What is pcb prototype?
PCB prototype, is like a test board used for testing purposes. During the PCB design process, you may need to change a lot of things and come up with different designs and dozens of changes. You never know if your PCB is suitable for mass production until the test results are available after PCB prototype. Therefore, you need to use sample to verify your design.
Why need PCB prototype?
Some people may think that it is better to order a PCB after designing and making a PCB prototype, which is a waste of time. But there are many reasons to get a circuit board prototype service.
1. Error checking
The first and most important reason to receive PCB prototype services is error checking. No matter how senior the PCB designer, the design of the PCB can not guarantee that 100% of no problem. You can run PCBS and components on software, but there is a huge difference between simulated and real PCBS. Even if the PCB simulation works properly, there may be many problems and errors. Therefore, to detect errors, you need to physically test everything, which is where PCB prototype comes in.
With PCB prototype, you can easily detect errors and make some changes to the next prototype. If you are developing new products, you can use it to easily find errors.
2. Time and cost saving
Mass manufacturing of PCB takes time and a lot of money. If there are any errors or breakdowns in mass production, then this will be a significant loss of time and money. Each project has a limited time and budget to complete, so you need to get everything done on time by investing in the right expenses in the right places. A PCB from prototype to testing may only take a few days, the cost is also very low, and quick turnaround pcb can be delivered in 1-2 days.
3. Design improving
There is always space for improvement and modification. Many times, when we add or replace new components, we need to make new changes to the design to achieve better results. Therefore, in order to verify and improve the new design scheme, we need to use prototyping to verify.
4. Final design ensuring
When you use PCB prototype to check each PCB and its results, the likelihood of error becomes low. And it is the basis of error-free products.
5. Mass production errors reducing or avoiding
If you go into mass production without verifying your design, it's a very risky move. Sometimes PCB prototype may be repeated several times to ensure that there are no problems with the final design.
What is needed to pay attention for PCB prototype?
1. Material selection
PCB material is also an important factor in determining the quality of your PCB. Different materials are used for different types of PCBS. You need to choose the right PCB board according to your needs. Some common material types and brands are FR-4, polyimide, Kapton, Rogers, etc. The most common of these is the standard Fr-4, and most PCB proofing manufacturers only provide fr4.
2. PCB layer
As we know, PCB can be divided into single-layer, double-layer and multi-layer. Their application scenarios are different, single-sided and double-sided PCB are used in simpler electronic products. Multilayer circuit boards are more suitable for high-end electronic terminal products, such as automotive electronics, computers, aerospace and so on, because of their higher integration and more precise design.
3. PCB panelization
You need to know the size of your PCB. Generally, the size of a single PCB should not be too large, and most PCB prototype manufacturers are limited by production equipment, and not all sizes of PCB can be made.
Since the specifications of CCL copper board manufacturers are unified before leaving the factory, in order to maximize the effective use of the copper board area, it is necessary to use the panel technology. That is, the same PCB are put together in one panel and produced at the same time, effectively reducing the cost of a single PCB.
Precautions of PCB prototype for engineers or customers:
1. Carefully choose the quantity of prototype, to effectively control the cost.
2. Special confirmation of equipment packaging to avoid prototype failure due to packaging errors.
3. Perform comprehensive testing to improve the electrical performance of the PCB board.
4. Do a good signal integrity layout, to reduce noise and improve PCB stability.
Precautions of PCB prototype for manufacturers
1. Check the PCB file carefully to avoid data problems.
2. Conduct a comprehensive process pre-audit to avoid the problem of undeliverable after receiving orders.
3. Control production quantity, reduce cost and maintain quality.
4. Communicate with customers who need the samples in advance to prevent errors.
The cost of PCB prototype
Generally, PCB prototype prices are affected by the following factors:
1. Delivery date
Quick PCB fabrication is one of the factors affecting the price of PCB prototype. Because most fast turn PCB board factories will charge expedited fees. Seekpcb can provide customers with PCB prototype including fast PCB, PCB mass manufacturing and PCBA assembly services. The normal lead time is 7-15 days, however, for any specific lead time requirements, we can further coordinate. Thanks to our advanced PCB manufacturing equipment and process management, we support 48hour fast delivery, and can deliver in as little as 24 hours.
2. Quantity
The number of PCB prototype is absolutely important. In general, the price of a single PCB prototype will be higher than the unit price of small and medium-sized batches. The larger the order quantity, the lower the marginal cost. Customers can determine the order quantity according to actual needs.
3. PCB layer
The printed circuit board is divided into single-sided PCB, double-sided PCB, and multi-layer PCB board. Relatively speaking, single-sided and double-sided boards have less manufacturing leadtime and lower manufacturing costs than multilayer boards. In order to reduce the size of the PCB board, the PCB board can be considered as a multi-layer board, but with the increase of the number of layers, the manufacturing difficulty also increases, as well as the manufacturing cost.
4. Manufacturing process
If there are special processes such as blind holes, buried holes, HDI, BGA, and impedance control in the PCB, it will not only increase the design cost of the printed circuit board, but also increase the manufacturing cost due to increased difficulty. Therefore, special processes are used to design and manufacture PCB only when specific needs are met.
5. PCB material
Usually, the material used to manufacture PCB is FR-4. However, if you choose High TG materials, such as High Tg170, High Tg180, or choose Rogers brand series materials, the price of PCB prototype will also increase.
6. Engineering cost
The engineering fee charged by PCB prototype manufacturers is also one of the factors affecting the price. Every PCB factory has PCB engineers. Their job is to carefully check the Gerber fabrications provided by the customer and whether the process requirements are consistent with the manufacturing capabilities of the factory. Then, they will give reasonable opinions and suggestions. However, with the development of software programs, many factories have implemented semi-automated and automated audits, so engineering costs have been reduced accordingly.
Seekpcb can provide you with fast turn PCB, to ensure that PCB design can be quickly and effectively verified, and to promote mass production and project delivery. You only need to send us the PCB Gerber file, order quantity, process requirements, etc., and we will immediately provide you with high-quality electronic manufacturing services.
The following is our fast PCB delivery capacity：
