How to Reduce PCB cost.

Linked Electronics faces the questions from all customer about the cost of printed circuit board（Electronic PCB）expense. The PCB engineers are interested in know how to design PCB board without extra fees. PCB is calculated by the area, if the electronic PCB board size is large, the cost will be more expensive. So let’s take a look at the other factors which affect the price so that engineer will design the most economical electronic PCB board.

1.Material

Material is crucial to electronic PCB board. There are FR4 PCB, Aluminum PCB, Ceramic PCB and Flex PCB in terms of material. Standard FR4 TG130 is the most cost effective. High TG 170 material will be a little bit more expensive. Because FR4 material is the most frequently used in PCB industry, this FR4 material is widely produced by many factory. Ceramic PCB material, for example, Rogers, PTFE is the most expensive one.

2.Board Thickness

If there’s no special requirement, the standard thickness is 1.6mm. If customer ask for thicker PCB than 0.6mm, that will be expensive, because the raw material cost is higher. If the PCB thickness is lower than 0.6mm, the PCB will be more expensive because there’s more difficulty in manufacturing the PCBs.

3.Hole Size

At Linked Electronics, we can drill the 0.1mm vias, which most PCB manufacture in China cannot do this, because it is laser drill. So when engineers design the PCB board, if there’s no special requirement, Linked Electronics, the PCB supplier in China, advise the smallest hole size to be 0.3mm. Or PCB price will be more expensive

4.Copper Weight

This is very simple to understand. Standard copper weight is 1oz. The higher the copper weight is, the more expensive the price will be. Linked Electronics is able to produce heavy copper PCB board which most factory is unable to do. We can produce PCBs up to 20 OZ. The plating technique will be very complicated which most PCB manufacture in China will turn down the PCB order.

5.Soldermask

This might be confusing to most customers that why soldermask will affect the electronic PCB price. To be honest, except green soldermask color, other color price is a little bit more expensive. At Linked, the standard soldermask brand we use is Rongda or Kuangshun, that is most common brand in China. If there’s special requirement, there is Taiyo Ink option, but price will be more expensive.

6.Surface Treatment.

HASL Lead free is the most common surface treatment that we used. And this is the most economical surface treatment in PCB industry. Besides, there are immersion gold, immersion silver, immersion Tin, OSP option at Linked Electronic, the PCB and PCB assembly service provider in China.

7.Minimum Traces Width and Space

When engineers are design electronic PCB, if there’s no special request, we highly recommended that PCB traces W/S will be 5/5mil. If the traces width and space is less than 5mil on the electronic PCB board, the rejection rate will be high. There might be more shorts or open.

8.Other Special PCB Board Requirements

Other special PCB requirement, such as peelable mask PCB, carbon ink PCB, impedance control PCB, electronic PCB board with countersink or stricter PCB inspection standard will increase the PCB price.

In a word, PCB is customized products, and there are a lot of factors which will affect the PCB price. And if customer want to make a competitive price Electronic PCB board, just take a look of the above factors which will affect the PCB price. And send us the file to our sales representatives, our team will help you optimize the PCB expense.

Linked Electronics is the PCB manufacture and PCB assembly service provider in China, contact us today, and let’s discuss about your PCB RFQ today.