You need to take every step very cautiously when are trying to get your PCB manufactured. This is not just something that you could go to a local store and pick. Instead, PCB fabrication is a highly complex process. You will be required to make adequate preparations before you could get into PCB production. If you fail to pay attention to these factors, you are very likely to meet problems along the way.
What is your monthly and yearly requirement? How many PCBs do you need every month? Depending on the volume required, you should work with a PCB manufacturer. This of course will depend on the nature of the products that you are dealing with. If you are dealing with a high end product like smartphones then the production time will be much longer. On the other hand, if you are producing battery operated toy cars then the number of pieces you would need per month will be very high.
You need to decide whether you are going to outsource your requirements or you are going to get it done in house. The latest trend in the electronic industry is that all the PCB manufacturing needs are outsourced. This helps the electronic gadgets manufacturer focus on product design and product development. They do not have to be distracted with the PCB manufacturing process. You too should consider outsourcing your needs to a PCB manufacturer in China.
Depending on the product design, the PCB size needs to be determined. The board sizes should be kept as small as possible. This will help in keeping your device compact and it will also reduce the cost of the PCBs as the material costs will come down. We are talking about thousands of pieces of PCBs every year and cumulatively, even a minor variation with the PCB cost will add up to a huge value on the long run.
Prototype building is an important step in the PCB manufacturing process. Only upon successfully testing the prototype, you could confirm the proof of idea. Without building a successful prototype, your idea cannot be implemented and it cannot be turned into a device. You need to therefore engage highly skilled team to build your prototype. Take your time to review multiple companies before selecting a PCB prototype building company.
The number of layers in your PCB will vary depending on the complexity of the devices. This in turn will affect the PCB cost and the production time. Get things correct right from the start. Even if you were to take some time reviewing the best PCB manufacturing company, it is worth investing that time.
Take into account the timeline required for manufacturing your PCBs. You cannot speed up the entire process beyond a certain limit. Moreover, if you pressurize them to speed up things then the PCB testing process will be affected. Only when the manufacturer gets enough time, it is possible for them to deliver good quality PCBs.
