5 Things You Should Look for in a PCB Manufacturing Company

As printed circuit boards (PCBs) continue to gain wider use in various electronic devices, from cell phones and computers to household appliances and even automobiles, the number of PCB manufacturers is increasing. At the same time, PCB designs are becoming increasingly complex, especially with trends like miniaturization on the rise.

For both of these reasons, it is crucial to take your time and be cautious about the PCB manufacturer that you decide to work with to fabricate your PCBs, as the choice you make can have a huge impact on the outcome of your products.

It pays off to do some research into the different PCB manufacturers so that you can see for yourself which one aligns best with your specific needs.

What are the main factors to consider when choosing a PCB manufacturing company to work with?

When you begin your research into various PCB manufacturers, you may not know where to begin. After all, with so much information often presented on each company’s website, how do you identify what factors are critical to look for and what information is less relevant to your search?

To help you decide which company to choose, keep the following main factors in mind as you compare various PCB manufacturers to one another:

1. Expertise and manufacturing capabilities

One of the primary elements to think about as you consider a prospective PCB manufacturer is their level of expertise. Fortunately, you can typically glean this information from their company history.

If you see that a particular manufacturer has a wealth of experience in the industry and has been in business for many years, it is usually a strong indication that they know what they are doing and their work can be trusted.

You may want to also look at some of their customer reviews to see how others feel about their services, and try to see if the company has past experience with manufacturing PCBs for customers in your particular industry.

It is critical to figure out a company’s manufacturing capabilities early on since not all PCB manufacturers offer the same range of circuit boards. Make sure that a given company offers the type of board you need or that they are capable of creating custom PCBs before you look further into them.

2. Product quality

Another key matter to think about during your search for a PCB manufacturer is the quality of each manufacturer’s products. When it comes to deciding the quality of their PCBs, there are several factors that you should consider.

For a PCB to be deemed top-quality, it should have a high-density design, good conductivity, high-speed communication lines, and long-term durability. In addition, there should be no signs of errors, such as inaccurately positioned drill holes or board warping, as such issues can negatively impact a PCB’s performance.

An easy way to judge the overall quality of a given PCB is by taking a look at its final E-test metrics.

3. Product certifications

In the PCB manufacturing industry, there are a number of possible different certifications. However, there are a few in particular that you may want to keep an eye out for depending on your industry, as these certifications pertain to the guarantee of PCB safety and functionality.

For example, if a manufacturer produces PCBs that are AS9100D/ISO 9001:2015 certified, this indicates that the boards have been approved by the International Organization for Standardization and even meet the standards of the aerospace industry.

If they have Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) certification, this indicates the manufacturer follows specific protocols to minimize their waste, and recycles product components.

Likewise, if they are Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) certified, they do not use hazardous materials, such as lead, cadmium, or mercury, in the production of their PCBs.

4. On-time delivery

Receiving your finished PCBs will get you one step closer to completing the creation of your new product, so you will likely want to get your hands on these PCBs as soon as possible.

If you have to wait weeks or even months for your PCBs, it could throw a wrench into your production plans and lead to harmful delays, which is why you should choose a PCB manufacturer that routinely meets deadlines.

You should look for companies that have an excellent shipping record and that can provide timely and consistent shipping to their customers.

Generally, when a company offers in-house shipping, it is a good sign, as they are more likely to provide end-to-end customer care.

5. Cost

As with any service, it is important to find a provider that aligns with your budget. When it comes to PCBs, quality and design tend to be fairly connected to pricing, so searching for the cheapest possible option may not get you the results you want.

Thus, you should try to find a manufacturer that maintains a good balance between high-quality manufacturing practices and affordable prices.

It is generally quite easy to obtain an initial quote from most PCB manufacturers, so before you decide on which one to go with, you should compare the prices of their services.

How Circuits Central Can Help Meet Your PCB Manufacturing Needs

If you are in search of reliable electronic manufacturing companies in Toronto and you would like to work with a PCB manufacturer that meets all of the criteria outlined above, Circuits Central can satisfy all of your PCB-related needs.

As a world-class electronics manufacturer, we offer a full spectrum of services that include PCB layout designing, full turnkey manufacturing, assembly, testing, and product upgrading, among others.

Our team of PCB experts always goes above and beyond to meet and satisfy the needs of our valued customers, who come from a wide variety of different industries. It is our ultimate mission to provide both excellent customer service and support, as well as top-quality products and services.

No matter what your requirements are when it comes to the volume or complexity of the PCBs you need, we are confident that we can offer competitive pricing and fast turnaround times while still maintaining products of the highest performance levels.

With our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, our highly advanced and innovative technologies, and our extensive knowledge and experience, we are capable of taking on even the most complicated projects and delivering effective results.

Regardless of what stage you are at in the PCB production process, we are confident that leveraging our services will bring you nothing but advantageous outcomes.

For more information about our approach to PCB manufacturing or to learn more about the latest technologies that we employ in our production facility, call Circuits Central at 1 (888) 602-7264 or email us at info@circuits-central.com.