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What is Low volume pcb Assembly? Low volume pcb assembly is the most adaptable process in circuit board manufacturing. The design principles of prototype circuit board assembly must be put into practice to achieve high-quality results. There are three stages involved in the manufacture of printed circuit boards. Board construction, component procurement, and pcb assembly are all included in this category. Your contract manufacturer's (CM) equipment and procedures must be synchronized with your design to maximize the efficiency of these three production operations. The quality of your boards is related to adhering to the CM's DFM regulations and standards. In order to achieve the maximum yield and the lowest production cost, strict adherence to DFM and DFA is required for both low volume and high-volume production. Regardless of the stage of development or manufacturing, the manufacturing of your boards may remain unchanged until design revisions require otherwise. This depends on whether you are building prototypes (or refining designs) or assembling delivery boards for customers at the time of assembly.
Compared to high-volume pcb manufacturing, low volume production is justified in several situations. For example, pcbAs for aircraft, medical devices, industrial machinery, automotive, or military applications must meet strict quality standards. As described below, low volume pcb assembly is an integral aspect of every board development process. Components are mounted on a modest number of blank pcbs, ranging from a handful to no more than 250. While the assembly phase is clear, there is a lot of room for creativity. If this technique is used correctly, board development can be much more efficient.
Your design can be validated using low volume pcbs
The fundamentals of effective pcb design should be implemented in every board creation. If you are developing a prototype, you need to be aware of the many solutions that can be used to speed up the design-build-test iteration process, which is often called prototyping. Sequential prototyping and parallel prototyping are also subcategories of this approach.
Advantages of low volume pcb assembly
Reduced development costs
When we design a new electronic product, we may need to produce 2 or more prototypes. To save on production costs, we only want to order the minimum quantity that is sufficient for functional testing. The smaller the order quantity, the cheaper it is. Therefore, low volume pcb assembly will save a lot of money in pcb development. Especially when it is sometimes necessary to produce samples multiple times.
Reduced time to market
Obviously, the smaller the order quantity, the shorter the production time. The lead time for mass production of pcb assembly takes about 1-2 weeks. But for small batches of pcb assembly, we can complete it within 1-3 days. Shortening the time to market of products is no longer a fantasy, but can become a reality.
In addition, it is recommended that customers provide design drawings of multiple pcbs and ask manufacturers to produce them together in small batches, which also helps us shorten the development time.
Quality certification, maintain a good reputation
Small batch pcb assembly can be used to verify quality, which ultimately helps to maintain a good reputation. After we get a fully functional prototype, it is better to produce a small batch of trial orders to verify the quality on a small scale, rather than directly delivering the product to customers on a large scale. This will help us reduce potential risks or design defects. Because the cost of recalling products is extremely high. Therefore, trial orders are very necessary for large-volume products to test and verify the quality of all aspects and make necessary changes when necessary. In this way, we don’t have to worry about a large number of defective products flowing into the market and damaging our reputation.
Reduce production costs
For customers who focus on small and medium-volume products, it is not necessary to do pcb assembly by themselves. First, the stripping cost of pcb assembly lines is very high. In addition, the inefficient operation of assembly machines and equipment will lead to accelerated wear. Inadequate process planning and inadequate staffing can lead to process bottlenecks. Poor process control can lead to product backlogs and high employee turnover. Production management is another cost to consider. Office space, air conditioning, and water costs are additional expenses. Investing in efficient equipment will reduce costs. If you turn to an experienced Chinese low volume pcb assembly supplier that specializes in low volume pcbA manufacturing, they will manage to provide cost-effective services after dealing with these issues.
Why is low volume pcb assembly important?
Low volume pcb assembly allows you to be creative and test ideas. When developing new products, it is much easier to try small batches. If there is a mistake in the design or you have a better version, you can make adjustments before making a big commitment. This approach is good for research, development, and customized orders. Companies like tech startups or those that make customized electronic devices like this approach. It is faster, less risky, and allows them to make changes at any time.
Low volume pcb assembly is very different from mass production. Here are the reasons:
Flexibility: Low volume assembly allows for design changes. You can adjust things along the way. In high-volume assembly, changes are costly and difficult to manage once production has begun.
Speed to Market: With fewer boards, production is faster. Small batch assembly helps you launch products or prototypes faster. Large batch production takes time to set up and can be faster with new designs.
Reduced initial costs: Small batch production usually has a lower starting cost. You can avoid spending a lot of money up front to buy a large number of products, which is perfect for small companies or limited production products.
Focus on quality and testing: With smaller quantities, you can focus on detailed testing and quality inspection of each board. Large batch testing often relies on batch testing, which may miss individual defects. Small batch assembly allows you to find problems early.
Low volume pcb Assembly makes it easier to test new products at the launch. It gives you control, speeds up production, and allows changes to be made at any time. Every batch is an opportunity to perfect the product, solve problems, and maintain high quality. At ipcb, we take every customer seriously, whether you are placing a large or small order, if you need it, please contact us.