Much of the basic information and knowledge that designers, developers and purchasers of electronic circuits take for granted may not be perceived with the same clarity by the manufacturer. Language barriers, overwork or simply ignorance can be the cause of problems that arise.

In order to avoid delays and quality problems due to insufficient or differing information, it should be avoided that production employees are forced to interpret.

Remember Murphy’s Law: “What can go wrong, will go wrong.”

You can look forward to technical and logical queries from your supplier. This is an indication that the matter is being dealt with and that no interpretations are permitted.

When changing production or suppliers, it is crucial not only to transfer inventory data, but also to provide detailed information on benefits, material specifications and more. An established supplier knows the customer’s requirements well and often fulfills them automatically. A new supplier must first acquire this knowledge.

Give your potential new supplier a chance and get to know them. Invite him to a personal meeting or even better: take the opportunity to get to know your partner and the production directly on site.

It is inappropriate to assess the suitability of a new supplier solely on the basis of a quotation, as many factors influence the price that are not fully represented in a quotation. Consider:

• Material availability
• Efficient panel utilization and waste/cutting
• Complete parameter conformity
• Priority given to price or speed
• Integration or separate listing of freight costs in the unit price.

Or: it’s the quantity that counts.

Development/functional or release samples?

Since the selection of the right production facility depends fundamentally on the quantity, some basic information is also important or helpful here.

Are these development samples? Possibly with a short delivery time? In this case, pure prototype production is an option.

If the sample quantity is also intended as a release sample for series production, then care should be taken to ensure that these are already manufactured in the corresponding production.
Particularly in the case of blanket requests for a wide range of quantities (2, 20, 200, 2000, 20000 pieces), the relevant information is very important for optimal production selection. Only in the rarest of cases are all requested quantity samples useful in one and the same production. The limited validity of the offer and, if necessary, a change of production if the threshold is exceeded should not be disregarded.

Material specification applies to both base materials and solder resists

• Is the information mandatory
  Must/target/recommendation/comparison
• May alternative material with identical values be used?
• May suggestions be made?

For initial or follow-up orders, it is important to discuss the choice of material.

Requirement for initial order? Yes / No
If so, this also applies automatically to repeat orders!
If not, does the choice of material (necessarily) have to be retained for repeat orders of this type?

As it often makes sense to switch production when production batch sizes change, this issue should be clarified in advance.

Color specifications
The simple specification of a color, e.g. “green”, already offers some scope for interpretation.
The color depends on the selection of the corresponding paint manufacturer. Can this be chosen freely or is there an (unspoken) specification, for example – as was the case last time? Or as with circuit board XY. As a rule, color deviations do not give any indication of the quality of the product.
Matt or glossy? Here, too, there is no difference in quality. The choice depends on the customer’s wishes. If no specification is made, production selects the best product currently available. One reason for selecting a matt paint may be, for example, camera-optical component position detection in assembly production.

It may be advisable to discuss this specification with your assembly service provider before the PCBs are manufactured.

This is actually the basic requirement for a number of companies. Order at the lowest price. Why should I recalculate?

You may be missing an opportunity here!

In order to avoid misunderstandings and queries after the order has been placed or even quality problems and complaints, it is advisable to compare quotations not only in terms of price but also in terms of confirmation of the technical specification.

Basically, all PCBauch: gedruckte Schaltung, engl.: PCB – Printed circuit boar… More manufacturers are fighting with the same, often blunt, weapons. Of course, there may be a price difference when comparing European and Asian production. But in some cases there are serious price differences, which are not only due to this.

Do you give the requested suppliers the same basis for calculation?
Are you actually comparing realistic values? Does the stock supplier have any other information? Have there ever been technical queries with answers that the “new” supplier may not yet have?

Do you carry out an incoming goods inspection? Does the required copper thickness match the delivery? Is it really 70µm copper?

Are the competitor’s prices realistic or are they bait prices?
Is high-quality base material (with UL approval) used? Is it guaranteed that no production changes take place in the background?
Etc.

You don’t attach any importance to it or it doesn’t matter to you. Then ok.
However, if these points are important to you and your product, you should not necessarily always order on the basis of price alone.

If you buy cheap, you buy twice.

Too much information in different places carries great risks.
In particular, copied text areas that are not or only partially changed.

Time-consuming queries are necessary if this is noticed. In the worst case, the wrong circuit board is manufactured or with the wrong parameters

Developers and designers of an assembly unit implement their professional knowledge very well in terms of system technology.
The quality of the data has risen to a very good level in recent years.

Presentations often deal with potential savings in the production of printed circuit boards. If you do this, you will save money. Or then, under certain circumstances, and of course always depending on the respective production, you could possibly save something. Does this make sense? Basically it’s true, but…

In most cases, the design is dictated by the area of application of the circuit. The component types used often already specify the design structure and number of layers. High-speed circuits define the use of the required material, etc.
In how many cases has the design actually been changed in order to save a few cents later on?

