11 Questions For Custom Printed Circuit Board Services

Custom printed circuit board; you always need to address some specific needs. Choosing a suitable PCB supplier is very important. You need to understand not only its strength but also whether the PCB supplier can provide quality service.

If you ignore the professional custom PCB service, it may cause a series of problems such as printing, assembly, logistics, etc.
In this post, we will discuss 11 tips to help you choose the right custom PCB supplier.

(Inside a custom printed circuit board supplier facility)

1. Should you Send the File Directly to the PCB Supplier?

There are several necessary files you should share directly to PCB suppliers for them to process a custom PCB order. Here is an outline of the essential data to include.

• All copper layers
• Share details about all paste, silkscreen, and solder mask layers.
• A valid silhouette, with slots and cutouts, indicates if possible.
• Submit at least one ASCII drill file in the Excellon format for every drilling process. The drill file ought to encompass tool codes as well as diameter information.
• Provide at least one fabrication drawing or suchlike documents.

(Sample of relevant records to send your supplier for a custom printed circuit board)

2.What to Do if You Need to Cancel the Order

It is essential to note that all PCB service providers cannot cancel the order once you make payments. Nevertheless, here are suggestions for steps to take.

• You could delete any PCB order or contact the service company to adjust the Gerber files if you did not release the payment.
• If you release the amount, but the law is yet to start producing, ensure that you contact the service provider. They can consider canceling the order.
• In a case where the custom PCB orders are already at the production stage, you cannot cancel it. The solution is to contact the service provider to put the shipment on hold to save on shipping costs.

(Custom PCB already ordered from your supplier)

3. Can you Ask for the Mode of Transportation?

Most times, the supplier determines the method of transportation. The following factors help to determine the optimal transportation method.

• The compensate period
• The freight expense
• Origin accessibility and address
• Destination accessibility and address

PCB methods of transport include courier, ground, ocean, and other conventional means. The delivery schedule can be yearly, monthly, weekly, or even daily. Also, some commodities involve hazards.

Hence, PCB can ship as loose, palletized, crated, or bulk depending on the order's nature. The specific piece count, dimensions, weight, and type of packages also help determine the transportation method.

(A supply line of a custom PCB manufacturer)

4. Who is Responsible for Import and Customs Fees?

Usually, the client encounters charges on customs duties and also taxes for a package they purchase on PCB for the following reasons.

• Taxes and duties are typically not part of the box's price and might not be part of the overall shipping costs the client pays to PCB.
• When one is shopping for PCB, they are buying products from overseas. For that reason, sometimes, the client has to pay customs duty.
• The tax amount depends on the source of the custom PCB order, the type of product the customer purchases, the number of products, and the package's overall weight. Different nations demand individual tax policies considering certain products. It is prudent to confirm with the local authority.
• The buyer is accountable for paying VAT on all the purchases they make on PCB. This step takes the buyer through the VAT clearance protocol of their local authority in their region of residence.

(Inside a Hi-tech PCB manufacturer’s plant)

5.PCB Supplier Extends Order Time

When dealing with any process of manufacturing, the time factor is of great essence. A client may have issues regarding how long their custom printed circuit board order will take to arrive. Whether it is on time or not, the outcome majorly depends on the PCB manufacturer. However, there are several steps the client can apply to make sure the procedure moves quickly.

Opting to work with a quick turn PCB services provider is a crucial step. The service provider should be able to help you develop highly-reliable custom products and supply tips necessary to make sure their PCB orders come on time.

The custom circuit board supplier should offer the support clients require to file requests with fast delivery, both domestic and international. They should advocate costs drive to help tighten the lead times and rescheduling in delays or errors.

6.Understand Whether PCB Suppliers Accept Small Orders

The limit on the value of PCB orders depends on the supplier the client employs. Unlike most other PCB assembly service providers, some firms do not set limits to the PCB order size's minimum order regulations.

Such PCB suppliers accept even single size orders from the clients. Clients are free to include multiple options in one-panel order. However, the client should check on some technical factors to help stabilize the custom printed board.

