Speed is of the essence when it comes to business. The business ethos in the 21st century epitomizes the cliché: Time is Money. In almost every industry, there are specific guidelines to save this precious resource. So too in printed circuit board manufacturing—and hence the need for Fast Turn PCBs. Fast turn PCB manufacture delivers PCBs to customers within a strict timeline—anywhere between 24 hours to 7 days, depending on the type of PCB. Fast turn PCB means the manufacturer completes the production within a quick turnaround time to meet market demand.
Traditionally, the fast turn PCB manufacturing process was used for prototype PCBs and low-volume production. But in today’s rapidly evolving electronics industry, quick turn PCBs are used in every stage of product development—from initial concept development and working prototypes to getting the final production product to the market fast.
Fast turn PCB manufacturing for prototypes
Typically, fast turn prototype PCBs are critical for testing and verification of designs before manufacture. With prototypes, engineers detect possible defects and rectify them at an early stage. PCB prototyping demonstrates the required functionality of the product before manufacturing begins and makes sure the design is feasible, reliable, operational and complete. Errors detected early will save costly rework or changes during the production stage.
Some of the advantages of fast turn PCB prototypes include:
- Significant savings in manufacturing costs
- Avoid manufacturing defects or detect them at an early stage
- Save the customer’s time by thoroughly checking the design for manufacturability
- Avoid manufacturing delays by reducing changes during manufacturing
- Allow manufacturers to make adjustments before production, based on customer feedback.
Fast turn PCBs: Design, manufacturing and assembly
The fast turnaround times offered by PCB manufacturers today tempt many customers to outsource the process rather than opt for in-house PCB manufacture. Outsourcing saves them heavy investment into specialized equipment and staff – not to mention the associated stress!
PCB design complexity affects delivery time. The turnaround time for a fast turn rigid PCB is as low as 24 hours, while flex and rigid-flex PCBs require a 7-10 days turnaround time. Many manufacturers claim a 1-day or 2-day fast turns. But not all deliver their promise! Often, this happens because they do not factor in design complexities when they commit fast turn delivery.
Let us look at the main factors that bring in complexity and therefore increase delivery time:
Via types
Blind, buried, and micro vias require laser drilling. Every blind and buried via requires a lamination cycle. Laser drilling, lamination, and plating cycles take additional time. Similarly, filling vias is time-consuming – there must be no voids or air bubbles and plated over the top. Discuss the design and placement of vias with your PCB manufacturer and consider how these via types will affect delivery time.
Hybrid PCBs, cavity boards, air-pockets
In advanced or unique PCB types, the material used affects turnaround time. They have tight machining tolerance for which traditional PCB CNC equipment may not be suitable. Talk early to your manufacturer to prevent delays in procuring specialty materials if your requirement includes specialized circuit boards. Choose a manufacturer who has the right equipment to handle specialized PCB manufacturing and assembly.
Materials
Work with your PCB manufacturer for optimized stocking of material to achieve a quick turnaround time. Delivery delays may occur if any material is out of stock when you confirm your PCB order. Provide accurate material specifications and give the manufacturer the flexibility to source readily available materials to reduce procurement time.
Rigid-flex and flex PCBs
These require longer lead times than rigid PCBs as they:
- Require multiple lamination cycles
- Use smaller panels
- Require some laser drilling/cutting
Quality and inspection
Under IPC Standards for quality, Class II is the baseline. Class III and Mil Specs (military-grade specifications) require additional processing time. For fast turn, you need to ask the question: What is the quality standard to which we need to comply?
MIS Electronics is an IPC member. We comply with industry-recognized quality standards in PCB manufacturing. Our dedicated team of in-house engineers and quality assurance specialists (QA) guides you at every step of the PCB manufacturing and assembly process.
Managing fast turn PCB manufacturing effectively
All aspects of your PCB design are crucial for quick turn PCB manufacturing. The manufacturer must meet 100% of the required specifications and deliver in the fastest time possible. You need to determine if they can do it in the specified time and maintain the quality desired. Manufacturers who invest in high-quality, specialized equipment and qualified staff are the ones who will deliver fast turn PCBs while maintaining quality standards!
Some points to consider to effectively managing your Fast Turn PCB are:
Design for Manufacturability (DFM)
DFM is critical to the success of your fast turn PCB order. Features that add complexity to PCB manufacturing and assembly will increase costs and delivery time (and the potential rejection rate.) For complex PCBs, submit your design files to the manufacturer for review before placing the order so you address the issues that may delay production. The manufacturer must submit a review report highlighting potential problem areas for manufacturing and offer remedies. The manufacturer must also give a full list of Technical Questions (TQs) within hours of receiving the order. The delivery period does not start till all TQs are resolved. Watch out for manufacturers who attempt to gain additional lead-time by raising TQs after the production starts!
Know your PCB manufacturer
Check out your PCB manufacturer’s capabilities and infrastructure to determine if he meets your fast turnaround time needs.
Some aspects to consider are:
- How big is the PCB manufacturing company?
- Have they invested in new equipment and backup equipment in case of breakdowns?
- Do they have all equipment required for manufacturing PCBs in-house?
- Do they have control and influence over their material supplier base? Do they have the buying power to procure high-quality raw material?
- Do they get technical support if needed from their suppliers?
2. What processes do they outsource?
Many manufacturers outsource surface finishes like HASL, ENEPIG and Hard Gold, as these require high investment. Other precision processes that customers typically outsource include laser drilling/cutting, via filling, lamination, and plasma etch. Some PCB manufacturers handle only drilling, solder masks, and ET in-house. They outsource all other processes to smaller units or lower-cost suppliers.
Outsourcing makes fast turnarounds and quality control very challenging. It is preferable to choose a local PCB manufacturer with all facilities under one roof. Localized manufacturing controls quality and may be well worth the price!
MIS is an example of a fast turn PCB manufacturer with100% on-shore production facilities in Canada.
3. What resources do they have?
- Workforce: Do they employ in-house engineers or engage contractors?
- What is their logistics strategy: Shipping, suppliers
- Financial resources: Do they have the purchasing power to procure high-quality materials?
4. Pricing
The cheapest may not always be the best! Assess your PCB manufacturer’s capabilities and the complexity of the PCB design—not only your budget. All manufacturers are not the same—in quality, turnaround time and price! So choose your PCB manufacturing partner wisely!
Quality Fast Turn PCBs
Design choices affect PCB cost and delivery schedules. Complex PCBs require a longer lead-time and fabrication time. Choose a local PCB manufacturer to deliver high-quality PCBs with a quick turnaround. Work with your PCB manufacturing partner from early on so that you meet your cost and delivery targets.
MIS Electronics delivers high-quality fast turn PCBs. We are a turnkey PCB assembly electronics manufacturer in Toronto, providing PCB prototype design, manufacturing, testing, and assembly for customers across North America. Talk to us about your project and get a no-obligation quote.