When choosing a PCB board assembly factory, you should look for a few things. A few factors to consider are listed below:
One of the most important things to look for is a factory that can provide references and can show you their certifications, Such as ISO9001, UL, Rohs etc. Those certifications indicate the quality of the PCBs they fabricate and their quality control standards.
They should also have employees with relevant experience and knowledge. If they have experienced engineers and technicians, the PCB quality they produce will be more reliable.
Lead time, whether their lead time can meet your request? You check with them before cooperate with them.
Cost: The price they offer is important, after all no one want to to spend extra money. Check their quotation reasonable or not.
Reputation: The factory should have a good reputation. That means they are an reliable partner for you.
Solder paste storage correct : The solder paste materials used for PCB assembly must be stored in an airtight and hermetic container to prevent contact with moisture and oxygen. Metal particles with large surfaces are prone to corrosion, which can weaken the bonding strength between them and the electronic components. The paste must also be stored at a controlled temperature. Ideally, it should be stored at 8 degrees Celsius. A lower limit is one degree Celsius for flux.
Equipment: When selecting a PCB assembly factory, you should also consider its capabilities. Does it have the right equipment? Do they have specialized teams for different types of assembly? Many manufacturers have different departments for various jobs. Some factories use automated robots. These robots can pick and place components more accurately and quickly than human technicians. Moreover, they have high-speed multifunction pick and place machines and a high-tech inspection system. This way, they can provide quality PCBs without risk.
soldering methods: what soldering methods they can do for you? PCB assembly factories use a variety of different technologies for assembly. For example, reflow soldering is the most common PCB assembly method. It is a process that requires two placement rounds for each PCB. Unlike wave soldering, reflow soldering is more flexible and requires fewer rounds. However, you can still opt for a PCB assembly factory that uses wave soldering.
Quality assurance: Quality control ability is another important aspect of a PCB assembly factory. The quality of PCBs can be greatly improved if there are fewer defects. During the manufacturing phase, the PCB is cleaned using a stainless steel-based high pressure washing machine. The PCB is then cleaned with deionized water to avoid damaging the circuitry. Then, it is dried using compressed air. The final step in PCB assembly is testing, including AOI, ICT, Function testing. This will help determine whether the PCB assembly is up to par and meets your expectations.
lead-free manufacturing ability: If your product need to be lead-free, the PCB board assembly factory should have lead-free surface finishes. The lead-free surface finishes are becoming the standard in the industry, owing to strict RoHS rules. Technicians will also wear a green solder mask to avoid straining their eyes while inspecting the PCBs. If these steps are performed in a PCB board assembly factory, the quality of the finished product will be much higher. They are important for the customer’s products.
The factory you select almost determine the quality of PCBs you get, so it is important to have a PCB assembly factory that can meet the quality requirements.