How to save costs in PCB factory project is finally known!

How to save costs in PCB factory project is finally known!

The PCB manufacturer, PCB designer and PCBA manufacturer will explain to you how PCB factory projects can save costs. Now we finally know!

As the hardware designer of PCB factory, the job is to develop PCB on time within the budget, and they are required to work normally! In this article, we will explain the manufacturing problem of the circuit board in the design, so that the cost of the circuit board is lower without affecting the performance. Keep in mind that many of the following techniques may not meet your actual needs, but if circumstances permit, they are good cost reduction methods.

1、 Keep all surface mount (SMT) components on one side of the board

If there is enough space available, the PCB manufacturer suggests that all SMT components can be placed on one side of the circuit board. In this way, the circuit board only needs to go through the SMT manufacturing process once. If there are components on both sides of the circuit board, it must be passed twice. By eliminating the second SMT run, manufacturing time and cost can be saved.

2、 Select components that are easy to replace When selecting components, select components that are easy to replace

Although this will not save any actual manufacturing costs, it is not necessary to redesign and redesign the circuit board even if the replaceable parts are out of stock. As most engineers know, it is in everyone's best interest to avoid redesign!

Here are some tips for selecting parts that are easy to replace:

1. Select the parts with standard size to avoid changing the design every time the parts become obsolete. If the replacement products have the same floor space, it is only necessary to replace a new part!

   
   

2. Before selecting components, please visit some manufacturers' websites to see if any components are marked as "outdated" or "not recommended for new design". ‍

3、 Select group size 0402 or larger

PCB manufacturers will choose smaller components to save valuable PCB space, but this design choice has a disadvantage. They need more time and effort to be placed correctly. This will result in higher manufacturing costs.

This is like an archer. If he shoots his arrow at a target 10 feet wide, he can hit it without paying too much attention. Archers can shoot without losing too much time and energy. However, if your target is reduced to only 6 inches, then the archer must concentrate and spend some time to hit correctly. Therefore, parts smaller than 0402 need more time and effort to complete the installation, which means that the cost will be higher.

4、 Understand and follow the manufacturer's production standards

Follow the standards given in the manufacturer. The cost will be kept low. Complex projects usually have higher manufacturing costs.

When designing a project, you need to know the following:

● Use standard stacks with standard materials.

● Try to use 2-4 layers of PCB.

● Keep the minimum trace/gap spacing within the standard spacing.

● Avoid adding special requirements as much as possible.

The PCB manufacturer, PCB designer and PCBA manufacturer will explain to you how PCB factory projects can save costs. Now we finally know!