently high and the quality must not decline below the set standard once the order has been secured. 

2. Ability to meet the needs. You must ascertain whether or not the prototype PCB manufacturers you are evaluating can work as per your specifications. Will they be able to produce PCBs as per the requirements? This can be in terms of the number of layers, tolerances, type of PCB material, specific requests, and more. 

3. PCB manufacturing cost. Cost is a major factor that requires your consideration. Minimizing the cost makes manufacturing a product successful; however, you must beware of those prototype PCB manufacturers who ask for very low fees. Invariably low price could mean issues in quality. You must try to balance quality and cost for optimum results. 

4. Deadline. Most companies that assemble PCBs require that the boards should be delivered to them by a fixed date. Making sure that this deadline is always met should be a major factor worth considering when selecting prototype PCB manufacturers.

5. Working in an alliance. Another major factor worth considering is the ability of the manufacturer to cooperate and forge good relations. Essentially, if a PCB manufacturer can keep up with the pace of PCB assembly and design, then it can be highly beneficial and this should be a significant factor when evaluating whether or not you should hire a particular manufacturer. Having cordial terms enables quick remediation of issues and benefits both the parties to a contract.

6. Sourcing of materials. Another major factor that many companies consider when finding prototype PCB manufacturers is the source from which the materials are procured. Some of them procure them from the cheapest sources and the result of this is that boards may vary in performance from one batch to another. Typically, the PCBs must be UL approved and meet other additional standards as well. 

You must steer clear of the brokers who take orders from companies and pass them to the prototype PCB manufacturers. They unnecessarily increase the cost and might also provide you with substandard boards that do not match the quality that you require. You must directly communicate with the manufacturers to ensure a hassle-free experience. Even if you have to pay some extra time on finding the right PCB manufacturer it will be worth the while if you get a good quality of output.

Different Popular Substrates For PCB Designing

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The fundamental attributes of PCBs considerably depend on the performance of the substrate material. Thus, if you want to improve the performance of your printed circuit board, first you have to optimize the substrate’s performance. Till now, so many materials have been developed and employed in different applications so that they can cooperate with advanced technologies and market trends.

Past few years have witnessed a substantial transformation in the market of printed circuit boards as the focus shifted from traditional hardware products such as desktop computer system to wireless communications such as server and mobile terminal. Mobile communication devices like smartphones have greatly fueled the progress of PCBs design in terms of density, lightness and multiple functions.

A PCB manufacturer with in-depth knowledge and rich experience knows this very well that printed circuit technology can never be achieved without substrate material as its technological requirements are closely related to the performance of the PCB. Therefore, the selection of substrate material plays a vital role in enhancing the quality and reliability of PCBs and also the end products in which PCBs will be installed. So, the question is -how to determine substrate material for your PCBs? Let’s find out the answer.

In the modern era, there is a trend of thin, miniature, compact and affordable electronic devices which further leads to the advent of different types of PCBs. An experienced PCB manufacturer can help you select the most suitable material for the particular PCB you need. But, for your general reference, there are some popular materials which are often used for designing PCBs.

FR-4

This material is counted amongst the most popular materials. It is a glass fabric-reinforced laminates which are bonded with flame resistant epoxy resin. In actual, it is not a material but a grade designated by NEMA, National Electrical Manufacturers Association. Here, the FR acronym stands for flame retardant and denotes that this material complies with UL94 V0.  

The advantage of using FR-4 is that it is cost-effective and very versatile. It offers electrical insulation with high dielectric strength and high strength-to-weight ratio. Other major attributes of FR-4 are that it is lightweight, moisture resistant and relative temperature resistant.

CEM-1

It is a cheaper substitute of FR-4 and stands for composite epoxy material. Just like CEM-1, it is also a classification by NEMA. It is made from paper and two layers of woven glass epoxy and phenol compounds. However, there is a restriction to its use. It is suitable for only single-sided printed circuit boards as laminates are incompatible with the process of metallization in holes. While dielectric properties are quite like FR-4 but its mechanical endurance is not good enough. It comes with a flammable rating of UL94 V0.

CEM-3

Unlike CEM-1, CEM-3 can be used for double-sided PCBs with plated holes. It also costs less than its counterpart FR-4. Depending upon its properties and applications, it can be categorized into the following subclasses:

·      1. Standard, with or without UV blocking

·      2. Compatible with lead-free reflow technology

·      3.  Halogen free, without antimony and phosphorus, non-toxic substance

·      4. With normalized index of CTI greater than or equal to 600.

So, whenever you need to PCBs for your application or project, contact a reputed PCB manufacturer who can provide right suggestions to ensure that PCBs produced at the end will be of high quality.