Who Manufactures PCB?

09 October 2024
New

One of the "by-products" of our world becoming increasingly globalized is that the supply chains have become quite extensive and spread out. Instead of going with the most accessible and convenient options, people and businesses now go for services that offer them the perfect blend of cost and quality (based on their needs).

It's the same with printed circuit boards (PCBs). Instead of going with a local printed circuit board manufacturer/fabricator, many designers now opt for Chinese and other overseas manufacturers that may offer more optimal pricing but, more importantly, access to technologies and capabilities not available elsewhere (at least for the price).

More contracts allow these manufacturers to invest in manufacturing and assembling technologies that are leaps and bounds ahead of what's typically available. But before we dive deeper into the printed circuit board supply chains, let's take a more comprehensive look into printed circuit board manufacturers (or PCB board manufacturers).

Printed Circuit Board Manufacturers (or PCB Board Manufacturers)

Printed circuit board manufacturers (or PCB board manufacturers) are companies, businesses, and entities that turn a printed circuit board design or simply a circuit into a physical circuit board (PCB). For most simple PCB designs where only a single or just a handful of units of the circuit board are required, the designer may be able to produce the PCBs themselves using a few basic tools and techniques.

But for even moderately sophisticated circuits that may require multiple layers, flexible circuits, rigid-flex circuits, or when large quantities of even simple circuits are required, it's more practical to go with printed circuit board manufacturers (or PCB board manufacturers). They have the facilities, tools, and expertise to quickly and efficiently manufacture a large quantity of complex circuit boards.

Some of the capabilities that most top printed circuit board manufacturers (or PCB board manufacturers) possess that cannot be replicated (usually) by designers at home or in workshops are:

High-Tolerance Mechanical Drilling: Even though manual drilling tools are readily available, if you want very small holes that are on the low end of allowable mechanical drilling (a few millimeters), printed circuit board manufacturers (or PCB board manufacturers) are the only practical/viable choice.
Laser Drilling: Laser drilling, which is critical for the smallest PCB holes, requires costly equipment, and it's something mostly printed circuit board manufacturers (or PCB board manufacturers) invest in. So, if your circuit requires tiny holes that can only be drilled via laser, you will need to work with a manufacturer that offers this service.
Multi-Layer Fabrication: It's possible to develop a multi-layer PCB at home or in a workshop, but it requires very generous tolerances and overall circuit width, and you are still limited to a few layers at most. However, the right PCB board manufacturer might be able to create a circuit containing dozens of layers because they can drill tiny holes (with a small aspect ratio) simultaneously on a layer of the PCB and stick those layers over one another with the right adhesive.
Flexible PCB Fabrication: Creating a flexible PCB yourself can be quite challenging (if not impossible). Everything, from choosing the right materials for the flexible PCB to working with them, i.e., annealed copper, coverlay, meshed copper for thermal layers, etc., can be difficult in a home or workshop setting. However, PCB board makers have both the experience and tools to fabricate flexible PCBs and rigid-flex PCBs easily.
Advance Materials Handling: PCB board makers usually have access to and experience working with advanced materials you may require for your PCB if you are working with specific electrical or thermal requirements and tolerances. Some materials might be better suited for signal integrity, and others may perform well in a high-temperature environment, but such materials are difficult to handle. PCB manufacturers understand how to handle these materials and may help you realize even your most complex designs.
Complex Designs: PCB board makers know how to work on complex designs, the steps that need to be taken for multi-layer PCBs, and how HDI PCBs should be developed without compromising signal integrity. These designs are almost impossible to manufacture in a workshop unless you have access to industrial-grade tools and expertise.
Advanced Testing Capabilities: From X-ray vision to scan buried vias to high-resolution cameras that may allow them to see if the plating inside a via is cracking or if there are any small flaws in the annealed copper layers of flexible PCBs, there are several complex testing capabilities that PCB board makers posses that can't be replicated in a workshop or home. Some PCB makers and manufacturers may even have ways to replicate specific environmental conditions like temperature, pressure, or mechanical stress, allowing them to test the final PCB board as thoroughly as possible.

With these and other capabilities in mind, we can redefine printed circuit board manufacturers as businesses and entities that can bring complex and sophisticated PCB designs to life at a reasonable cost and at scale. They may accommodate a wide range of niche and complicated design requirements, like a particular material, specific component, or via density. They can also help designers test the final PCB product comprehensively.

PCB Board Fabrication vs. Assembly

The term “PCB manufacturer” can be interpreted in a number of ways. For some, PCB board makers or PCB manufacturers oversee/control the PCB board fabrication process only, while others also include assemblers in that title.

