What do you consider when looking for PCB suppliers from China? Today I was surprised to find this question because I’ve been browsing the internet all day looking for PCB suppliers for specific boards for a particular customer. There is no single “right” board supplier for PCB manufacturing. No matter which country you look at, every board shop has good weak points and only some of them are relevant to your needs for a specific board. I often buy several very expensive prototype boards. Complexity and… I blocked it for most of my career as a consultant.
For my specific board today I am backing a startup company. And this is their first board. Money is limited, so low prices are very important in this design. Unfortunately, this design is a 4-layer RF design with controlled impedance. Which basically means no one will build it on the cheap. I’ve minimized the requirements and made the board as easy as possible to build. This board still does not meet the requirements of all low-cost “blank board” instant quote prototype shops. (About what I call “Level 3”) I’ve seen. So now I’m expanding my search to include low cost. But full service providers at a higher level.
2 classes, price difference $116 for 25 boards in 3 weeks (round trip) in China at lowest level without impedance control. And there are no requirements for what level of stack-up or material to use. Therefore it was cancelled. This is because the impedance can be anywhere from acceptable to It’s not entirely usable and may vary from board to board. At a high level, I know I’ll have no problem finding a level 2 or 3 board house that can build this board in prototype quantities for under $1,200.
The most important question to ask yourself when looking for a cheap board store in China is: “Do I really need it?” In China, saying you want to buy a board is like saying you want to buy a car. There are huge price differences between different car models, and it doesn’t matter what part of the world you’re looking at. If you don’t know what you want (or what do you want?) You still haven’t prepared to issue a purchase order…
The best board shops in the world are located in China because China has chosen to invest in high-performance, high-volume equipment. (Almost all of it is produced in Western countries) when no other country has invested in technology this much. But not all board stores in China has this ability.
If you look at large industrial production zones like Shenzhen in China or many others, you can easily find these companies. Most proudly report the number of employees and list the model numbers of the equipment they invest in. Large companies in this segment are able to meet very high quality standards. Very strict control and every level of technology you can specify… they will also tell you if you ask for something they cannot provide.
If, as I see today You are looking at very low costs even with little quality delivered. You can start looking for small board shops in small towns that are far from the biggest cities. These stores will have older equipment. An unwritten quality control plan (if any) and no longer available for you to create next year. They charge less because they cannot compete with larger companies in China’s largest manufacturing region. So they can buy whatever is on sale. They will use any material. Whatever you can find And it may come from a nearby or opposite company that is trying to enter the market on its own.
You have to say what you want carefully. But small town residents may never be far from their homes, and what they consider to be of good quality may not pass the most basic tests in the western world, they certainly won’t exceed passing. Familiarity with IPC standards if you are trying to keep costs so low that no one else can produce at that price. You definitely get what you pay for.
I don’t find Chinese suppliers to be dishonest or disinterested. There are some cultural differences that you need to keep in mind. If you just call it FR-4 and don’t call for the Tg=170 specification, you get Tg=130, which is barely able to withstand the lead-free soldering process required in the Western world. If you refer to the general IPC, you meet all of the many requirements of that standard. It may or may not reach a full board.
Better to quote the price that is important to you. Unless you are using one of the tier 1 suppliers in China (who will meet all the requirements) then if you call Isola 370HR course and prepreg media. You may or may not get the brand name Isola unless you say something like “There is no brand substitution” in Chinese culture. As I have experienced Substitution is considered valid. unless otherwise specifically stated
Personally, I call this sample source content. “or substantially equivalent” if I can accept the risk. Yes, it’s a level of risk but it allows the factory to use existing materials and get a good price. Believe it or not, China has some good content creators and closely resembles popular European brands. And in some content they actually do better than European content creators.
One way to achieve optimal costs is to use a US company. A few places process your files to create a CAM file in a final format tailored to a specific factory. Based in the US and in China, they deliver the CAM files in their final form to the factory at the lowest cost. The quality you specified and can meet the expectations of the time They have become a type of export/import agent that bridges the gap between Western expectations and Eastern cultural competence. US-based companies will repackage your data files into appropriate files for the Chinese company of their choice. and may provide appropriate Chinese records where they think there may be confusion…
Coming back to my original problem. Can I find a cheap Chinese supplier for my RF board, which is very cost sensitive these days? It’s still not a pity. But maybe tonight I’ll be more successful. I’m willing to pay up to $375 for the 25 model (which is a very small board) if I get exactly what I want. for this board
Bottom line, find out what you really want and ask for it, it’s no one’s fault. But it’s your own fault. If you don’t know or expect to get what you pay for, it’s too little.
