PCBA foundry materials are quite prevalent today, but it’s essential to adhere to a specific process while also considering cost implications. I believe many readers will find this topic intriguing. In the following sections, this article will guide you through the PCBA foundry process and its associated costs. I hope you find this information beneficial.

1. Detailed processing flow of PCBA foundry materials:

1. PCBA processing project evaluation

When customers design products, a crucial evaluation takes place: design for manufacturability. This step is vital for ensuring quality control throughout the manufacturing process.

2. Confirm the cooperation and sign the contract.

Following negotiations, both parties reach a decision to collaborate and proceed to sign the contract.


3. Customers provide processing information

Once the customer completes the product design, they submit the Gerber file, BOM list, and other engineering documents to the supplier. Typically, the supplier has a dedicated technician who reviews, confirms, and evaluates the specifics of stencil printing, the patch process, and the plug-in process.

4. Material procurement, inspection, and processing

The customer prepays the supplier for the foundry material project (ranging from 30% to 80%, depending on the product’s profitability, with 70% being common). After receiving the payment, the supplier procures the components. Once all preparations are complete, production is scheduled according to the PMC Plan.

5. SMT patch processing and DIP plug-in processing

Materials undergo production online, with quality inspections conducted after processes such as screen printing, reflow soldering, AOI inspection, DIP plug-in, and wave soldering.

6. Quality inspection by the quality department

The quality department conducts random inspections of the products and repairs any defects that are identified.

7. Packing, shipping, and after-sales service

Once production is complete, all products are packaged and shipped using anti-static packaging bags, and after-sales service is monitored closely.

PCBA foundry material

2. What are the costs associated with PCBA foundry materials?

1. PCB fee

The cost of PCBs is relatively straightforward. Typically, quotations are based on the PCB process requirements provided by the customer, which includes the necessary board-making information and instructions. If the information is comprehensive, a quick quotation can be generated based on the required PCB area.

2. Processing costs

The costs for PCBA processing primarily encompass SMT patch processing and plug-in processing. These costs are generally calculated based on the number of points. For small batches or prototyping, reasonable engineering fees may be charged, as producing engineering documents and online programming entails both labor and time costs. This quotation component is essentially the core of the PCBA processing estimate and is usually generated fairly quickly.

3. The cost of components

The majority of time spent on PCBA foundry material quotations is dedicated to the cost of components. The purchaser must verify each component with suppliers individually. Since many component prices fluctuate, the final quotation can only serve as a reference and must be rechecked. In addition, certain special BGA components or ICs that need to be imported can have unstable prices, leading to longer quotation times for all materials.