The Chinese PCB manufacturing market has seen leaps and bounds progress in the recent decade. Also, they offer low-cost PCBs worldwide. However, some manufacturers might supply you with poor-quality PCBs, which could be detrimental to your business.

Hence, as your trusted PCB manufacturer, FX PCB has taken over the responsibility to inform you where to buy PCB from China without compromising quality.

When you need a high-quality PCB, you need to look at different aspects of the manufacturing company. It includes:

1. The manufacturer must have a long experience in manufacturing and assembling PCBs. Also, you should look at their market reputation to find whether or not the company has good feedback.
2. The manufacturer should be skilled in manufacturing different kinds of PCBs. It is crucial since different devices will need different PCBs to function properly. Hence, you will need various kinds of PCBs. And you should get your required PCBs from one manufacturer instead of outsourcing them from different suppliers. It will streamline your supply chain and reduce the outsourcing time considerably.
3. The manufacturer must equip with the most advanced technologies to design and manufacture PCBs. For instance, FX PCB uses Altium, KiCAD EDA, etc., high-end software to design PCBs that ensures the highest quality you can anticipate.
4. The best PCB manufacturer should always maintain your delivery deadline. It is crucial since the world is going through a chipset crisis. Hence, the manufacturer with deadline meeting ability is a boon for your business.
5. Your select manufacturer must offer PCBs in different quantities. It means you should be able to order both in bulk or customized amount to meet your necessity. Plus, it should provide you with prototypes for checking the quality and performance.
6. The shipment of the manufacturer must be fast and affordable. When you order PCBs from a manufacturer, you should always ask them about their shipment method. It will affect the PCB pricing, and also, some manufacturers may charge you additionally for the shipment. So, read the terms and conditions before ordering from any manufacturer. But, at FX PCB, we promise you the fastest shipment at the lowest cost.
7. The manufacturer should offer satisfactory after-sales service. It is crucial because some of your PCBs might be faulty, and when it happens, after-sales service from the manufacturer will save your day. Plus, good after-sales service will ensure peace of mind, and you may prefer singing a better deal with the company.

Replacing a blown-out capacitor within a few dollars is way cheaper than installing a new circuit board for your computer or other electric gadgets. Thus, knowing the technique to replace a blown-out or damaged circuit board capacitor is a money-saving deal.

To understand what turnkey PCBA means, you have to understand the meaning of turkey firstly. It means any product delivered to the buyer with readiness for immediate use.

That’s where things can get tricky. You may ask that all PCBs are ready for immediate use as you deliver them with full preparedness. But that’s not the reality.

Yes, manufacturers like FX PCB deliver the fully assembled PCB with necessary components as the buyer or device manufacturers ask. But, the printed circuit board is only the tip of the entire processing that links with PCB design, fabrication, fully assembled set up, and final product delivery to the buyer with the detailed diagram of the components on the PCB.

Therefore, turnkey PCB refers to a complete assembly procedure that includes printed circuit board manufacturing, its delivery, the design, component diagram, all components, and anything else that buyers need.

It enables the actual device manufacturers to know and understand their PCBs entirely to use them with immediate effect. On top of it, a fully assembled turnkey PCB allows buyers to focus on their actual manufacturing better since the PCB manufacturer will take care of everything else necessary, such as custom PCB design, and deliver it with all key information for immediate use.

Since the PCB assembly comes with all possible and required information for the buyers, it reduces their manufacturing time and saves money. This readiness of the turnkey PCB has also sped up the electronic world superbly.

A PCB connector will connect electrical components. The connection could be on the conductive track itself. Also, it could be between the pads used in the circuit board. Many devices come with multiple PCBs and use various equipment or connections to link two or more printed circuit boards within the device.

You will find the connectors right on the circuit boards. It aims to transfer power or signals from one PCB to another to help the device function properly. Also, it may transfer the signal from one unit of the device to another via the different boards and connections.

When you look to find cheap prototypes, you have to first understand how the costing works for these circuit board prototypes. It will help you fix which side needs more attention and which you can leave to get the prototypes within your budget range.

The most common features that affect the PCB prototype cost includes-

You must understand that PCB software is no cheap item. You have to invest nearly $1000 to $2500 yearly for them. Some high-end software may even charge more for you. That’s why you must get the absolute best software which is worth the massive investment.

When we determine the PCB thickness at a standard level, we must realize that the number of layers on a PCB will be the key player in deciding its actual thickness. Since the layers on PCB depend on its application, the PCB thickness will also vary slightly due to its application range.

For instance, some devices will need thicker PCBs, while other devices may require thinner PCB. Thus, the thickness will vary too.

Nonetheless, the industry standard for PCB thickness is 0.063 inches or 1.57mm. This measurement has been a long-term standard for PCB manufacturers ever since printed circuit boards were invented. The reason is quite surprising.

