As the technology is evolving, we can see some really advanced devices coming in the market. Have you ever wondered how these modern and devices work so smartly and intelligently? Well, there are several parts and programing that goes into these devices. Among all these complex components and parts, one of them is the PCB or printed circuit board. These PCBs are used as a mechanical support for the electronic components and connect them electrically. These boards can help these components to use the conductive pathways and track the signals. But the main question is — how much these PCBs cost and how to control PCB cost? To know more about these details, read on.
PCB Board Cost Composition
Both the technicians and engineers wonder what the cost of the printed circuit board assembly can be. In fact they also wonder how they can reduce it. Before getting into the details about reducing the cost, let us talk about the cost composition of the printed circuit boards. There are a lot of costs that are added to the overall cost of the PCB. These are:
- Cost of technology
- Cost of labor
- Quantity
- Turnaround time
- Parts packaging
Cost of technology
One of the key aspects of the printed circuit board assembly is the type of technology used. The type also determines that cost of the technology too. The SMT i.e. surface mount technology can provide some savings on the cost for the manufacturers as the cost of setup is low and a lot of automation is involved. On the other hand, the SMT needs through-hold drilling on the surface in order to fit the additional SMD i.e. surface mount device. This can increase the cost to a huge extent.
Cost of labor
The cost of the labor can impact the overall cost of the printed circuit board assembly too. But this cost can vary from one geographical location to another in which these circuit boards are manufactured. Manufacturing the printed circuit boards require experienced and skilled labors for processing along with automated machineries. Hence, the cost of the labor can be quite significant. Thus, the printed circuit boards are manufactured mainly in the regions where the labors are available in cheaper price. The labor cost of assembling printed circuit boards in the South Asia is much less expensive than that of the ones manufactured in Western Europe and North America. So, if you want to control PCB cost, you can choose a manufacturer from China or any parts of South Asia.
Quantity
The simple rule of manufacturing industry is that the high quantities result in a lower cost. Hence, the total quantity of the printed circuit board assembly will also determine the total cost of these boards. When the printed circuit boards are created on a very large scale, the price per unit can drop quite significantly. This is because of the economic phenomenon that occurs because of the different factors that can have an impact on the prices of the assembly, programming as well as the cost of the startup. But these factors have an effect on first few units manufactured and the rest of the units can be manufactured without adding these costs. So, when a large number of printed circuit boards are manufactured, you are likely to spend lesser amount per unit.
Turnaround time
When you are calculating the total cost of the printed circuit board manufacturing, one of the most important aspects to be considered is the expected turnaround time. This turnaround time is referred to as the total time span which is required for completing the whole process of manufacturing the printed circuit boards. The process takes time as the manufacturers have to keep in mind the request of the buyers. As per the rule, when the turnaround time is expected to be faster, it comes at a very high cost. Thus, when the total turnaround time for assembling printed circuit boards is less, the cost can increase by one-third i.e. 33%.
Parts packaging
Some of the parts of the printed circuit board needs a lot of labors to pack and then assemble properly. Some of the electrical tools and devices like BGAs need a lot of effort as well as a lot of time to pack. As the BGAs come with lots of electrical pins, the cost of assembly can increase quite drastically as it may undergo a lot of examinations and tests to check to ensure that it is in the best quality.
How to Control PCB Board Cost?
Though it is quite evident that cost of printed circuit board can be quite a lot, you can control PCB cost. In order to save money on the printed circuit board assembly, you can try out these steps:
- Designing the PCB in right way
The best way to cut some of the costs of the printed circuit board assembly is by knowing the exact way to design the PCBs in the most optimal way. There are different factors that can actually determine the exact price of PCB. These are — technology, shape and size, finish type of the surface and layer count.
- Comprehensive BOM
BOM or Bill of materials is an important part of reducing the cost of printed circuit board assembly. You have to create BOM that can encompass all the subparts as well as the components that are required for you to manufacture these PCBs. You can use the design checklist of PCB for determining if the BOM has included all the essential items.
- Quantity and time of order
As mentioned above, the final product price depends a lot on the quantity as well as the order time. If you order a huge quantity, it will be cheaper in price. Also, when there is a lot of time to deliver the order, it can cost a lot lesser than the order with lesser turnaround time.
Conclusion
These are some of the ways on how to control PCB cost. Besides all these, you can also diminish the cost by lowering the quality of the printed circuit board. But that is not worth it. You need to make sure that the printed circuit boards that are delivered to you are of best quality which are properly tested and inspected. Hence, you need to choose one of the best manufacturers for the printed circuit board assembly.
