PCB manufacturers deal with too much customers which in return forms a bank of frequently asked questions and a list of important things new customers should know about. OurPCB decided to reach us and publish this guest article to highlight some important logistic questions. If you have other questions, then it is a chance to ask OurPCB team using the comments section.
With a custom printed circuit board, you always need to address some specific needs. However, choosing a suitable PCB supplier is very important. You need to understand not only its strength but also whether the PCB supplier can provide a good quality of service or not. If you weren’t careful choosing the professional custom PCB service, it may cause a series of problems such as printing, assembly, logistics and so on. In this post, we will discuss 9 frequent asked questions related to logistics to help you choose the right custom PCB supplier.
Q1: Should you send the File Directly to the PCB Supplier?
Answer: There are several necessary files you should share directly to PCB suppliers for them to process a custom PCB order. Here is an outline of the essential data to include:
- All copper layers Share details about all paste, silkscreen, and solder mask layers.
- A valid silhouette, with slots and cutouts, indicates if possible.
- Submit at least one ASCII drill file in the Excellon format for every drilling process.
- The drill file ought to encompass tool codes as well as diameter information.
- Provide at least one fabrication drawing or suchlike documents.
Q2: What to Do if You Need to Cancel the Order
Answer: It is essential to note that all PCB service providers cannot cancel the order once you make payments. Nevertheless, here are suggestions for steps to take.
- You could delete any PCB order or contact the service company to adjust the Gerber files if you did not release the payment.
- If you release amount, but it is yet to start producing, ensure that you contact the service provider. They can consider canceling the order.
- In a case where the custom PCB orders are already at the production stage, you cannot cancel it. The solution is to contact the service provider to put the shipment on hold to save on shipping costs.
Q3: Can you ask for the Mode of Transportation?
Answer: Most times, the supplier determines the method of transportation. The following factors help to determine the optimal transportation method.
- The compensate period
- The freight expense
- Origin accessibility and address
- Destination accessibility and address
PCB methods of transport include courier, ground, ocean, and other conventional means. The delivery schedule can be yearly, monthly, weekly, or even daily. Also, some commodities involve hazards. Hence, PCB can ship as loose, palletized, crated, or bulk depending on the nature of the order. The specific piece count, dimensions, weight, and type of packages also help to determine the transportation method.
Q4: Who is Responsible for Import and Customs Fees?
Answer: Usually, the client encounters charges on customs duties and also taxes for a package they purchase on PCB for the following reasons:
- Taxes and duties are typically not part of the price of the package, and might not be part of the overall shipping costs the client pays.
- Sometimes the client has to pay customs duty as it may considered buying products from overseas.
- The tax amount depends on the source of the custom PCB order, the type of product the customer purchases, the number of products, and the overall weight of the package. Different nations demand individual tax policies considering certain products. It is prudent to confirm with the local authority.
- The buyer is accountable for paying VAT on all the purchases they make on PCB. This step takes the buyer through the VAT clearance protocol of their local authority.
Q5: How Long PCB Order Will Take to Arrive?
Answer: When dealing with any process of manufacturing, the time factor is of great essence. A client may have issues regarding how long their printed circuit board order will take to arrive. Whether it is on time or not, the outcome majorly depends on the PCB manufacturer. However, there are several steps the client can apply to make sure the procedure moves quickly.
Opting to work with a quick turn PCB services provider is a crucial step. The service provider should be in a position to assist you in developing highly-reliable custom products and supply tips necessary to make sure their PCB orders come on time.
The custom circuit board supplier should offer the support clients’ require to file orders with fast delivery, both domestic and international. They should advocate costs drive to help tighten the lead times and also rescheduling in case of delays or errors.
Q6: Do PCB Suppliers Accept Small Orders?
Answer: Some firms do not set limits to the minimum order regulations for the PCB order size. Such PCB suppliers accept even single size orders from the clients. Clients are free to include multiple options in one-panel order. However, the client should check on some technical factors to help stabilize the custom printed board.
Q7: Can the Supplier Provide Inventory Management?
Answer: Online PCB inventory management systems can help you attain oversight. You can make decisions about your PCB, including finance and more. Instead of banking on unreliable methods, you require a robust, adaptable inventory management solution. You can bring back different panels of your PCB together at one point and attain an extensive view of your undertakings.
Online PCB inventory management can help solve the difficulties commonly associated with conventional methods, for example, allows numerous languages, currencies, and legislation. Besides, it enables personal divisions or regions to apply rules while sharing data. Lastly, the system is adaptable with the capacity to scale whenever it is vital.
Q8: What is Shelf Life Service for Quality Issues ?
Answer: Shelf life service in PCB is majorly about solderability. Often, the solderability timer starts to run whenever the final finish applies. The classification of the finish is what determines the life of the shelf in months. It is mostly either six months or 12 months.
For instance, Organic Solderability Preservative is a water-based, natural texture finish that typically applies for copper pads. The preservative selectively joins copper and preserves the copper pad before it solder. The tech is environmentally friendly, gives a guarding cover, is lead-free, and demand less maintenance. However there are other types of surface finishing could be requested.
Q9: What is One-stop Quality Service? OurPCB – an Example
Answer: To offer one-stop-services to clients, we at OurPCB deliver PCB Assembly services together with our FR4 PCB, Ceramic PCB, and MCPCB.
At the moment, we offer valid PCB Assembly services for the following categories:
- COG bonding
- Product Assembly
- COB Die Bonding
- Auto Insertion
- Surface Mounted Components
- Leaded Type Components
At OurPCB , we can moreover multiply the complete products, from the custom printed board through SMT, to complete products. Our clients only ought to share various real samples, and our experts prepare products for them. They include:
- Soldering Machine
- AOI inspection
- Development with customers
- Customers Satisfaction
- Continuous Improvement
- Process Standardization
- Intensification of Training
- Quality Policy
Conclusion
Since the custom printed circuit boards play an enormous role in electronic devices, the type of PCB you select should be suitable enough to meet your expectations.
When looking for credible, cost-effective, and sturdy PCB products, clients can count on trustworthy service providers. At OurPCB, we meet these requirements. We offer our services that provide PCB solutions, which feature customs that fit even the unique needs. Moreover, Cloom is a daughter company of OurPCB Co. Ltd. Its covers include the value-added business of Wire harness production, assembling, custom design and most efficient delivery route.