Where do really avoidable costs arise?
In communication.

• Duplicate/multiple information in different places
• Non-legible information in the form of a picture, handwritten, etc.
• Missing information tends to lead to interpretation
• Files with ambiguous names (gerber.zip)

The technical specifications define the right choice of materials and the corresponding production processes. This of course has a serious impact on the calculation of the PCBauch: gedruckte Schaltung, engl.: PCB – Printed circuit boar… More.

But are the guidelines really correct and necessary? Does it necessarily have to be 70µm base copper or is it necessary to specify the final copper? Has the surface been selected correctly? Can the benefit possibly be adapted and optimized for production? Does it make sense to dispense with an incoming goods inspection?

The selection of the right production method usually depends on the required PCBauch: gedruckte Schaltung, engl.: PCB – Printed circuit boar… More area, i.e. the total quantity.
We distinguish between different types of production:

• Prototypes
  Focus: small quantities, short delivery times
• Small series (individual orders up to approx. 5m² production batch size)
  Focus: short delivery times, attractive prices
• Series production (individual orders of around 5-20m² production batch size)
  Focus: attractive delivery time, low prices
• Mass production (blanket orders from approx. 10m² per production batch)
  Focus: low prices, standard technologies

The choice of suitable production also depends on other factors:

• Desired delivery time
• Target price
• Expected quantity for repeat orders (less, constant, more)

If your (new) supplier has various manufacturing options, you should definitely communicate your ideas and expectations to your new partner.

PCBauch: gedruckte Schaltung, engl.: PCB – Printed circuit boar… More prices are produced on a project and call-off basis
Transportation/delivery times play a particularly important role in Asian production
Where is the focus?
Courier freight – short delivery time
Individual air freight
Groupage freight – waiting time
Train/sea freight – longer waiting and transportation time

Seminars often emphasize that the complexity and number of layers increase the cost of a multilayerMultilayer (Mehrschicht-Technologie):Die Multilayer-Technolo… More design. This is usually unchangeable, as developers have usually made careful considerations. Even if not, a design change to save costs probably only makes sense for larger production volumes.

It is therefore advisable to accept the existing conditions. Is the stackup predefined or is there leeway in production? If specifications exist, it should be clarified whether they are mandatory. An economical offer and a shorter delivery time can be achieved if the required material is in stock. Material that is not in stock is more expensive due to the small order quantity and extends the delivery time.

There are also points that should be observed and specified with regard to the layer structure:

• Is the specification mandatory?
• May an alternative be offered?
• Is the specification for production standard or feasible with stock material?
• Does the specification mean a price increase?

Specify realistic quantities with your request. This helps the manufacturer to make the correct selection and generate the best possible price for the product.

Inquiries about quantities of

2, 20, 50, 100, 200, 2000, 5000, 10000 and 20000 pieces are extremely costly and often do not make sense.

The price validity is limited to a few weeks anyway. A new request is necessary.

The manufacturer does not know where the actual demand lies. Are prototypes currently required and you are only interested in a series price? Or would you like to order a larger quantity and request approval samples in advance?

Prototypes are often not manufactured in series production. The prices differ from each other.
On the other hand, if you order a larger quantity, you will usually receive a few approval samples in advance. These then come from exactly the same production line as the series products.

Another tip would be not to set the quantities rigidly to the default quantities. The price calculation of printed circuit boards is usually area-based and not quantity-based.

Example: You request 200 pieces with a total area of 1.95m².
If the manufacturer’s next price scale is possibly 2m², you will miss the chance of a lower price.

Call-off orders, i.e. the delivery of blanket orders in predefined call-off sizes at fixed times, are not always practical. This should be avoided, especially for small orders. In such cases, it is better to ask the manufacturer for optimized payment terms.

Basic conditions for call-off orders are often:

• Minimum size of individual call-offs
• Specify frame duration
• Do you want to keep the option to change data during frame time open?
• Define sensible delivery lot sizes
• Use sea freight
• Interim storage in Europe wanted?
• Do the date code specifications fit?

The manufacturer does not know your data. Make sure that you use meaningful and consistent labeling that prevents data confusion.
The project number or PCBauch: gedruckte Schaltung, engl.: PCB – Printed circuit boar… More designation including the issue status or change index should be recognizable and clearly visible across the board

– In the inquiry / order
– In the printed circuit boardauch: gedruckte Schaltung, engl.: PCB – Printed circuit boar… More specification
– In the file name of the ZIP file
– On the printed circuit boardauch: gedruckte Schaltung, engl.: PCB – Printed circuit boar… More (for testing)

Avoid using the same identifiers in development and always assign the new number when passing on to external parties. This ensures safety and avoids mix-ups and thus incorrect deliveries.

Change the identifier Gerber.zip to Distributor SDC-01_V1a.zip, for example.

There is a separate comprehensive chapter on the subject of copper thickness and copper cladding on our website. Please familiarize yourself with it.