(does your supplier accept small orders of the custom printed circuit board)

7. Online Ordering can Complete Orders Faster

Online PCB services offer low-cost and quick PCB services in the business. The platforms offer ultra-competitive pricing on one to ten-days fast response PCB orders. Furthermore, they provide pricing choices for 15 and 20 days periods.

With contact with manufacturing faculties in Asia and the USA, such online companies can offer quick response circuit board solutions for most industries, such as military, aerospace, consumer products, industrial applications, transportation, and medical.

Most online PCB orders feature a complete engineering review before beginning circuit board manufacturing. Therefore, it eliminates delays and quality troubles.

(Buying online will enable faster completion of your custom printed circuit board order)

8. Can help the Supplier Provide Inventory Management

Online PCB inventory management systems can help you attain oversight. You can make decisions about your PCB, including finance and more. Instead of banking on unreliable methods, you require a robust, adaptable inventory management solution. You can bring back different panels of your PCB together at one point and attain an extensive view of your undertakings.

The online PCB inventory management system is a powerful solution that helps you accomplish more than conventional methods. Whether it features cloud or on-premise, the system can facilitate PCB procedures and enhance alliance for organizations that operate in multiple states or collaborate all through the supply chain.

Online PCB inventory management can help solve the difficulties commonly associated with conventional methods, for example, being hard and costly to implement and employ. It furthermore allows numerous languages, currencies, and legislations. Besides, it enables personal divisions or regions to apply rules while sharing data. Lastly, the system is adaptable with the capacity to scale whenever it is vital.

(A technician conducting various inventory management techniques on a PCB)

9.Shelf Life Service for Quality Issues

Shelf life service in PCB is majorly about solderability. Often, the solderability timer starts to run whenever the final finish applies. The classification of the finish is what determines the life of the shelf in months. It is mostly either six months or 12 months.

For instance, Organic Solderability Preservative is a water-based, natural texture finish that typically applies for copper pads. The preservative selectively joins copper and preserves the copper pad before it solder. The tech is environmentally friendly, gives a coplanar cover, is lead-free, and demand less maintenance.

(inspection of quality standards on a custom PCB order)

10.The Realization of Custom PCB Guarantee Function

Custom PCB guarantee is a core element in nearly all electronic appliances, including phones and laptops. With the rise in the market, the figure of PCB service providers is on the growth. Top PCB service providers commonly offer a full batch of the custom PCB services.

These services encompass the PCB editor, the capture tech, a router, a regulation administrator, CAD manufacturing interfaces, and the element equipment. The PCB editor allows users to edit the layers, both single and multi-layered.

It will enable both two-dimensional and three-dimensional editing of the portrait. All in all, 3D rendering is preferable since it allows users to vividly analyze both the outer and inner designs.

A helpful PCB guarantee can assist in lessening the chances of making errors and a short circuit. Above all, an efficient PCB service provider has outstanding opportunities to study the industry.

(A PCB with PCB guarantee of quality)

11.One-stop Quality Service

To offer one-stop-services to clients, we at OurPCB deliver PCB Assembly services together with our FR4 PCB, Ceramic PCB, and MCPCB.

At the moment, we offer valid PCB Assembly services for the following categories:

• COG bonding
• Product Assembly
• COB Die Bonding
• Auto Insertion
• Surface Mounted Components
• Leaded Type Components

At OurPCB, we can, moreover, multiply the complete products, from the custom printed board through SMT, to complete products. Our clients only ought to share various real samples, and our experts prepare products for them. They include:

• Soldering Machine
• AOI inspection
• Development with customers
• Customers Satisfaction
• Continuous Improvement
• Process Standardization
• Intensification of Training
• Quality Policy

Conclusion

Since the custom printed circuit boards play an enormous role in electronic devices, the type of PCB you select should be suitable enough to meet your expectations.

When looking for credible, cost-effective, and sturdy PCB products, clients can count on trustworthy service providers. At OurPCB, we meet these requirements. We offer our services that provide PCB solutions, which feature customs that fit even the unique needs.