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How to Outsource Medical PCB Parts

2020-05-25

How to Outsource Medical PCB Parts

It makes no sense of investing heavily in production equipment if you want to make a few porotypes. Instead, it makes sense to outsource your Medical PCB Assembly and prototype manufacturing from a reliable supplier. But why not start a production line for your medical PCB parts? Well, there are several reasons why it is not a wise investment.

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First, it is a heft investment. Since your primary business focus in not PCB assembly, investing in such a production line will be a waste of resources. Such assembly lines will cost you an arm and a leg. Also, with two businesses, you will not be able to focus on your medical supplies business. Also, starting a PCB assembly line requires a highly trained workforce and special machines, which are costly and require specialized skills to run. No matter how you look at it, ordering your medical PCB parts from a Medical PCB Assembly company is the right thing to do.

What should I pay attention to when looking for a medical PCB assembly company?

Now that you know that ordering your medical parts from a PCB assembling company is the right thing to do, where and how do you find a reliable assembler? Well, it might sound easy to head online and search PCB assembler’ on your favorite search engine. But you will immediately realize that there are many such companies and the choices will overwhelm you. If you are not keen, you may end up with the wrong company, and this only means you will get substandard medical PCB parts. This article will list tips to check for when looking for a Medical PCB Assembly company.

Many PCB assemblers will offer an instant quote mechanism on site for manufacturing and assembling PCB parts and prototypes. This saves you time when you are comparing different PCB assemblers. Make sure the quoting system allows you to enter every detail, such as thickness, milling, copper thickness, board material etc. This will ensure that you get a precise quote without surprises later.

Normally, the price per board decreases as quantity increases. This is due to the spiking setup cost of circuit board manufacturing. Some assemblers use a system where they combine boards from several clients. This way, they can distribute the cost of setup to several clients. When designing some medical PCB parts, you will start with a prototype, and since you do not want to have errors later, you should start with a few parts. Once you are sure what you want, i.e., when the prototype matches your needs, you can then go ahead and order quality medical PCB parts from a leading Medical PCB Assembly company.

One limitation with small quantity medical parts or prototypes is that the choice and thickness of the material is limited. If you consider using unique material, then chances are there won’t be any clients using the same material as your needs are custom. This will usually lead to high costs, but it is worth it as you will get custom parts or prototypes. Once you test the prototype and it is what you need, you will enjoy affordable prices once you get to mass production of medical PCB parts.

When looking for Medical PCB Assembly company, be sure to check to work with one that supports the file format you are providing. The most common format for medical PCB manufacture is Gerber format, but some vendors also accept board files types from some common PCB software products. Some PCB assemblers also offer in-house PCB design. If you handle the design work yourself, then picking an assembler offering professional design services is very useful in case there are problems with your order files. If your vendor can make some quick changes to your design, this will save you time and minimize delays.

When hiring a Medical PCB Assembly supplier, ensure that the company can assemble all the package types that your PCB board uses. Some assemblers cannot assemble some types of IC packages such as chip-scale, BGA, and some tiny component types. If you’re not sure if the PCB assembly company you are about to hire offers all these, be sure to contact them, let them know your needs, and explain what they can and cannot do. Do not compromise on quality as there many PCB parts manufacturers that can handle your needs. All it takes is research to find the right one.

Some PCB parts manufacturers will carry an inventory of standard SMT parts and also and through-hole parts. You will save lots of time if you can pull fro, your assembler’s inventory rather than buying each part yourself. Be sure to specify to your assembler the components you wish to restrict yourself when you are uploading your bill of material. This saves time and ensures convenience from both sides. It is an essential consideration.

Most Medical PCB Assembly companies also offer to manufacture SMT stencil, a requirement for PCB assembly. Always ensure that you order stencil when ordering the circuit boards to avoid delays. It will be great to get your parts on time, as this is good for your business. Therefore, it is essential to consider working with an assembler that offers a variety of services and parts.

Things to consider before ordering PCB medical components?

When ordering PCB medical parts, the last thing you want is getting parts that are malfunctioning or not working at all. Therefore, it is crucial to look for Medical PCB Assembly supplier that they have qualified in house engineers and experts to test your parts before delivery. Many suppliers will test your PCB parts before mass production to ensure functionality and durability. Also, it is critical to ensure that the assembler is licensed and certified. Besides having experienced team and certifications, you should also ask if the assembler offers a guarantee on quality for the PCB parts supplied. If they believe in their products, they should offer a warranty. This will build trust between the clients and the PCB manufacturing company, which is good for business.

Lastly, when ordering or finding a PCB parts vendor, be sure to check on delivery services. How does the delivery system work? When do you expect deliveries after placing an order? Who pays for the deliveries, and which locations does the company deliver? Getting all these answers will go a long way in ensuring you make the right decision.