Yes, it was not the industrial needs or device requirements that set the standard thickness for PCB. Instead, it was the plywood sheet thickness that initially determined the PCB thickness. Initially, plywood sheets were used as the substrate of many electronic devices, and these plywood sheets have 0.063 inches of thickness which later become the standard for PCB thickness.

However, more complex devices on the way and invention of better PCB substrates such as epoxy or resin have developed varied thicknesses for printed circuit boards.

Nowadays, the thickness range of PCB differs from 0.008 inches to 0.240 inches. You can choose the exact thickness depending on your applications and device requirements.

Two things directly influence the thickness of PCBs. These factors are-

• Copper PCB thickness:Copper works as the main application space and functioning of the PCBs. So, its thickness directly affects the circuit board thickness as well. The measurement is calculated on an ounce (oz). First off, 1 ounce of copper is spread over in one square feet space evenly. Then, its thickness is calculated, which is approximately 1.37 mils or 1.37 thousandths of an inch.
• Trace PCB thickness: The designer will determine the PCB trace thickness depending on its necessity in different jobs. As electricity passes through the PCB, the trace may get overheat, and the circuit board may get damaged. Hence, the trace thickness needs to be enough to withstand the circuit board overheating capacity.

The cost of PCB assembly depends on different valuables.  However, an average PCB manufacturing cost may be around $10 to $50, or even more. Also, some PCBs are available for less than $10.

Also, PCB manufacturers will set the actual price of these boards. Furthermore, its pricing depends on the type of PCB you want, its construction material, county of origin or production, and size mostly. So, you will need to talk to the manufacturer to know how much each PCB will cost.

Also, you have to add the delivery costing with it to know the real scenario. Also, you must realize that the size of PCBs is not always going to determine its pricing. Instead, it’s the complexity of PCB manufacturing that determines its pricing, mostly.

For instance, smartphones and high-end electronic devices require the most complex PCBs which need more hours of labor. Hence, it costs massively despite being a tine PCB.

Variables Affecting PCB Price

We now know the fundamental pricing of PCBs. But what are the actual factors that affect the costing so variably? The following points should help you realize it thoroughly.

Types of PCB material:

Manufacturers use a wide range of materials to manufacture different PCBs depending on their necessity. The most common materials include fiberglass, solders, and polymer or epoxy inks. Also, the base or substrate is made of different elements too.

Manufacturers use copper, aluminum, ceramic, or other materials. Furthermore, they use silver, copper, or gold as the conductive layer. Thus, its price will depend on the type of material the board has. For instance, the gold-plated conductive layer used in PCBs will be costlier than the copper-plated ones.

The use of different materials depends on the thermal conductivity, heat dissipation performance, and reliability in different sectors.

Board hole sizes

Printed circuit boards comprised of tiny holes. If the board is too thick, it will need accurate and high-end drilling to create these holes. These holes are essential to pass electric signals or messages to different components and other circuit boards.

Since the holes require precision and accuracy, it also contributes to the overall costing of the PCBs.

PCB size:

The size of PCB goes a long way to determine its cost. Bigger boards will need more components and materials which contribute to their costing. However, the size of the boards not always contributes to its higher or lower pricing.

Sometimes, even a smaller PCB may cost more than a bigger one. It will depend on the hours of labor needed to manufacturer the board and its complexity level.

The number of layers:

PCBs are of different kinds depending on their layers. Understandably, multi-layer or double-layer PCBs will cost more than single-layer circuit boards. It happens since a single-layer PCB will need fewer materials and manufacturing time. Also, multi-layered printed circuit boards are highly complex and built for higher-end devices.

Hence, the number of layers of a printed circuit board will determine its cost.

Labor cost:

PCB manufacturing is a highly skilled job. Hence, it needs skilled professionals with sufficient knowledge of automated machines. Also, working with inexperienced workers will seriously run the risk of low-quality circuit boards.

Hence, experienced and skilled labor is an integral part of PCB manufacturing. Since it needs such skilled laborers, it obviously affects the overall cost to manufacture these boards. Also, it will vary from one country to another.  As American and European laborers receive more wages than Asian laborers, the manufacturing cost of PCBs in China is cheaper than in America or Europe.

Delivery time and order quantity:

If you need a bulk amount of PCBs in a relatively short time you should be prepared to pay more for it. Most manufacturers will demand higher pricing for urgent deliveries since they will need to work overtime and also, accelerate their working speed.

Furthermore, the number of PCBs ordered will also affect its cost. If you order a bulk amount of PCBs the cost for each piece of the circuit board will be much lower. On the contrary, the per piece cost of the PCBs will increase if you only want a few hundred pieces of prototypes.

