PCB Board Cost: DFC With an Experienced CM

We can handle all the additional manufacturing aspects at VSE beyond standard circuit board assembly. For instance, component selection must last the lifetime of the board, while each design requires a review for its manufacturability before assembly can start. PCB manufacturing design for cost (DFC) initiatives help maximize ROI by taking a long view of the design and service lifecycle. A thorough review and evaluation of the board and components pre-production will help design teams tamp down on PCB board costs by increasing yield and reducing the need for rework and project revisions.

How to Minimize PCB Board Costs
Design Review	Carefully evaluating the board for component risk and design flaws (whether during manufacturing or operation) can significantly improve yield and performance.
Component Procurement	By working with an established and experienced CM, designers can benefit from more comprehensive sourcing, bulk purchase rates, and better lead times.
Turnkey Assembly	Manufacturers offering full turnkey assembly can reduce prices over comparable work by bundling services and reducing shipments.
Prototyping and NPIs	Bringing a new design to fruition often encounters significant roadblocks unencountered when dealing with revisions. A manufacturer with experience in this production level provides a more substantial benefit than a high-volume manufacturer.
Box Builds	Additional work related to the devices, like enclosure design and wire harness integration, can add unforeseen costs to the PCBA.

Minimizing PCB Board Costs Start with Preparations for Manufacturing

Design Review

The engineering team ensures the board’s manufacturability is acceptable; if any issues are detected, we communicate them (and solutions) to the customer.

BOM Analysis

This review allows us to understand your board’s component requirements and determine if there will be any problems with part prices, availability, and lifecycles. As with the design reviews, all our findings receive recommendations for changes or alternative parts.

Part Sourcing

At VSE, you will have the advantage of an experienced team of part procurement specialists assigned to your project. Our component engineers and purchasing agents have a vast network of vendors, distributors, and brokers to source components.

Complete Engineering and Design Services

While our engineering staff at VSE regularly conduct design reviews for incoming jobs, they are also able to provide the following additional services:

Circuit and Layout Recommendations:

For customers who need additional engineering resources or simply need a fresh perspective, our electrical engineering department can help.

Design Optimization:

Our engineers are experts at design for manufacturing, assembly, and test (DFM, DFA, & DFT) methodologies. As such, they regularly optimize our customers’ designs to trim production time from the schedule and reduce the final manufacturing cost.

Documentation Output and Support:

Ensuring our customers have current and complete documentation saves them time and money. The documentation needs to support future builds of their products and design upgrades as necessary.

Mechanical Design:

Working with a single vendor to build your entire product can save time and expenses. VSE’s mechanical engineers can oversee your box build, wire harness, and cable assembly designs to ensure maximum thermal and mechanical performance.

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Manufacturing Expertise

VSE builds many distinct PCB assemblies in smaller volumes; this high-mix, low-volume approach has given us incredible experience with other PCB technologies and helped us refine our reputation as an industry leader in prototype production. Here are some of the manufacturing services that our customers have come to rely on:

Expertise with through-hole and surface mount technology (SMT) soldering techniques, i.e., wave and reflow.
Manual soldering capabilities for large or irregular components incompatible with automated pick-and-place equipment.
IPC-A-610 trained and certified rework technicians.

Test engineering with fixture building capabilities.
Full inspection & QA using a combination of manual and AOI techniques.
Box build, wire harness, and cable assembly capabilities.

Your Contract Manufacturer Offers Competitive NPI and Prototyping

We aim to build the highest-quality electronics. Whether through additional engineering resources, manufacturing excellence, or other design and production services, we have the expertise to minimize PCB board costs and keep projects under budget. For over forty years, we’ve been realizing life-changing and life-saving devices alongside our valued manufacturing partners.

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.