Bare Necessities: What you should look for in a PCB supplier

The bare printed circuit board — or PCB — is the heart of your electronic assembly. Put simply, if a PCB isn’t fabricated properly, your assembly isn’t going to work properly, either. Not every supplier has the capabilities and processes required to incorporate the critical features of a PCB. Circuit density, controlled impedance, and surface finishes, not to mention a commitment to get PCBs where they need to be, when they need to be there, are all elements that have to be considered.

That’s why finding the right supplier should be one of your highest priorities.

We look at four elements for choosing the correct supplier for each unique assembly: Complexity, Delivery Times, ITAR Certification, and Cost.

  1. Complexity: we assess our suppliers for technical capabilities like:
    • Controlled Impedance Testing
    • Rigid-Flex technology
    • Specialty RF material experience
    • Metal back PCBs and bonding capabilities
    • Multiple surface finish capabilities
    • And more
  2. Delivery Time Requirements are a critical variable, especially with lingering questions about the supply chain. Because the timing of a bare board’s delivery should match the longest lead time component, we assess each case with each customer as to their delivery needs: you may need a quick turnaround for a protype, or a long lead time to achieve the lowest cost. We work to identify suppliers that most accurately match those delivery needs.
  3. For customers whose products require ITAR Certification, we maintain a list of reliable suppliers that are located in the U.S. and abide by government regulations related to the defense industry.
  4. Cost is always an important element, but it may not always be the key driver for our customers. When pricing is the most important factor, we have the option to use our offshore suppliers to reach your — and our — cost goals.

Finally, many of our team have worked for PCB fabricators and have first-hand knowledge of those industries’ processes and capabilities, which gives us an extra edge on choosing the right suppliers.

For more information about this and other elements of our assembly process, click here.

More Posts

LESS WORK, LOWER COSTS, BETTER OUTCOMES

Customer Advantages of Turnkey Contract Manufacturing

When a business embarks on a manufacturing project — like the construction of printed circuit boards, wire harnesses, and cable assemblies — they often have two choices when it comes to the process: the turnkey approach or the consignment approach.
On the face of it, the consignment option, in which a business acquires its own materials and delivers them to the manufacturer, may seem more cost effective. However, we’ve found through years of experience that the turnkey approach, in which the manufacturer manages the parts and materials acquisition as well as the product construction, offers several compelling advantages related to cost, timeframes, and efficiency.

NICHE ELECTRONICS ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF FLORIDA FACILITY

Niche Electronics has announced its latest expansion project today. The company will boost the production area of its Sarasota, Florida, facility by 50% and incorporate numerous upgrades. The entire project will be completed by March 31, 2025.

NEW PRODUCT INTRODUCTION: A PROVEN APPROACH 

New Product Introduction (NPI) refers to the process of developing a defined process to populate the circuit assembly. But approaches to NPI can vary from company to company – and so can the outcomes.

Have Questions?

We're Here to Help.