Do you specify the base copper or end copper?
70µm base copper compared to 35µm base copper means a price difference of up to 20%. Does the “cheap” supplier actually use the same base value?
Measure during the incoming goods inspection and then decide.
The electrical connection is in place and the circuit works. But does it work in the long term? Is it the quality specified by your developer?

On the other hand, please decide whether the copper thickness specification is really necessary. Does this match the selected PCBauch: gedruckte Schaltung, engl.: PCB – Printed circuit boar… More technology and the existing current levels?
Not only in terms of price, but also in terms of production technology, things change for the better as soon as the right values are defined.

But the other manufacturer can do it! We’ll let you in on a secret: “He can’t!”

This argument is used again and again. Very often in connection with the copper thickness in relation to the technology. The “technology” is defined by the smallest structure width in terms of conductor track width or distances between copper conductors.

Due to physical principles, there are simply limits here that need to be tested.
Why does another manufacturer offer it anyway
? It is conceivable that the design could be adapted before the start of production by reducing track widths or increasing spacing.
These changes may change the functionality and may not actually be carried out by production. Since in most cases such minimal changes in value are not checked at goods receipt, it is not noticed at first. So why are there such demands then?

Does it really make sense to exclude X-outs, i.e. use with individual defective boards?

With modern placement machines, X-Out PCBs can be recognized in advance and remain unpopulated. For environmental reasons, X-Out benefits should not be used. These are hazardous waste and can be used without any problems.

Most manufacturers take care to deliver X-Out panels pre-sorted and packaged separately so that no additional work is required in subsequent processing.
Especially in the case of very small PCBs with a large number of individual PCBs in the panel, a 100% error-free panel delivery does not make sense.

See also the chapter “Benefit design”

A 100% quantity guarantee is not possible for production reasons. As PCBauch: gedruckte Schaltung, engl.: PCB – Printed circuit boar… More production is always order-related new production, you should be guided by the manufacturer’s production principles. The production panels, typically 18×24 inch ~460x610mm in size, can be equipped with individual boards or delivery panels in different ways. Depending on the technology, processing frames of different widths are required all the way around, so this has a direct impact on effective use.

Example:

Production panel 460x610mm results in a net area of approx. 28dm²
A 160x100mm (1.6dm²) map of Europe would mathematically fit 17 times onto this production panel. After deducting the circumferential processing frame and milling distances, we assume 15 PCBs on one panel.

When ordering 100 units, this means
100/15 = 6.66 -> 7 Production panel * 15 = 105 pcs.
plus. Safety production of 1-2 panels therefore results in a production quantity of 120 – 135 units.

What can/should be done with the surplus?

Please also note that a precise delivery quantity can have disadvantages in your area if one or the other module fails during assembly.

As mentioned above, it does not always make sense to insist on fixed production. Nevertheless, you should insist on being informed of a change in production.
On the one hand, it is extremely important for the manufacturer to select the optimum production facility for the corresponding requirements. On the other hand, the customer should be able to be sure that the same product quality can be expected for repeat orders and that there is no change in production in the background, as is often the case with dealers or low-cost foreign suppliers.
Check this in advance with your trusted manufacturer.

Optimum panel design is extremely important for the further processing of the PCBs during assembly. On the other hand, the design of the benefit, in particular the final size, ultimately defines the price of your PCBauch: gedruckte Schaltung, engl.: PCB – Printed circuit boar… More.

When making an inquiry, it is therefore important for the manufacturer to know whether a change or optimization of the benefit is possible in order to optimally utilize the production panel. Can alternatives be suggested or is the benefit fixed? Do components protrude beyond the edge of the PCBauch: gedruckte Schaltung, engl.: PCB – Printed circuit boar… More so that collisions could possibly occur if the panel design is incorrect?

Please also refer to the chapter “Designing benefits” with many tips and tricks.

The latest version of the IPC Class 2 guidelines applies as standard for the production of printed circuit boards.

IPC class 3 is available for the most technologically demanding PCBs with absolute reliability.

There is a widespread misconception that a Class 3 order automatically means better quality. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
Minimal price increases for class 3, especially from Asian manufacturers, are in no way commensurate with the effort required. Here, only a higher copper thickness is usually realized in the drill sleeves. All other points relating to class 3 are simply ignored.
See the technical chapter “IPC classes“

Prices should be entered in a fixed format (Excel)?

Please check in advance whether this actually makes sense. Even if it may seem sensible at first glance if you receive all quotations in such a way that the prices can be transferred to your existing calculation format via drag & drop, this harbors other sources of error.

It should be noted that transportation costs make up a significant proportion of product costs, particularly in the case of production in other Asian countries. The choice of transport system alone – courier service, air freight, consolidated air freight or even sea freight – makes a significant difference both in terms of price and delivery time and should be considered in a differentiated manner.

If a rigid quotation scheme is specified, it may not be possible for the manufacturer to make the differences clear and indicate the best possible price.

Open yourself up to the working methods of the various manufacturers. Only then will you reach your desired goal in the best possible way.