A printed circuit board (PCB) is the backbone of modern-day electrical, communication, medical and military devices. It has brought breakthrough technologies into possibility which even a decade ago wasn’t considered as reality. However, the cost of PCBs isn’t a cheap one.
In fact, PCB assembly may be pretty costly. Hence, FX PCB has developed and arranged its PCB assembly line to offer you low-cost PCB assembly without compromising its quality. But how do we make it possible?
Also, what is the actual cost of assembling PCB prototypes? This discussion covers answers to all these essential questions regarding PCB assembly costing. Furthermore, we will elaborate on the factors affecting PCB assembly costing.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
First of all, you must understand that low-cost PCBs are a lucrative term but so practical. Hence, FX PCB offers you the most reasonable pricing for all types of PCB boards. We don’t promise to provide you printed circuit boards at the lowest possible pricing while compromising with the quality.
Instead, we maintain steady quality manufacturing and offer you reasonable pricing. Plus, we have our doors open to allow you to set customized pricing. Thus, you can have a quick conversation with FX PCB and see how we both can proceed.
Also, we use automated PCB manufacturing which further helps us to cut the production cost for these PCBs. Additionally, we outsource the essential materials and components directly which helps us to offer the most reasonable PCB pricing in the market.
When you need a huge amount of PCBs, low-cost PCB assembly can be a good option. However, you also need to be ensured about the PCB quality. At FX PCB you will get both, low-cost PCBs with the highest possible quality. Also, our streamlined assembly process helps us maintain the deadline with quick and cheap delivery worldwide. It further adds value to reasonably priced PCBs.
I am Peter Gong. I have been working in PCB and PCBA industry for 15+ years now. I have been a part of the PCB revolution with my dedication to circuit board technologies and creative ideas. I write in FX PCB to impart my knowledge on PCB and PCBA for all circuit board lovers, manufacturers, and users.
