Using cheap PCB assembly with quality assurance would be tempting, but does this service exist in the market? I don’t think so. It would help if you realized that the cost of PCB assembly varies greatly from company to company, and the quality of the PCB determines the performance of your future product. When you think of PCB assembly cost, it represents the PCB’s future reliability, longevity, performance, and functionality.
Also, if you are new to the PCB industry, one of the most confusing things you can do is estimate PCB assembly costs. This is a topic that engineers and technicians often talk about, or how to reduce the cost of assembly operations now. Why is it so important to accurately estimate the cost of PCB assembly? Only knowing the costs involved in the PCB assembly process can help you specify a budget for your PCB project.
PCB manufacturers generally consider several factors when specifying product pricing: labor costs, technology, turnaround time, packaging of parts, number of PCBs required, cost of all tools used, and installation costs. This article will give you some simple ways to estimate PCB assembly costs for your reference.
PCB assembly costs involved in the category
Generally speaking, PCB manufacturers in the actual business to develop PCB assembly cost will consider the following parts:
1. PCB production cost
2. Component procurement costs
3. SMT processing cost (SMD SMD + DIP post-soldering)
4. PCB assembly testing costs and assembly costs
5. PCB manufacturing costs
The sum of the costs involved in all the categories above is the total cost of PCB assembly services the PCB manufacturer provides.
If you need a one-stop PCB assembly solution, you can provide PCB files and a BOM list to the PCB assembly factory. They will make the finished product according to your PCB file.
PCB Assembly Cost by Product Type
When we talk about PCB assembly cost, many factors come to mind, such as labor cost, the technology used, parts packaging, number of boards, turnaround time, number of fine-pitch parts used, etc. To achieve cost-effective PCB assembly, various factors need to be considered. Therefore, factors directly related to the industry, product type, and assembly options will affect the cost of PCB assembly. The following list provides a rough estimate of typical costs for each product type.
Assembly Process Manufacturing Costs
1. Stamping/shrink +$1.00 per unit +/- 1%
2. Solder +$1.00 per unit +/- 3
3. Spot +$0.05 per dot +/- 2%
4. SMT/LGA +$1.00 per unit +/- 1%
PCB Assembly Costs (by assembly option)
Each assembly process requires a certain amount of retesting due to inconsistencies in the manufacturing process.
The following list shows each method used to assemble a PCB design and its cost.
1. Turnkey (no machining, fabrication, or assembly): $0.52 per square inch +/- 2%.
2. General Process Assembly: $1.00 to $1.20 per square inch
3. Turnkey Processing: $0.72 per square inch +/- 1-2%
4. General Process Manufacturing: $0.20 to -$0.52 per square inch
5. Turnkey Fabrication: $1.00 per square inch +/- 1-2%
6. General Process Manufacturing: $0.20 to -0.72 per sq. in.
7. Turnkey assembly: $1.00 per square inch
How to calculate the price of SMT processing?
The current SMT SMD processing process mainly includes lead-free soldering, leaded soldering, and red glue soldering processes.
When calculating the cost of PCB SMT processing, the first part is whether you need to charge the engineering fee according to the amount of your order. Generally speaking, if the quantity of PCB boards you buy is more than 2000PCS, PCB assembly manufacturers will not charge you extra engineering costs; otherwise, extra costs will be charged. The engineering cost is about $300-$1000, depending on the processing difficulty.
Second, some suppliers may charge a small template cost, between $50 and $100.
The third part of the SMT placement cost is based on the number of placement points. For example, two corners of the SMT patch material are counted as 1 point, and one corner of the DIP insert is counted as 1.
The above three parts can estimate the SMT processing cost of PCB. You can contact the relevant SMT assembly plant to produce a detailed cost breakdown if you need specific cost data.
Summarize
PCB assembly plant engineers will use different criteria to estimate the cost of PCB assembly. In the manufacturing of electronic equipment, price is an important factor affecting the final product’s price. The above formulas related to estimating the cost of a PCB assembly project can help you plan effectively. If you need a one-stop solution for PCB manufacturing, try contacting Anpllopcb.
At Anpllopcb, we do our best to ensure our customers get the best quality products at affordable prices. We manufacture and deliver PCBs directly from our factory, eliminating as many factors as possible that can increase costs and lead times. Whether your order is small or large, you can count on us to provide you with the best deal.
