Introduction →

A Contract Manufacturer for PCBA Design Services

Circuit board designs are more complex than ever: shrinking form factors, faster speeds, and a greater reliance on flex/rigid-flex materials to meet modern performance demands. Ultimately, all designs must adhere to the practical constraints of manufacturing, such as industry standards and equipment tolerances. A successful assembly must grapple with this reality while instilling reliability into the board that’s scalable for prototypes and larger production lots. A skillfully engineered circuit may still produce a sub-par product if preparations for manufacturing go unheeded. At VSE, we understand the predicament this puts designers in, especially regarding new product introductions (NPIs); we offer comprehensive PCBA design services, handling everything from schematic capture to complete PCBA layout.

Comprehensive PCBA Design Services from a Contract Manufacturer

Schematic Layout Documentation Manufacturing Testing

Footprint and symbol creation

Multiple layout tools

Review of existing docs

DFM at the heart of all designs

Low volume runs

Design netlisting

DFM limits revisions

Optimal BOM sourcing

One-stop shop

Fixture assembly

Building Schematics from Proof-of-Concept

Schematics are the basis of PCBA layout, showing the abstract, high-level connection between components. A proper association between the schematic symbols and land patterns is essential to creating a manufacturable board:

Schematic capture

Our engineers will create detailed CAD schematics for your project, complete with relevant schematic symbols, land patterns, and library development.

Preparation for layout

Our engineers will review the schematic and prepare it with the correct layout constraints and data to synchronize with the PCBA layout database.

Schematic documentation

We finalize the schematic by formatting it for your documentation processes so that you have a trackable document complete with a revision history for future changes.

Optimizing Performance With Proper Layout

PCBA layout is the most intricate stage of circuit design. There are different CAD platforms for different design technologies, and the engineers who use them must be well-versed in the tools and design requirements of the finished board. Maintaining these systems involves significant overhead from a financial and organizational perspective, but more importantly, designers need to approach layout as a seamless transition from schematic to product:

Design rules and constraints -

There’s much more to the trace width and spacing rules than just the minimal clearances for manufacturing. High-speed nets will require different rules to manage the signal integrity of the finished board than their slower counterparts.

Place and route -

Shrinking board areas have made proper placement vital to completing routing, much less routing that optimizes circuit performance.

Design for assembly and test -

Signal integrity is a huge factor for the best outcomes during testing, such as EMI/EMC. At the same time, a DFM-minded approach is fundamental for error-free manufacturing. These requirements include precise PCBA footprint creation, component spacing that promotes solder flow during assembly, and test point placement to verify the board’s functionality.

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Mechanical Design for System Assembly

While circuit boards are the end goal of ECAD, integration into the enclosure and cable assembly are often the final production steps. While this type of ECAD-MCAD integration may exceed some service bureaus’ capabilities, our team can bring your product to the finish line and ensure the entire design process observes mechanical constraints:

Enclosures -

Our engineers have helped countless customers by designing everything from industrial control panels to complete system rack assemblies, depending on the need.

Box builds -

One of our specialties is building the complete system for our customers from the ground up. When the PCBA and the system enclosure come together under one roof, issues of MCAD-ECAD enclosure integration are minimal.

Wire harnesses and cable assembly -

To avoid the problems of working with multiple vendors to build your system, we also offer custom wire harnesses and cable assemblies. This way, your entire system can be custom-built and precisely fitted together here at VSE.

Precision Engineering for Design Assessment

Bill of materials (BOM) review -

We review the BOM of every board we build to ensure component suitability for the project (cost, assembly appropriateness, availability, etc.). When components require replacement, VSE can recommend alternatives or design changes to incorporate more readily available ones.

Design for manufacturing (DFM) review -

All circuit boards undergo a thorough evaluation of manufacturability to gauge issues before beginning production. VSE can incorporate these changes internally after customer approval, saving valuable time on respins and revisions.

Test and specialized assembly fixtures -

Our test engineers and manufacturing technicians have extensive experience building and working with test and assembly fixtures for the boards we build. For board testing or specialized assembly to create the appropriate fixture, VSE has you covered.
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Your Contract Manufacturer Covers All Aspects of PCBA Production

Many PCBA contract manufacturers can build your circuit boards, but we offer much more than just assembly at VSE. Whether you need our PCBA design services to help with schematic capture, layout, mechanical design, or any other engineering services and documentation, we have the resources to reach your product goals. For over forty years, we’ve built life-changing and life-saving devices for our customers, and our expert engineers bring expertise and practical solutions to every design.

If you are looking for a CM that prides itself on its care and attention to detail to ensure that each PCB assembly is built to the highest standards, look no further than VSE. Contact us today to learn more about partnering with us for your next project.