Are you looking for ways to reduce the overall cost of your next PCB assembly project? If your answer is a ‘yes,’ you are in the right place.
A fundamental way to contribute to your organization financially is by adopting cost-effective methods to reduce the total cost of printed circuit board assembly projects. You can take many steps to reduce the cost of a PCB assembly project.
3 Smart Cost Reduction Tips for PCB Assembly Project
Although you can surely make some internal changes in the assembly process and find the vendors offering competitive rates, here are the three most essential tips above all.
Tip # 1 – Providing Multiple Sources for Each Component of the Circuit Board
You must always avoid a single source to procure your components as much as possible. Why? There are several advantages to having multiple procurement sources.
For instance, you can ensure greater availability of components required for distribution with multiple component procurement sources. Moreover, you can also have the leverage to bargain for components’ costs due to competition in the market.
The biggest problem associated with single sourcing is, you can end up with a shortage of parts. This may hinder your manufacturing process. Thus, you can always select an alternate source immediately. This will save you both time and additional operational costs.
Tip # 2 – Optimizing and Establishing Flexible Panelization Process
Always keep your panelization process flexible to the manufacturers’ needs. You must ensure that your PCB panelization process is optimizable as per the requirements of your PCBA manufacturer.
For example, you have a 6-up panel, meaning it can make 6 PCBAs simultaneously. There will be four mounting holes in the corners with .127 diameters; you can comfortably process 6.5 X 4.25 panels with .127 pins for mounting.
However, if your company uses .250 pins, you must have panels that are 12-up instead of 6-up. It is cheaper to have flexibility in your factory equipment to adopt than to maintain your original design.
Tip # 3 – Qualifying Lower Costs Sources Rapidly
You must set up a PCB assembly process to qualify cheaper procurement sources between circuit board design engineering and component purchasing departments. However, this sounds easier than it actually is as the conflict between design engineers and the procurement team’s priorities can impede the entire process.
One of the most effective solutions to this problem is to establish a materials cost reduction committee. The management partners up with both engineering and purchasing departments to identify highly effective cost reduction opportunities.
Moreover, they also work together to identify strategic and most essential components. This will help them locate multiple sources for these components to ensure a continuous supply for production.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know three smart tips to reduce your next PCB assembly project’s cost, use them to your advantage. Not only will you be saving money, but these tips will help you optimize your manufacturing timeline. We are here to help with your PCB assembly needs. Reach out to us today!
Recent Comments