Benefits of Outsourcing PCB Assembly
The increasing popularity and prominence electronics in the consumer sector has resulted in an increase in the demand for PCB assembly services. Although manufacturers originally manufactured PCBs solely in their own operations, OEMs have increasingly outsourced PCB production over the years.
Outsourcing PCB assembly is always a fantastic option for both established firms and up-and-coming startups. The advantages of outsourcing are various, ranging from navigating the complexity of circuit board production to keeping up with the costs of a manufacturing line and staff. Today we dive into the benefits of outsourcing your PCB assembly to a local partner.
Aftermarket & Other Services Possibility
A contract manufacturer should be a business partner who is invested in your success. The correct vendor can be your partner in everything from PCB design layout through distribution – and beyond.
Such a vendor will have an engineering team on hand to assist with redesigns and part substitutions. You’ve hit the jackpot if you’re attempting to concentrate on a new product while simultaneously needing someone to produce a legacy product.
The collaboration might continue after your product enters the market. A full-service PCB vendor can help conduct a failure study to determine how rapidly items break in the actual world. That’s critical information arriving at your door or email.
When it comes to creating an all-in-one manufacturing experience, contract PCB fabrication is the long-term solution.
Added Engineering Resources
Whether your organization has a big or small engineering department, there will always be occasions when there is more work than your personnel can manage. These periods often overlap with the creation of a printed circuit board, which means your local printed circuit board contract manufacturer is in an excellent position to serve as a valuable technical resource for you. PCB CMs often employ a comprehensive engineering team capable of handling a broad variety of design jobs. Your PCB CM can handle all of the additional work that you need, from schematic capture to complete PCB layout.
Production regardless of desired volume
Regardless of order amount, several contract EMS vendors provide the advantages of outsourcing electronics manufacturing. They don’t care whether you require a small batch of a few hundred PCBs or a quantity of up to 10,000 completed printed circuit boards. They will assist you in both situations.
The assembly of large numbers of PCBs at much reduced prices necessitates massive expenditures in cutting-edge SMDs and control devices, as well as the hiring of specialized staff who must be taught to run the manufacturing line effectively.
A good EMS assists its clients in the production of high-mix low-volume (HMLV) PCB assembly series, which typically range from tens to hundreds of product versions and/or configurations, production batches of 1 to 1000 pieces, and production of low-volume high-mix (LMHV) PCB assembly series, which range from thousands to tens of thousands of pieces.
Greater Capacity
Outsourced PCB assembly boosts capacity in the same manner as it lowers lead times: a larger staff and additional workspace.
Furthermore, a contractor will be more aware of economies of scale. When order numbers reach the 10,000s, you may need to alter the board to make it more manufacturable on a bigger scale. A reputable assembly service may help with this.
And, since it always seems to come down to cost in the end, keep in mind that if you want to assemble high-volume orders on your own, you’ll need very costly mounting and inspection equipment to satisfy capacity requirements.
Reduced Lead Times
Your PCB contractor very definitely has long-standing ties with a variety of component manufacturers. The seller will have a well-established supply chain with component brokers and other people that can help you with lead times.
You and your facilities, on the other hand, are already under duress. Assembling circuit boards might need a big workforce and a lot of space. If you don’t have either, you won’t be able to send orders to consumers very fast.
An electronics manufacturer specializing in PCBs can complete an order far quicker than your firm.
Manufacturing Experience with a Variety of PCB Types and Technologies
Local PCB makers have been making circuit boards for a long time and are well-versed in the needs of various PCB kinds and technologies. Their equipment and methods are fine-tuned to generate the finest quality result, ensuring that the board will function as intended. Furthermore, they have an engineering team available to help you with technical concerns while you are still in design to guarantee a seamless transition to manufacture.
Operating cost rationalization
Your own SMT assembly entails more than just the expense of a manufacturing line and the labor to run it. Unlike an electronics manufacturer that begins its own SMT assembly, an EMS firm also has a well-organized production environment – storage, shipping, procurement, and material management – as well as business expertise that allows it to apply proven system solutions.
An experienced EMS can deal with cost-cutting considerations such as inventory management in the situation of: short component life cycle, price and material availability variations, and the need to incorporate design modifications to the product.
Outsourcing production to an experienced supplier of well-managed SMT assembly services is also a suitable option for small-capital organizations, such as start-ups, where cash locked up in material for many months is crucial.
Access to specialized knowledge and skills
Because of their manufacturing expertise, it is worthwhile to seek the services of a professional EMS like Vinatronic. Because our activities are solely focused on SMT assembly and its associated challenges, we can be a valuable asset to your operations.
Vinatronic can rapidly and effectively analyze your product documentation and propose substantial modifications in the design, even before production begins, to optimize the time of product batch manufacturing or to uncover design faults and material nonconformities.
If you want to learn more about outsourcing your PCB assembly and manufacturing, reach out to our staff and we’d be happy to help!
