Instead of electronics original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) supporting the entire production process for their products, it is often more cost-effective to contract out this work. For example, building a circuit board takes a lot of unique equipment, processes, and trained staff, which the OEM must provide. Alternatively, a contract manufacturer specializing in turnkey PCB assembly can do the entire job faster, less expensively, with better results.
What is Turnkey PCB Assembly?
Turnkey is the process of manufacturing a product or providing a service that is immediately ready for use by the customer. In the PCB assembly world, the turnkey provider handles all aspects of building the circuit board and provides a complete assembly for the customer. Circuit board assembly is a complex operation that requires the manufacturer to furnish several services and equipment. These capabilities allow the turnkey PCB provider to build circuit boards, but rapid turnarounds at the highest quality require another level of expertise. Executing a turnkey PCB assembly shop with all its different functions and capabilities is complex, but the customer benefits are well worth it.
How Does Turnkey PCB Assembly Benefit the Customer?
Circuit board assembly relies on the latest PCB manufacturing technologies, such as solder reflow ovens and optical inspection equipment, and trained professionals to operate them. These tools and processes are usually too expensive for electronics manufacturers to own and operate, so OEMs can save a lot of money by using the services of a turnkey PCB assembly shop instead. In addition to the cost savings, there are other benefits to using a turnkey PCB assembly provider.
Project Management
The PCB contract manufacturer manages the turnkey assembly operation, saving the OEM from overseeing the board-building operation. The OEM can reallocate resources to other tasks because there’s no need to manage all the different manufacturing areas, such as engineering, parts procurement, assembly, and testing. OEMs will occasionally have times when an extra amount of work exceeds the capacity of their in-house engineering resources. Instead of bringing in temporary staff, the PCB CM engineers can provide the resources needed to complete the job.
Design Focus
The PCB CM’s engineering resources can take on capturing schematics, refining the PCB layout, and generating documentation for a new circuit board build. With these tasks eliminated, the customer’s design engineers can focus on the design rather than the paperwork. Ultimately, a contract manufacturer that offers turnkey PCB assembly will provide a more efficient and cost-effective method of building circuit boards. With their staff, equipment, and processes already in place, the PCB CM can immediately respond to customers’ needs and produce high-quality circuit boards ready to be put into service.
What Your Local Contract Manufacturer Offers for Turnkey PCB Assembly
At VSE, we have been supplying turnkey PCB assembly for our customers for over forty years and have a reputation of excellence in Silicon Valley and Reno, Nevada. Our services include:
| Engineering | Our staff can help with schematic circuitry optimization, PCB layout, mechanical design, documentation support, etc. |
| Procurement | We will scrub your BOM and research the components you’re using, selecting the best prices, availability, and life cycles from our supply chain network. |
| Prototype Builds | Our manufacturing teams will guide your prototype through the manufacturing process and respond quickly to any problems or changes during the build. |
| New Product Introduction | We will focus on your NPI build to ensure its design and documentation are ready to transition to high-volume production. |
| Low-mix High-mix Production Facilities | Our facilities can respond to the rapidly changing needs of low-volume, quick builds like prototypes and NPIs. We can promptly incorporate design changes or switch to a different production run of circuit boards. |
| Box Build, Cable Assembly, and Wire Harness Production | With our box build and cable production facilities, we can do more than build circuit boards. We can build your entire electronics system from the ground up. |
