Quick Turn PCB Assembly

In a technologically accelerating world, time is of the essence. When your business is developing a revolutionary new product, you don’t have the luxury of waiting years to get it to market; competitors might be racing ahead of you and taking advantage of the marketplace’s consumer wants and needs, or you might encounter supply chain issues that derail production and put you behind schedule. This is why quick turn PCB assembly can be a valuable tool for businesses that require fast production of prototypes to test the viability of their ideas and avoid costly mistakes.

However, quick turn pcb assembly is not just a tool for reducing production times; it’s a way to save money by leveraging a manufacturer’s economies of scale, eliminating the need for expensive in-house infrastructure, and lightening the load on engineers who are trying to get their designs right the first time around. However, the question of whether or not quick turn PCB assembly is really worth it depends on the manufacturing partner you choose. You’ll need to find a trusted, experienced contract manufacturer who can offer you the speed you need while still producing high-quality products.

As a quick-turn PCB manufacturer, Out of the Box Manufacturing offers a wide range of services that can support your business in all stages of development. Using our turnkey manufacturing solutions, you can rest assured that all your work will be handled by a single vendor, making it easier to avoid miscommunications that can cause delays and increase your costs. This will also give you peace of mind, knowing that you’re working with a company that has your best interests at heart and won’t make any unnecessary sacrifices in terms of quality.

Is Quick Turn PCB Assembly Really Worth It?

Quick-turn PCB fabrication and assembly are both crucial processes in the creation of a functional prototype. PCB fabrication is the process of transforming a PCB design into a physical structure, while PCB assembly involves placing components on the board to make it function. To reduce the amount of time needed for both processes, many businesses choose to partner with a quick-turn PCB supplier that can offer both services.

The first step in the quick-turn manufacturing process is transferring your PCB design to the manufacturer using the Gerber file format. This is a universally recognized file format that ensures all PCB data, including the circuit board’s design and assembly information, is transferred securely. The fabricator then conducts a Design for Manufacturability review on the file to ensure that its material and technical specifications are in line with the design’s requirements and IPC (Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits) standards.

Once the design has been approved, the manufacturing and assembling process can begin. Quick-turn manufacturers have the capability to produce bare boards in as little as 24 hours, but the actual assembly times can vary significantly depending on the complexity of the project and the specific components used.

The faster turnaround times offered by some quick-turn manufacturers come at the expense of absolute levels of quality, with reduced manual inspection and testing that might include automated optical checking and x-rays to validate solder, component placement spacing and alignment. However, this can be made up for through a combination of fail-safe component selection, selective post-production sampling and comprehensive test fixture testing.