You’ve spent months developing your PCB layout, and now you are finally ready for the prototyping stage… or are you?

In this blog, we are going to examine some of the most common hurdles you are likely to encounter, as well as some that are less common (but potentially just as catastrophic), before you green-light your next production run. Armed with some of these insights and a few key decisions made at this early stage in the process, you can greatly increase the likelihood of a successful outcome with your next PCB project.

Manufacturer-associated PCB Assembly Challenges

Component Sourcing and Supply Chains

Before the prototyping circuit board stage can begin, ensure you have the correct components and materials. If you are in charge of a startup and relatively new to the world of PCB manufacturing, simply obtaining the parts you need can be a significant challenge. There is currently a global semiconductor shortage that is having a real impact on production cycle lead times.
Quick-turn PCB manufacturers are frequently tasked with sourcing components that are no longer in production. There is also a risk for new developers, in particular, who are tempted to procure items themselves, only to be sold counterfeit parts. Wildly fluctuating component and material prices also contribute to procurement woes.

How to solve the challenge:
As ever, who you choose to partner with is the single biggest step towards success that you can make. Leading PCB manufacturers, such as Bay Area Circuits, offer comprehensive procurement services that not only guarantee you have the items you need when you need them but also leverage their massive buying power to help you obtain them at the right price.

Design for Manufacturing (DFM) Conflicts

Your new PCB design has been thoroughly tested in software, but has it been physically constructed as envisioned?
Ten, misplaced components, unusual configurations, and size issues only present themselves when the actual production begins. That is particularly unfortunate, of course, because it is precisely at this point that design-manufacturing conflicts are most costly.

Solving this challenge:
The key to solving design-manufacturing challenges is to utilize the expertise and experience of your trusted quick-turn PCB manufacturer before the PCB assembly stage begins. PCB manufacturers can review your PCB layout and provide feedback on the design.

Quality Control and Testing

Developing comprehensive PCB test procedures requires a significant amount of time and technical expertise. Some issues can only be diagnosed under very specific conditions or after an extended period. Balancing thorough testing with production speed and cost pressures requires careful planning and execution.
Visual inspections with a trained eye can detect obvious problems, such as missing components or poor-quality soldering; however, more rigorous testing processes are necessary to verify performance and functionality with a high degree of accuracy.

How to solve the challenge:
PCB manufacturers utilize statistical process control and data analytics to optimize their testing processes during the prototyping of circuit boards. Bay Area Circuits, for example, has invested heavily in advanced testing technologies that can handle high-density interconnect (HDI) boards, fine-pitch components, and multi-layer designs. Boundary Scan Testing has also emerged as a vital tool for testing complex circuitry on the latest electronics products without requiring physical access to every single connection point.

Thermal Management of PCBs

Electronic components and circuitry generate heat, and managing this heat is crucial for ensuring reliability and optimal performance. A poorly designed PCB with inadequate thought for heat dissipation can ultimately lead to component failure as devices become ever smaller and more powerful.

How to solve the challenge:
During the design stage, heat-sensitive components should be given appropriate consideration and placed carefully to minimize the risk of overheating. Power components may need to be fitted with heat sinks or thermal vias to help conduct heat away before it builds up in critical areas. Thermal considerations also affect the PCB assembly process.

Production Planning

One of the issues often overlooked is ensuring a smooth transition from the design and prototype phase to production manufacturing. Design decisions made early on dictate production costs, overall production quality, and manufacturability.

How to solve the challenge:
Leading prototype assembly providers help plan for production transition from a very early stage. They help make decisions based on component choices and assembly techniques that support frictionless prototype development.

Choosing the Right Provider for Prototypes

Not all quick-turn PCB manufacturers are equal. Ensure that yours can offer fully flexible services backed by comprehensive support throughout all stages of design, development, and production. Low up-front quotes may be attractive, but in the long run, experience and expertise ultimately pay dividends.
With a 30,000-square-foot facility in California, Bay Area Circuits is a proud member of the IPC. BAC offers industry-leading full turnkey, short-run, and quick-turn PCB assembly, as well as prototyping of circuit boards.

Request a quote for your next PCB project: instantdfm.bayareacircuits.com