When you decide to prepare a circuit board at home, you must maintain its accuracy with the right diagram. It is crucial since the circuit board holds multiple electric components linked to durability with electricity. Any flaws in the circuit board design will lead to the death of the device immaturely.

The etching process includes the following steps-

Step 1: Ensure safety

Since you will work with electricity and highly complex components in demanding conditions, you must never ignore safety. Therefore, we recommend you wear goggles and gloves. It will protect your hands from unnecessary cuts and eyes from any flying objects. Furthermore, the etching solution is a skin irritant which makes wearing gloves even more important.

Also, use surgical gloves to work with the circuit board copper base. It will allow you to work with improved accessibility and comfort with the copper substrate.

Step 2: Work in ventilated space

The chemicals and mixing solution used in etching the circuit board are often high in fume and smoke. It can suffocate you, especially if you work in a crowded place. Hence, make sure you work in a well-ventilated space with proper lighting.

Step 3: Prepare and print the design

To etch the design on the copper plate for preparing the circuit board, you will need to print it on paper. You can get the design from the following suppliers-

1. Eagle
2. Fritzing

These manufacturers offer free design. Or, if you have time and skills, you can always work on Adobe Illustrator to prepare your design. But it can be tedious since you have to know precisely where to put which component.

Also, you need to use transfer paper to print the circuit board design. Before you print out the circuit board design, don’t forget to flit it. Otherwise, you will end up getting the wrong direction for the diagram.

Step 4: Sanding and washing the copper base

From this point, you will work with the etching solution and copper plate. So, start the suggested surgical gloves from here. On one side, it protects your hands from the harmful etching chemical and saves the copper plate from any oiling.

Use fine-grip sandpaper to sand off the copper plate. Also, sand the edges with better precision. It removes any debris and provides a smoother surface better for etching. Lastly, use rubbing alcohol and water to wash off the plate. You may even use nailpolish remover instead of rubbing alcohol.

Step 5:  Transferring the design into the copper plate

You will require a laminator during this process. Put the design down facing the copper plate. You will need to pass it through the laminator five to seven times at least. You have to continue passing the design and copper plate through the laminator until it becomes hot.

You may even use an iron instead of a laminator. The use of iron is preferable for home use since most homes may lack a laminator.

Step 6: Prepare the solution

Now you will need to prepare the etching solution. The aim is to rinse off the remaining copper from the plate and leave the design only. You will need-

1. One part of hydrochloric acid
2. Two parts of hydrogen peroxide

You need to prepare enough solution to submerge the laminated copper plate in it. Also, remember that the mixed solution will release chlorine gas. So, it is toxic and highly skin irritant. Moreover, it would be best to prepare the solution in a plastic container to avoid misspells and damage.

Step 7: Start agitating the circuit board

Now, submerge the copper plate made circuit board in the solution. Agitate the circuit board gently for the next 1- to 15 minutes roughly.

Keep your face away since the solution will produce a fume as it gets warmer during the agitation process. Or it may burn your face. Hence, be careful.

Step 8: Continue to string the solution.

You will need to continue the hydrogen peroxide and hydrochloric acid solution for some more minutes. You must stir it until the copper on the circuit board has completely dissolved. It is essential for a flawless design.

The solution will turn into more of a green tinge as you stir it to dissolve the copper. Never take off your goggles and gloves during the entire process.

Step 9: Clean-up the circuit board

Run cold water from the water spout. Place the board under it the running water as you wear gloves. Make sure you have cleaned off the entire etching solution from the copper board. Now, use a clean rag to wash and dry off the board.

In a separate bowl, mix one part of acetone with one part of rubbing alcohol. Use a towel to wash off the board with the cleaning solution. Dip the towel in the solution and rub it on the board gently. As you continue rubbing the solution-mixed towel on the board, it will slowly remove the marker from the inscribed board.

Step 10: Get your circuit board ready

When you continue rubbing the mixture on the copper board, you will soon get the circuit board design inscribed on it. Use a clean rag to wipe off any remaining solution, and the circuit board design will be ready for use.

Since you came here we would expect that you understand LED circuit boards manufacturing and its applications. Yet, there’s no harm in describing it shortly to bring back the memories for a deeper understanding.

LED (Light Emitting Diode) refers to a solid-state lighting type. It uses a semiconductor to convert electricity into lighting sources. The LED will reduce the use of electricity by as much as 80% compared to the traditional light bulbs. This way it saves both your money and the environment.

Also, LED lights usually have a 25X longer lifespan than regular light bulbs. It is another extensive benefit of the LED lights.

But how does LED works so efficiently?

Well, printed circuit boards (PCBs) play the most crucial role behind such remarkable performance of the LED lights. The PCBs used in LED is mostly a thin board holding different electrical components and is made of fiberglass, ceramic, metal or other elements. It not only holds the essential electrical components but also uses a substrate to dissipate the heat from the components and offers protection.