You’re in the market for some printed circuit board assemblies (PCBA) for your new product and you need to find the right supplier. You've looked online, gotten recommendations from friends and the choices are dizzying. Should you look domestically or overseas? What do you do now? Sourcing PCBA doesn't have to be difficult, but there are two basic questions you need to answer.
There are three PCBA classes, 1,2 or 3. The requirements and definitions are set out by the IPC, the global trade association serving the printed board and electronics assembly industries, along with their customers and suppliers.
Class 1 - Simple, non-critical electronics. Considered disposable. They’re made inexpensively with cheaper materials and components.
Class 2 - More robust and expensive electronics. Materials are more expensive, component testing takes place before installing in the PCBA, and the finished product is tested before it leaves the factory.
Class 3 - Mission critical electronics such as medical, aerospace and defense industries. Materials are the highest quality and must pass specific UL tests. A lot of individual testing goes into the components before they are put into an assembly.
Because Class 1 and 2 PCBAs aren’t mission critical, they are almost always made overseas where they can be made much less expensively. Class 3 printed circuit boards are typically made in the U.S. Unless you require a Class 3 PCBA, you’ll usually achieve a higher cost savings by purchasing boards from overseas.
If you’re in the U.S. and need a small number of PCBAs, maybe for prototyping/testing or you need orders in the hundreds and low-to-mid thousands, you can generally find a lower cost through a domestic supplier. However, if you are looking at quantities of around 5,000 or more, it’s generally accepted that you’ll find better prices overseas, typically in China or Vietnam.
>>>Once you have those two items nailed down, we recommend another step:
Are PCBAs all you need? What about the housing? Do you already have suppliers for the rest of your product?
Think about it: Why purchase the finished boards from one supplier, wiring from another and housing from another? Do you want to manage the logistics of getting all the pieces together and then building the product? Where is the cost savings in that?
The ideal situation is to find a trusted partner that makes more than PCBAs. In other words, don’t just look for an electronic manufacturing services (EMS) shop that makes PCBAs, look for a contract manufacturer that does EMS.
Because contract manufacturers are making products for multiple customers they have production capacity as well as experience with multiple capabilities that other manufacturers don’t have. They aren’t engaged in sales and marketing. All they do is make the product, giving them greater flexibility to respond quickly to increases and decreases in production requirements. That means you don’t have to make investments in additional equipment or workforce. Using the right contract manufacturer overseas will protect both your intellectual property and the integrity of your product. You’re free to focus on growing your business.
A contract manufacturer with multiple capabilities in addition to EMS is a solution that can pay off in the long run as you look to scale the growth of your company.
While you’re looking for a contract manufacturer that can provide PCBAs and complex electronic box build assemblies, look for those with experience in working in an assortment of materials and processes.
Types of processes include:
Questions to ask a plastics manufacturer
>>> Watch our video: The 10 Commandments of Plastic Injection Molding <<<
Types of processes include:
What you’re looking for:
Find a CM that meets the requirements defined by American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) as well EU standards. They should have a thorough understanding of a variety of raw materials, the appropriate manufacturing processes and finishes.
Types of processes include:
What to look for when selecting a manufacturer for your rubber components:
Look: It's pretty easy to find someone who can put parts on a circuit board, but what if you could find someone to handle production of your entire project, whether it's a simple PCBA, a complex box build or a brand new product requiring specific tooling? You owe it to yourself to at least explore that possibility to see if working with a contract manufacturer is the right fit for you.
[Originally published August 2017]
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