Quick Turn PCB Assembly for Your Electronic Components

Are you considering Quick Turn PCB Assembly, and wondering what it’s like? Are you considering a prototype and need to know more about the process? Or do you have your own breakout board but don’t know how to put it together so you can start testing? This article will cover all those questions, as well as some other vital information for those thinking about the service.

What is a quick turn PCB?

Quick turn PCB refers to the short turnaround time in which one assembles PCBs. Quick-turn PCB assembly is advantageous when it’s necessary to produce prototypes, engineering models, or non-production parts quickly. For example, in the case of electronic components, it’s essential to assemble the prototype quickly. Therefore, it’s very effective to assemble PCBs in a quick turn.

What is PCB assembly?

PCB assembly refers to the process of assembling PCBs by connecting electronic components. The number of operations involved in PCB assembly is not small, and the cost savings are significant. This enables us to classify PCB assembly as hybrid manufacturing technology with a certain share of semi-automatic processing.

In PCB assembly, the number of operators is limited, and there is no need to assemble PCB manually. This is because we fabricate PCBs using automatic electro-mechanical technology, and automatic mechanical processing saves time and labor. We can also refer to PCB assembly as cutting and joining because electronic components are cut to the desired sizes and then joined together. Therefore, quick turn PCB assembly is considered a process that processes electro-mechanical assemblies at high speed.

 

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Quick turn PCB prototypes

PCB assembly express

Most people use these in testing, verification, pilot production, qualification testing, pilot production. For example, it can test the physical characteristics of the prototype non-production part before building the production version. This can also help to reduce costs. PCBs are usually manufactured in mass assembly lines with robotic equipment to reduce labor costs and increase productivity. However, this will lead to increased costs in terms of time and labor.

You can use PCB quick turn assembly to build a prototype for non-production parts. This has a significant advantage in that it reduces the cost of prototyping and eliminates the need for equipment or applications that are not necessary. Quick turn PCBs have many types. The most common types are the following:

  • Single-sided surface mounts PCBs: Most users commonly use this type of PCB when testing or pilot production.
  • Double-sided surface mounts PCBs: You can use this type of PCB when testing the physical characteristics of the prototype non-production part. It allows you to check the performance of the prototype non-production part.
  • Multi-layer surface mounts PCBs: You can use his type of PCB when verifying or testing electronics. Here, both sides are connected so that you can test on both sides at once.
  • Multi-layer through-hole surface mounts PCBs: You can use this type of PCB when testing the performance of the components.

For the above four types all have a single-sided surface mount and double-sided surface mount. Also, you can customize them according to customer needs.

Pre-Production or Beta Run PCBs

Pre-production PCBs are PCBs that a manufacturer produces before testing them for functionality. After the pre-production run of PCBs, they will test them for functionality. In some cases, you can perform pre-production runs of PCBs in near real-time with the final production runs of PCBs. Here, it may take months to produce a small batch of pre-production PCBs and test them.

(1) Current low-cost methods to produce the first high-volume batch of pre-production PCBs include:

The number of pre-production PCBs is small, usually less than 1% of the final production run. For example, if a final production run will produce 100,000 units of finished goods (such as cell phones or laptops), then a small batch (less than 1% of 100K units) of pre-production runs may only produce 5,000 units.

(2) Posts on the web that discuss the production of pre-production PCBs:

(3) A 3D printer that can produce PCBs:

The purpose of using a pre-production run is to test and verify functional PCBs before shipping these PCBs to customers. Sometimes it may take months for pre-production runs to finish the manufacturing. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the number of pre-production runs required. It may be necessary to produce as many as 10,000 units per month in some cases.

Production Quick-Turn PCBs

In some cases, it is necessary to produce a full batch of PCBs in a short period. Here, it is essential to standardize the components and minimize production errors. In addition, production costs can be minimized by setting up a large-scale automated assembly line. It may be necessary to change components and deliver them to customers quickly enough to meet customers’ requirements. In this case, it may be necessary to use 1SFF (Single High-Speed Flash).

In some cases, you may do 50% of the final production run this way. You can manufacture Quick-turn PCBs using various manufacturing techniques. The most common techniques include EDA (Electronic Design Automation) and FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). However, these methods are more suitable for small PCBs that will only take up a small amount of space. An automated assembly line may be better suited if it is necessary to manufacture many PCBs with large PCB sizes. Here, it may be necessary to manufacture a full batch of pre-production PCBs that can be tested and verified before shipping them to customers.

High Volume Manufacturing (HVM) PCBs

In some cases, you will need to produce large batches of PCBs quickly. For example, it may be necessary to produce 100,000 units of finished goods (cell phones or laptops) in 30 days or less. It may be necessary to have a small-scale automated assembly line. In some cases, it may be necessary to produce a full batch of PCBs in a short period. For example, it may be necessary to produce 100,000 units of finished goods (cell phones or laptops) in 30 days or less. It may be necessary to have a full-scale automated assembly line.

