TOP 3 ASSETS TO LOOK FOR WHEN SEEKING A HIGH-QUALITY PCB ASSEMBLY MANUFACTURER FOR YOUR NEXT PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD PROJECT.
Imaging, etching, laminating, drilling, coating, and printing—by the time you’ve constructed and fabricated your printed circuit board, you’ve invested a significant amount of time and energy into your project. Next, you’ll want to ensure that the final, essential step of assembly goes smoothly and does your PCB design justice. And if you are outsourcing your PCB assembly, the success of your product relies on choosing a high-quality and trustworthy PCB assembly company. Thankfully, there are 3 key factors that will help you filter through and pair down your options to find the best PCB assembly manufacturer for your project: their production process and capabilities, experience and quality standards, and their customer support.
PRODUCTION PROCESS & CAPABILITIES
It’s important to understand the scope of what a PCB assembly company offers to ensure they are equipped to take on your circuit board assembly project. Check whether they assemble flex, rigid-flex, and rigid circuits. How turnkey are their PCB assembly services? Do they offer component sourcing, shipping, or prototype assembly? Will they consult in the PCB design phase to help you choose the best solution for your needs? What about automation, optimization, and repeatability—how efficient and cost effective are their PCB assembly services?
Ask questions about and pay attention to their range of equipment; for example, when soldering, how do they inspect pace and ensure the best solder possible? Are they a full-service manufacturer or do they lean more niche? What do their lead times look like? Securing answers to these questions will help clarify if a particular PCB assembly company is the right fit for your project.
EXPERIENCE AND QUALITY STANDARDS
If your printed circuit board is not assembled correctly, it will hinder your entire process and potentially damage your reputation. Make sure you are teaming up with a PCB assembly manufacturer whose experience and quality control standards match the requirements of your project.
They should offer visual inspections as well as more involved testing options. Inquire if they perform in-house AOI testing services to ensure a circuit board has been properly assembled.
Check out their track record, too—do their employees consistently, repeatedly, produce a high standard of product?
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
When interviewing a PCB assembly company, pay attention to their responsiveness. Are they quick to get the ball rolling, or is it difficult to get someone on the phone? Make sure your pace and timelines align.
It’s imperative to choose a company that listens well and understands your project needs. You want someone who will find the best solution for you, not just serve up a “one size fits all” approach. Will they be a trusted partner to accompany you through the assembly process and beyond? Or will they be more of an order-taker, less concerned with the bigger picture of your company, product, and goals? What knowledge, expertise, and value can they add beyond PCB assembly to help you get the most out of your project?
Lastly, ask what happens if you need to change the specifications for your project… will your PCB assembly company work through that challenge with you? Are they able to make changes quickly and efficiently?
IS AMTECH THE RIGHT PCB ASSEMBLY PARTNER FOR YOU?
As fellow entrepreneurs, we’ve been there… We’ve worked with and waded through partners who oversold and under delivered. We understand the weight of entrusting a critical part of your business with an outsourced partner, and we take our responsibility as a PCB assembly manufacturer very seriously.
We are a multi-generational company who has a long track record of delivering innovative solutions to electronic manufacturing challenges. Amtech offers turn-key PCB assembly services in prototype quantities or low-volume to mid-volume production runs. Our full service solution covers the whole process, including ordering all the components, PCB manufacturing, PCB assembly, testing, and final shipment.
We created our own custom software to improve our process and eliminate variability. We work with you to develop a process and solution that is the right fit for your business. Our industry leading equipment and technology deliver a high-quality result every time. And the value doesn’t end there; Amtech will come alongside you as a trusted long-term partner, for your PCB assembly needs and beyond, so you can focus on your next innovative product.
Get in touch to learn more about our PCB assembly services and discuss whether we are a good fit for your next PCB design project.