8 things to consider before mass production of PCBA

Do you have a new design prototype to make PCBA assembly? Perhaps you determined to put a hardware design into mass production? But the first time you complete this work may still be difficult! In this article, Shenzhen PCB manufacturer SYS Technology will share eight things that be considered before PCB production.
 

1. Consider the PCB size before selecting parts

PCB board size, cost and design time, which once is important? Large boards are easier to layout, but the cost of production is higher. Production cost of small boards is cheaper, but it may also increase the price because of the possibility to use multiple layered PCB, and it may take a longer time to design.
 

2. Part size and cost

For passive components, size of 0603 are the most cost-effective and easily handled. SYS Technology can handle 0201 components, but not all manufacturers can. In addition, 0603 components are also easy to repair, and it is easy to manually solder if necessary.
 

3. See if there are any new components in market

Recently, some components can only be used in BGA or QFN package with very small wafer. Check your circuit board to see if it's the specifications match the newest components specification.

4. Confirm whether rare components can be obtained

If a design prototype is about to be completed, but you need to wait for a components, it is very troublesome. If your design uses rare components, consider alternatives that are similar in function and easier to obtain.
 

5. When designing the board, pay attention to the temperature problem during components assembly

Large components and small components side by side may cause problems. Large components are like heat sinks, which may cause the solder on small components can’t be melted smoothly during soldering. The same problem can also be encountered when small component placed on large copper area. 
 

6. Components names and polarity should be clearly marked

The designators of the components name should be very clear, and the polarity mark should not be confused. Especially for LEDs, manufacturers sometimes interchange polarity symbols, an anode sign may be cathode on some LEDs. Also, try not to mark near the via hole or other places that may be deleted in PCB manufacturing.
 

7. Please check PCBA files (Gerber, BOM) again before sent out for production

Please confirm that the version of the design file sent is correct. The bill of materials is likely to be affected by some outdated components, causing delays.

8. If you want to send it as a kit, please confirm if there are any missing components

Please check again to confirm that each kit has a component number and name on it.

PCB assembly process is actually putting a bunch of components on the board. It sounds very simple, but there are still many intermediate variables. Through some confirmation processes, the error rate can be reduced a lot.