In this case, it is essential to standardize the components and minimize production errors. In addition, you can minimize the production costs by setting up a large-scale automated assembly line. To meet customers’ requirements, it may be necessary to change components and deliver them to customers promptly rapidly. Using 2SFF (Two High-Speed Flash) or 3SFF (Three High-Speed Flash) may be necessary. In some cases, 50% of the final production run may work this way. One can manufacture HVM PCBs using various manufacturing techniques. Examples include:

(1) Standardization of components:

(2) Minimize production errors:

(3) Rapid design and prototyping:

Configuring the proper mix of the three types of manufacturing is essential for getting a high-quality product at a low cost while remaining on schedule. For example, many “low-volume” manufacturers may only produce a few thousand units per month and therefore not afford a full-scale automated assembly line.

Quick-Turn ITAR PCBs

It isn’t easy to import semiconductor chips from foreign countries. However, RayMing PCB and Assembly can quickly produce customized products using a quick turn PCB assembly technique. In the case of quick turn PCBs, it is necessary to eliminate traces and image exposure paths that have been used in traditional PCB assembly and replace them with circuit traces that conform to local regulations. The application of this technique is evident in products that need to be exported by ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations). Quick turn PCB assemblies are suitable for this purpose.

 

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Quick turn PCB assemblies have the following advantages:

  • Fast Turnaround:PCB assembly can quickly cut and solder electronic components without laminators, food printers, or laser printers. This can shorten the assembly time from 4 hours to 60 minutes or less. Over the long term, it means that you have to do less work and meet customer delivery schedules more easily.
  • Almost No Assembly Time: It takes 4 hours to assemble a PCB with components manually. However, it will take only 1 minute or less to complete the assembly of quick turn PCBs.
  • High Quality: Quick-turn PCB assembly aims to match the high quality of design PCB assembly while reducing costs and time.The Unimicron process performs PCB assembly and inspection in an automated way and has yielded high-quality results in many cases. We can attribute this high quality can to the mechanisms used in the process.
  • Lower Cost:  Although quick turn PCB assembly is automated, it is challenging to eliminate human errors.However, the low-cost benefits of quick-turn PCB assembly are undeniable. For example, if you choose Unimicron for ten panels, it will take approximately 1 minute to assemble a board using quick turn PCBs without manual intervention. Therefore, the cost is only $5 / hour, ten times lower than manual assembly.

Here, the following problems that you should consider

  • When performing quick turn PCB assembly in a large-scale production line, it may reduce the number of operators. This may result in a decrease in profits.
  • If you have too many orders, turnaround time will also increase, not meeting customer needs for deadlines.
  • Since it focuses on the assembly of PCBs, the testing and verification of PCBs may delay. However, you can resolve this problem through additional equipment.
  • The manual handling of components is not suitable for high performance.
  • The process requires skill and careful attention to detail.

Requirements for quick turn PCB assembly

  1. It is necessary to set up an assembly line that meets the requirements. This assembly line must meet the needs of fast PCB assembly, including the following:
    1. They should increase the assembly process capacity by reducing the number of operators.
    2. You should pre-process components before assembly. Quick turn PCB assembly requires that electronic components be prepared in advance before you assemble them into PCBs.
  2. It is necessary to review damaged PCBs or components after assembly. If there are problems with the assembly process, then they must identify these problems quickly. For example, if there are defective components, it is necessary to identify them quickly during the assembly process. One may repair or replace the problem quickly.
  3. It is necessary to provide a customer-specific assembly process. You will find that there are many customers with different requirements. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a customer-specific assembly process. This will help you to meet the needs of your customers, which will increase sales and profitability.
  4. Quick turn PCB assembly is labor-intensive. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the labor requirements and the assembly process. It is necessary to set up a quick-turn assembly line that can process enough components and deliver them quickly enough. When doing this, it may be necessary to use automatic hardware and software tools. In addition, it is also essential to reduce the number of assembly errors during assembly.
  5. It is necessary to improve the efficiency and accuracy of fasteners. Install fasteners in a variety of components during the manufacturing process. Therefore, it is necessary to set up a system that can quickly install these fasteners correctly. This will help ensure that the product meets the requirements of customers and increase sales and profits.

 

Quick turn PCB manufacturing process

The process of quick turn PCB fabrication involves the following steps:

1) Preparation of raw materials

The raw materials are collected and inspected. They can categorize raw materials into two types. One is a plastic resin, and the other is the electronic components used to manufacture PCBs.

The plastics used include polycarbonate, polyester resin, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylic (PMMA), melamine (PBMA), ABS resin, and many others. The electronic components include electronic components, PCBs, fuses, etc.

2) Processing of plastic resin

They will use Plastic resin material to manufacture PCBs and pre-process before it enters the manufacturing process. This includes washing, curing, and decal production. These processes help to improve the performance and reliability of parts when fabricating PCBs.

3) Process assembly

This is the point where the manufacturer installs the assembled PCBs on the assembly line.

4) Testing and inspection of PCBs

After the assembly process, it is necessary to test and verify that they install all components correctly. This will help ensure that the product meets the requirements of customers and increase sales. It is necessary to use special testing equipment to test components quickly in a stable operating environment.

