PCB Fabrication Quote

 
PCB fabrication is when circuit board is aligned and layered specifically according to customer specifications with regard to material and finishes. A PCB fabrication quote can be found online with a number of small suppliers who specialize in these custom jobs. The company might actually perform the assembly themselves or they might delegate or outsource the work to smaller specialists. All components are ordered by the company itself and it is their job to make sure they are compatible together.

Customers generally have free rein to order any specification they like and either enter them on the website of the supplier or send their order via a Gerber file which records PCB specifications. For electronic enthusiasts who want their design on something they love and will use every day PCB fabrication can be a life changer. There is some speculation to suggest that these custom made designs are more durable and error-free than their generic mass-produced counterparts.

Generally when you try to get a PCB fabrication quote you have to draw up a schematic diagram to decide what you want and the colors and finishes you are looking for. After that you will have to either construct or simply tick on materials on the Bill of Materials. Some sites have an easier checkout process where they have listed the options and you can choose quite easily and add notes wherever you want to get a little more technical.

In the Bill of Materials you select parts for your circuit from a given datasheet. You next get to choose the type since you need it to be functional and for it to have superb connectivity amidst all those layers. You need to enter height restrictions as even though this is a custom design, you still need to make sure it can perform under stress without overheating so keep a steady hand when adding too many components to your prototype.

As far as the actual material of the printed circuit goes you will usually have a few options such as fiberglass, phenolic, and a few others. It is ideal to choose one which is easy to laminate and also the thinnest possible in texture so the circuit is not weighed down between layers. Keeping this in mind also ensures functional longevity.

Next you need to decide where the chosen components will be laid out and this is created bearing in mind your end goal with regard to that circuit board. Some people repeat the design for more than one board to reduce load. You need to decide where all the below mentioned components need to be fixed into place by the supplier:-

• Connectors

• Switches

• Leads

• LEDs

• Heat sinks

• Mounting holes

• Diodes

• Electrolytic caps

• Pads and traces

Make sure that before you submit the design for assembly and manufacture, you keep a copy of the assembly scheme with you for future reference. Later on if you incur any kind of issues with the custom circuit board you need a layout of where everything is, in order for your standard technician to do repairs.