Photo by PCBWay

Developing an electronic product requires a lot of iteration. A hardware electronic device has to go through a detailed design process which is followed by numerous prototyping and evaluation. It is often a time-consuming and cost-intensive process.

Not all the development processes happen in the house. The majority of the companies do in house designing and then rely on trusted partners to manufacture prototypes and later on the scale based on the outcome. It is critical to understand how one can design and where one can manufacture.

MAJOR STEPS IN HARDWARE DEVELOPMENT

There are two major steps before the hardware product hits the market: Designing and Prototyping

Designing a hardware product for consumers requires a dedicated team that can provide proof of concept using different tools. After the idea is validated using circuit simulation tools, then the team will generate a detailed Bill of Materials (BOM) which will have all the details regarding components required to assemble and manufacture a hardware prototype in form of Printed Circuit Board (PCB). In most cases, the designing team will also provide Gerber files that will have the details of how many layers the PCB will have, which components are placed at what locations, orientation of the components, and many other assembly related details. All these technical details and information is then sent to the team which is capable of producing PCB for rapid prototyping.

Prototyping is a very complex process and requires that the BOM being assembled adheres to industry standards. Majority of the prototyping happens using PCB which is outsourced. To assemble PCB, the service provider should have dedicated tools and teams that can take Gerber files, validate that it is correctly designed, and then process it through the manufacturing flow to provide faster PCB prototyping.

WHERE TO MANUFACTURE

There is no denying that China is the leader in PCB assembly with over 50% of the global market share. Shenzhen, which is often termed as The Silicon Valley of Hardware, is the go-to place when it comes to prototyping and large scale manufacturing of hardware products.

Numerous companies provide elegant solutions in China and PCBWay is one of the leading manufacturers of PCB designing, prototype, fabrication, and assembly. It is one-stop solution for all things hardware manufacturing.

PCBWay has opted a different approach that combines the power of software and hardware to provides manufacturing without compromising quality while ensuring timely delivery and cost effectiveness

It is becoming a powerhouse of smart PCB prototyping and manufacturing.

THE PROCESS

PCBWay makes sit very easy for any customer to get started with the service. Traditional there are two types of design and development companies:

• One which prefer to only outsource PCB and then do assembly either in a house or at other vendors
• Second which wants everything to do done the same manufacturer: PCB, assembly, testing and scaling

For both such types of companies, PCBWay has solutions. Using PCBWay’s online quotation system designing company can opt for a quick quote. Apart from standard single-layer PCB, the company offers advanced multi-layer PCB designing and prototyping. Flexible electronics is one of the upcoming markets and PCBWay already has technology that can easily provide rapid prototyping and assembly of flexible PCB.

All this is very handy for customers who would like to just get a quick prototype of PCB built based on the design provided, and later on, prefer to assemble somewhere else.

If the OEM wants everything from PCB designing, manufacturing, and assembly to be done at a single location, then PCBWay already has all such resources. They can handle sample prototyping to turnkey production.

QUALITY

It is very critical to ensure that any hardware being assembled goes through all the required quality checks. PCBWay assembly and manufacturing adhere to all such requirement that includes design rule check, automated optical inspection, electronic and probe test, automated X-Ray inspection, impedance control, RoHs lead-free, UL certification and different manufacturing tolerance.

They have also partnered with leading design houses which ensures all these quality requirements are met from day one.

COMMUNITY

Apart from catering to the industry, one of the major steps PCBWay has taken is to differentiate itself from other manufacturers in China by engaging with electronic enthusiasts. They often run an online competition and PCBWay Community is one of the fastest-growing assembly communities.

Anyone with or without knowledge about PCB manufacturing and assembly can sign up and learn rapid prototyping.

PSA

If you watch videos from Scotty Allen then you will definitely like below one by him on PCBWay.