5) Transportation of PCBs

When the PCBs meet the requirements of customers, it is necessary to transport them to customers. This process is called transportation.

 

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Factors to consider when determining an excellent quick turn PCB company

To determine an excellent quick turn PCB company, it’s necessary to consider the following factors.

Quality of PCB

Today, PCB quality is an essential factor. It’s no longer possible to satisfy customers if high-quality PCBs are not available. Therefore, it’s necessary to select a company whose quality of PCB is extremely reliable. Also, it’s essential to determine whether or not the company has the capabilities needed to produce PCBs that meet customer’s requirements for quick turn PCB assembly (such as small batch production). If this capability does not exist, then you should consider working with another company.

Delivery time

PCB assembly involves a large number, particularly in the case of small-batch PCB assembly.

If you decide to use a slow production company, it won’t be easy to make quick turn PCBs, increasing production costs. Therefore, it’s necessary to think about the delivery time for PCBs if you are considering quick turn PCB assembly.

Technical support

To support quick turn PCB assembly, it’s necessary to determine the level of technical support from the provider. In other words, it’s essential to check whether or not the company has a technical support team that can meet your needs. There are two types of technical support that you need to consider:

Production technology

The production technology includes the various processes and the methods used for quick turn PCB assembly. You should consider factors such as PCB design and availability, equipment choice, and assembly experience. For example, selecting a production technology that can efficiently produce quick turn PCBs in small-batch PCB assembly.

R&D support: The top priority of R&D support is to deal with technological improvements. Therefore, it’s essential to select a company whose R&D support has sufficient cost savings for quick-turn PCB assembly.

Contract length

It’s necessary to consider the contract length for quick turn PCB assembly. There are two different types of contracts. Threshold-type contracts determine the number of parts, and fixed-price type contracts determine the cost for each part.

The shorter the contract is, the less time you will need to complete production. Therefore, if you need to produce large batches quickly, it’s better to select a fast-turn company whose contract length is concise (2 weeks).

Location

It’s necessary to consider the location of quick turn PCB Company from the logistics point of view. We can find some fast-turn PCB companies in countries where the contract manufacturers are not present. In this case, it’s essential to determine whether or not the company can make quick turn PCBs for you. If you are concerned about the delivery time, it’s better to select a company near your location.

If possible, a single manufacturer can do quick turn PCB assembly to its excellence. However, depending on the situation, it’s also possible to work with several different manufacturers.

Cost

It’s necessary to consider the cost of quick-turn PCB assembly. The costs to be considered include costs for the PCB design and the actual cost of quick turn PCB assembly. To reduce production costs, it’s best to work with a company that has a low price per part.

Consistency

When considering consistency in quick turn PCB assembly, it’s necessary to check its consistency in terms of delivery time. For example, suppose you are considering a company that can finish PCB assembly within two weeks. In that case, it’s essential to determine whether or not the company has consistently delivered PCBs within this period.

Quick turn PCB assembly is not limited to large companies with sufficient production capacity. Some small manufacturers can also produce quick turn PCBs depending on each manufacturer’s type of production technology used for this purpose.

Applications of quick turn PCB

Quick turn PCB production is a type of manufacturing that applies to various applications and electronic products.

Because quick turn PCB assembly is the only way to produce finished products quickly enough for customers, it’s essential to select a quick turn PCB assembly company that can meet your individual needs.

The most important application of quick turn PCB assembly is the production of prototype PCBs.

The need for quick turn PCB assembly arises when there is a need to test PCBs made by SMT machines during the development stage and in situations where it’s necessary to get new product designs into production quickly. There are also cases where manufacturers apply quick turn PCB assembly to small batch production, which involves making many different models (i.e., each with its design).

Manufacturers produce a small number of PCBs on a once-only basis. In these situations, it’s better to use a quick turn PCB assembly company that has experience in making reliable, quick turn PCBs.

Here, companies make electronic products from readily available parts and packaged them into finished products. In cases like this, it’s common to use quick turn PCB assembly to produce products quickly and efficiently without requiring any special knowledge or production technology.

Quick turn PCB professional standards

The standards and quality of a quick turn PCB manufacture process:

1) Techniques and technologies: the use of high-tech equipment, the use of high-precision equipment, automated production, perfect management flow management, pre-production inspection

2) Quality control: high-quality technology for technology improvement, product inspection with increasing accuracy as far as possible, perfect management flow management

3) Customer service: full-service support from production to the end-user.

4) Production management: automation, production line adjustment, rapid mass production

5) Servicing management system: full-time staff at customer sites.

6) Quality management system: ISO 9001 certification.

Conclusion

As the number of complex electronic devices used in our daily lives increases, there are many opportunities for quick turn PCB assembly to provide practical solutions to common issues. The need for quick turn PCB assembly companies is always growing. This is simply because it is the only way to quickly produce finished products for customers accustomed to quick product delivery times. You can consider PCB assembly express, a full-service PCB assembly company specializing in fabricating PCBs for prototype and volume production. They offer low-volume, high-volume, and rush orders at affordable prices to fit any customer’s needs.

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