The PCB Board fabrication process, as the name suggests, mostly focuses on the fabrication of the PCB board itself. This is a complex enough process and may take several steps based on the complexity of the circuit and the requirements of the design. The PCB board fabrication process may differ from one manufacturer to the other, but there are a few general steps and capabilities that PCB board manufacturers must possess:

Design for manufacturing (DFM) assessment. Before the PCB board fabrication process can begin, the manufacturer/fabricator must ensure that the design can be produced and has realistic tolerances. Many things that may seem viable in the design stage or even in a PCB designing software may not translate well in actual production scenarios so fabricators/PCB manufacturers have to assess the design for its production feasibility.
The manufacturers are also capable of preparing multiple PCB panels at once for drilling, coverlay, channeling, etc. This includes conductive panels and non-conductive layers in between the panels for multi-layer PCBs.
Imaging and etching are two other steps of the PCB manufacturing processes that fabricators should be capable of. Imaging is critical to identify areas in inner layers that may have to be preserved (copper paths) for conduction while etching is the actual process of removing those layers. This is usually done before the layers are connected to one another and creating the right hierarchy of PCB board fabrication steps is another critical capability for manufacturers.
Drilling, both mechanical and laser, are also important PCB manufacturing capabilities. Each PCB manufacturer clearly defines their drilling capabilities, tolerances, aspect ratio, and the smallest drill size they are capable of in each version. A concept overlapping with drilling is vias. Most manufacturers nowadays are capable of small buried and blind vias that are almost necessary for multi-layer PCBs as well as flex and rigid-flex PCBs.
Plating and lamination are two other important PCB manufacturing capabilities. Multi-layer PCB board fabrication requires lamination to stack up multiple layers of the PCB and bind them together to make a cohesive whole. The plating of individual layers and external layers is necessary to develop a consistent copper layer (conductive layer). For flex PCBs, the plating is replaced by the installation of annealed copper over a PCB layer for conduction.
Coverlay and solder mask are applied to the finished PCB, and a good PCB manufacturer should be well-versed in multiple coverlay and solder mask materials, allowing them to meet the designer's specific requirements.

These are just some of the many capabilities all PCB manufacturers should possess, regardless of how you define the scope of their services. If you define a PCB manufacturer as someone who can prepare the final PCB board that's ready for component assembly, the production, and finalization of this board is where their services might end. It may also involve testing the board, but that's relatively limited testing, required only to check things like the conductivity of different traces on the PCB board, the integrity (both electrical and structural) of the board, and different plated/filled vias.

However, if you define a PCB manufacturer as someone who also assumes the role of an assembler, then the expanded version of their capabilities may include the following:

PCB assembly, where components are usually picked and placed automatically on the board. They are added to the board in a few different ways, based on component density, substrate material, PCB type, and components themselves.
Final testing of the PCB board. This may include complete testing of the board, including environmental testing where conditions of its operational environment may be replicated in a laboratory setting. Now that all the components are placed and connected to the PCB board, the entire circuit can be tested for its intended functionality, signal integrity, heat dissipation, and several other physical and functional characteristics.

The most comprehensive definition of a PCB manufacturer is a business/entity capable of producing the final PCB product from design. Depending on the clientele they cater to, they may possess all the manufacturing, assembling, and testing capabilities stated above and more.

Choosing The Right Printed Circuit Board Production Partner

There are several factors to consider when choosing the right manufacturer/fabricator for your printed circuit board production, starting with their fabrication capabilities. If you are building a complex circuit with tighter tolerances that require careful and considerate manufacturing practices and sophisticated fabrication capabilities, you have to look into the overall capabilities of the fabricators you are short-listing from. They might have the capability to drill the smallest possible manual holes but no laser drilling capabilities, and if your design includes holes too small to be drilled manually, they may not be the right printed circuit board production partner for your needs.

Another factor to consider is the materials your printed circuit board production requires. If you need your PCB produced using any unconventional materials, whether in substrate, conduction, or coverlay, you should ideally work with a manufacturer experienced in those materials. Otherwise, even if they have the capabilities, they may not be able to produce a PCB capable of achieving the desired results.

The printed circuit board production experience is just as important a factor to consider as their capabilities. If they have worked on a wide range of designs and have produced PCBs using a comprehensive range of materials, they may be able to cater to any unusual PCB fabrication demands and needs you may have.

Cost is an important and practical factor to take into account. For relatively simple designs, you may opt for PCB manufacturers with modest tools and capabilities that may produce your circuit boards at a reasonable price, adhering to good quality practices. But if your design is sophisticated and complex, you must look for PCB manufacturers with the right capabilities, even if the cost is relatively high. This will ensure that you don't have to compromise on the design itself.

Finally, the delivery time is another factor to take into account. Quick-turn PCB manufacturers might save you the most time, but they may also come at a relatively high cost. Communication is another critical trait to look for in a PCB manufacturer. If they keep you apprised of any design changes or modifications they have to make or give you insights on how certain design changes can make your PCB production cheaper/more efficient, you will be able to fine-tune your final PCB to near perfection.

Conclusion

Technically, anyone who can create/fabricate a PCB board can be termed as a PCB manufacturer and the expanded definition may also include PCB assembly. However, not every PCB manufacturer may be the right fit for you. So start with developing a clear idea of your PCB development/manufacturing needs and comparing it to their capabilities. Constant communication from the design stage and design of manufacturing (DFM) are good practices every designer should adopt.