When it comes to choosing a contract manufacturer to outsource your printed circuit board (PCB) assembly jobs, there are seven areas to look at when deciding upon the optimal PCB Assembly enterprise:
1. Location: Choosing a contract manufacturer that is within a drivable distance from your business gives you more flexibility and agility to adapt to altering conditions particularly when a deadline is imminent. A PCB assembly business that is in your regional region also is a lot more handy when internet site surveys want to be performed and when a shortage of materials and components occurs.
two. Functionality of Manufacturing Equipment: The functionality of the manufacturing equipment of a PCB contract manufacturer is vital to their capability to fulfill the contract’s requirements. Do they have new or obsolete gear? Are the choose-and-spot machines, reflow ovens, and wave soldering equipment effectively maintained? Reviewing their upkeep logs can give you the confidence that the firm is really serious about quality. This builds trust in the small business partnership.
three. Assembly Employees Certifications: To assure the PCB contract assembler can total your production run on schedule requires not only nicely maintained gear, but also a certified employees of assembly technicians. So, evaluation the education and certification records of the assembly staff. Guarantee they have obtained the technical credentials to enable them to execute their assigned tasks. For these employees members who are not certified, check on their progress in the certification course of action.
4. High-quality Systems: Does the assembly business have a quality technique in spot such as ISO 9001:2008? spi vs i2c should be the minimum certification attained by the firm to assure they can deliver a high-quality item. If it has yet another top quality method in place, is the corporation at present certified by a licensed registrar? Lastly, would the PCB assembly firm agree to invest in becoming certified to the same good quality system as your corporation? By doing so, it implies the firm is committed to a long-term enterprise relationship with you.
five. Shipping Deadlines: The potential to meet shipment deadlines is a vital metric for you to figure out if a contract manufacturer has the capacity, personnel and sources to meet your business requires. When probable, receive records from the PCB manufacturer with regards to their potential to meet deadlines. Obtain a detailed understanding of who is manufacturing the PCBs and exactly where they are produced.
6. Parts Procurement: Conduct a critique of their procurement department. Do they preserve an sufficient in-home inventory? Are their vendors local, regional, or geographically diverse and what is the nature of those vendor relationships? Are the relationships close adequate such that expense discounts can simply be passed down to you? How does their procurement department deal with tough-to-fine or obsolete parts? Do they have procurement specialists who have knowledge in sourcing substitute components for obsolete components? Can they take your schematics/drawings and create a Bill of Components with little or no help by you?
7. Cost Effective Pricing: Because labor rates differ, you ought to obtain an itemized breakdown of the total expense of manufacturing. Verify what is incorporated in the manufacturing costs. Then you ought to conduct a cost comparison study to figure out if their expenses are commensurate with the industry typical and their competitors. Make certain you have and precise comparison of all costs and the bottomline price tag.
By using the 7-point checklist above, you can accurately decide irrespective of whether a distinct PCB Assembly House is a great fit for your organization and PCB assembly requires.