What is the PCB quote? Everything you need to know about PCB quotes

Following the preparation of the design by a circuit board designer, the next step is to identify a manufacturer to turn it into a finished product. An estimate or a PCB quote is required to get the board made. The basic goal is to construct and assemble a board with the fewest possible processes and costs.

Only if the PCB designer gives all of the necessary information can a manufacturer deliver an accurate estimate. Let's take a look at some of the crucial details that are sometimes overlooked when getting a quote.

Definition of PCB assembly quotes?

A PCB quotation form is a broad estimate of the time, cost, and capabilities of a manufacturer in converting a design into a physical board. It isn't always tied to the board's construction. For information on PCB design, manufacture, or assembly, a quote may be requested.

Definition of  PCB prototype

The majority of contract manufacturer (CM) websites feature a part where you may obtain a price for a prototype board. This gives you the option of obtaining information regarding prototype PCBs. These sorts of boards are used to determine if a concept or design is viable. Prototyping is usually done on a tighter timetable with shorter turnaround times. During prototyping, 5-10 units are typically created. The process for reducing of the edges of a circuit board throughout its height is referred to as PCB edge plating.

How to have a perfect PCB assembled quote?

A instant PCB assembly quote from a CM is more than just a cost estimate for the needed number of circuit boards; it also provides an estimate of the fabricator's time needs and ability to integrate all of the technologies included in the board design.

The production process is made easier by the correctness of the quote. It is preferable to provide all relevant facts in one go to speed up the procedure and avoid delays. The CM will need to contact the designer if any critical information is missing. While this conversation is ongoing, The order has been placed on hold. If an order is held on hold for an excessive amount of time, it may miss internal manufacturing deadlines. As a result, it's possible that the manufacturing will take longer than expected.

The following is the important information necessary for an accurate quote:

·        The kind of board (rigid, flex, rigid-flex, etc.)

·        The number of layers on the board

·        Dimensions of each board

·        Material

·        Minimum diameter of the hole

·        The number of holes

·        Trace width minimum

·        Trace spacing must be kept to a minimum.

·        Copper finish on the outer layer

·        Requirements for an annular ring

How to make a CB design quote

When the requestor cannot develop a layout er lacks appropriate resources, a quote for PCB design (schematic and layout) is requested.BOM, schematic, board layout, and mechanical details are usually the most critical files supplied (DXF files). You must also set down the design requirements. The cost of the PCB design and the projected time frame will be included in a design service quotation.

PCB design services are expected to produce the following outcomes:

• Selection of Design tool: Customers can select from a variety of design tools provided by CMs. The schematic and all other design-related files will be created with the chosen tool.
• Schematic:Any rough schematic can be included in the quotation submission, and the design team will convert it to the chosen CAD format.
• Cutting of Cost: The manufacturer will work his way around the provided design to save costs and improve process efficiency.
• Reversal engineering: Depending on the need, some CMs can build all of the design files for a new PCB based on the details of an existin board. These details might be from a blank board, a filled board, or even just design files or drawings. The designer must define the differences from the previous board, and new design files will be created as a result.

How to have a PCB fabrication services quotation

For a PCB fabrication quote, you'll need the following files. The following files are required for a fabrication quote:

• Upload Gerber file in RS-274X or ODB++ format with English units. For every circuit board surface, these files should be created.
• Fabrication print/drawing (in Gerber format) including board contour, drill pattern and hole sizes.
• Excellent drill file (ASCII format) contains units, tool units, coordinates, number format, and other information.
• A readme.txt file containing information on the board and files, as well as layer stack-up information.
• IPC netlist, which depicts the network list that defines a circuit board's conductivity connecting system.

The procedure of requesting a PCBA quote

The following assembly files are often required for a PCBA quote:

• For a PCB quotation, you'll need assembly files
• A BOM file is required for a CM to comprehend and obtain an estimate of the component price.
• The Gerber/ODB++ file is required for both PCB fabrication and assembly. It contains information on every layer on the board.
• Along with the assembly schematic, an XY placement data file aids component placement.

Things to know about PCB Assembly Quote:

Assembly of Printed Circuit Boards A quote is an important part of PCB design. The cost of your PCB project is determined by PCBA, PCB assembly, and PCB manufacturing. The greater the quality you wish for your boards to be constructed, the more expensive it will be. This article covers all you need to know about this topic to acquire an accurate estimate and avoid overpaying or underdelivering on your project!

•   It refers to the price of your PCB project. The better the quality you require for your boards' assembly, the higher your estimate.
•   Material type, size (in millimeters), thickness/thinness (in micrometers in PCB) are only a few of the factors that go into it (number of PCBs to be manufactured).
•  When it comes to PCBs, there are many various types and characteristics to choose from. Each one requires a quote from the manufacturer, so you may compare quotes from different manufacturers before deciding on a course of action.

In PCB assembly projects, quality is always important; thus, this PCB should be able to deliver the quality you want.

4 Required documents to have a quotation of PCB Assembly

What do you need to acquire a PCB assembly quote? This is an excellent question that frequently causes misunderstanding. There are four fundamental papers, and how they are communicated depends on your company's technologies; we may collaborate to determine what is ideal for you. We'll go through what papers are required, what information they should all contain, and how they fit into the quote process.

 The following are the essential documents:

•         Printed on bare board (and Gerber files)·  
•        Print the assembly instructions
•        Material Bill of Materials
•        Vendor List That Has Been Approved

Bare-Board Print 

This print, also known as a fabrication drawing or fab drawing, provides us with the essential papers needed to construct your bare PCB. Outer dimensions, board thickness, material, finish, number of holes and lowest hole size necessary, number of layers required, solder-mask color one side or both, silkscreen color one side or both, and any additional cost drivers should all be included in the bare-board print. Finally, both the component number and revision should be included in your bare-board print. The most common format is pdf.

You'll also need design files, which are often known as Gerber files. However, you should make every effort to supply the design files in a data interchange format that is intelligent, such as ODB++.

Printing of Assembly

It's essentially the manufacturer's blueprint, and it indicates where the pieces are located, as well as any particular markings or packaging requirements for the only PCB. The assembly print should include the assembly component number and revision, just like the bare-board print. The most prevalent format is a PDF document.

Material’s bill 

The bill of materials (BOM) is the document that governs the components. Each line item on the BOM should include at least an internal part number, description, quantity per, and, preferably, a reference designator. The authorized vendor list (AVL) is frequently included in BOMs, obviating the requirement for a separate AVL. The fab component number and revision will be included in best-practice BOMs. The most popular format for BOMs in Excel. Please keep in mind that any bespoke parts (such as cable assembly, sheet metal, or machining) would require separate drawings to acquire pricing.

 Vendors search 

The manufacturer and the manufacturer's part number linked with your internal part number (IPN) or reference are provided by (AVL). Each IPN may have many authorized manufacturers. This information is frequently included in the BOM.

Conclusion:

Fill in the quantities to get a fast online estimate for PCB assembly service (if you are not sure about the number of Unique Parts, surface mount parts, through holes, they can be empty). Please read SMT Ordering Necessary Files & Info before uploading Gerbers, Parts List (BOM), and Centroid files. So that we can provide you with a more accurate and timely quote. Shipping cost vary based on a number of criteria, including package dimensions, shipment type, weight, location, and others.