An important responsibility that you will have if you are an electronic equipment manufacturing company is that sourcing of the best quality PCBs. Not a single equipment or device that you manufacture could be manufactured without having the PCB in place. Your production cycle therefore depends very much on the regular supply of the PCBs. Let us look at some of the best ways to improve the PCB sourcing process.
One of the major concerns that virtually controls the entire sourcing process is the cost. You need to find the most competitive quotes for your PCB manufacturing needs. Let us get this concern out of the way first. Instead of sourcing your PCBs locally, source them from a China PCB manufacturer. This will bring down the cost of your PCBs significantly. You will also not be required to compromise on the quality of the PCBs in an effort to keep the costs low. China PCB manufacturers offer the most competitive quotes which the local manufacturers could not possibly match.
Before you approach any PCB manufacturer, you must have a clear understanding of your own PCB requirements. You should know the exact quantity of PCBs you would need every month. Look for manufacturers that are capable of meeting your order volume in a timely fashion. Each PCB manufacturer will have their own turnaround time for the PCB manufacturing process. You will have to look for manufacturers with the shortest turnaround time so that you do not experience any delays when sourcing your PCBs.
If you want to streamline the entire PCB sourcing process and to improve it, you should work closely with your PCB manufacturer, understand their timeline and match it with your requirements. It is best to stay ahead of the requirements cycle. In other words, you should always have PCBs in stock for the next two production cycles. This will save you from delays in the production process. Even if one batch of PCBs should get delayed your production cycle will not be stalled.
Most electronic equipment manufacturing units order their PCBs for the entire year and they have the PCBs delivered in smaller batches. This will save you from the storage hassles and need to protect your PCB stock from hazards and damages. It is important to strike a lasting relationship with your PCB manufacturer. Do not keep changing your manufacturer but identify the best PCB manufacturers right at the start so that you can confidently entrust all your requirements to them for your current as well as future needs. If you keep changing your PCB manufacturers frequently, there will be unnecessary delays and there will also be differences in the quality of the PCBs delivered to you by each company. This will make your devices unreliable as each batch will go out with a different set of PCBs with varied quality levels. Take all these factors into consideration when you are trying to create a reliable sourcing system in place for your ongoing PCB needs.
ChinaPCBOne Technology LTD. is the author of this article on pcb manufacturer. Find more information, about China PCB.
