PCB Makers Up Their Game
Today’s embedded systems engineers have a rich variety of PCB quick prototyping resources to get their designs up and running. The PCB production and assembly vendors listed here feature lots of powerful online quoting tools, sophisticated PCB manufacturing expertise and world-class support services.
Accutrace
www.pcb4u.com
Location: Santa Clara, CA
Accutrace serves the electronics industry’s needs for quick turn PCB fabrication from prototype to production. They can manufacture only what is needed, when it’s needed—and in the amount needed. No need to worry about long shelf life or tying up your capital in bare board inventory.
Services: PCB capabilities: Capabilities: Up to 50 layers; any layer HDI; blind and buried vias; 2-mil line width and spacing; copper up to 16 oz. Materials supported: FR4, Rogers, ISOLA, Polymide-flex, Metal core, Taconic and Magtron
Advanced Circuits
www.4pcb.com
Location: Aurora, CO
3rd largest PCB manufacturer in the US. Advanced Circuits also offers exclusive services to help customers with their PCB Projects. Advanced Circuits can help you with all aspects of PCB fabrication—from manufacturing through assembly. It can create rapid prototypes and even provide weekend turns to get you your orders when you need them.
Services: Full spec PCBs, small quantity / quick turn PCBs, custom spec / quick turn PCBs, highly specialized precision PCBs and large scale production. No order is too small or too large.
AP Circuits
www.apcircuits.com
Location: Calgary, Canada
AP Circuits is a quick turn-around manufacturer of custom PCBs. Founded in 1984, AP Circuits became the world’s first facility devoted to affordable rapid printed circuit board prototyping. Over thirty years of experience getting your project done right and delivered on time.
Services: Quick turn PCB fabrication services include: Flex, semi-rigid, Multi-layer to 24 layer at 3 mil with multiple substrate options, laser drilling, blind/buried vias, Boring and countersink, direct metalization, UL/ISO/MIL/RoHS
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Beta Layout
uk.beta-layout.com
Location: Shannon, Ireland
Beta Layout’s PCB-POOL operation is Europe’s largest manufacturer of PCB prototypes, with over 36,000 customers worldwide. PCB-POOL cost sharing principle enables system designers to benefit from low prices. You can calculate the prices instantly online using the PCB-POOL’s Online price calculation. PCBs using special technologies and materials can also be sourced directly from the company, from prototype to series production quantities.
Services: Prototype PCBs or small series PCBs in 1 – 6 working days; Laser-cut SMD-Stencils in 1-3 working days; Fully populated SMD and THT prototype boards in 2 working days; Support for PCBs with embedded UHF RFID modules
Beta Layout has an online pricing calculation tool that lets you unload your Eagle BRD files for 3D vacuolation.
Custom Circuit Boards
www.customcircuitboards.com
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Custom Circuit Boards is a full service quick turn PCB manufacturer located in Phoenix, Arizona with the capabilities to fabricate your prototype and production quantity PCBs. It We specializes in Quick turn PCB services with an industry leading turnaround time as fast as 24 hours. The company also does PCB prototypes, production PCBs and multilayer PCBs.
Services: From 1 to 40 PCB layers; Board material support includes: FR4, Rogers, Polyimide, Teflon, Black FR4, Arlon AR350, Getek Copper Clad Thermal Substrates, Hybrid (Rogers and FR4) BT Epoxy, Nelco 4013, Metal Core Materials
EzPCB
www.ezpcb.com
Location: Shenzhen, China
EzPCB is an online provider of PCB manufacture and PCB assembly products and services. Based in China, the company’s worldwide business has been growing rapidly since its launch in 2004. EzPCB has supplied high quality PCBs—and related products and services—for over 2,000 customers from more than 40 countries. Its customers include amateurs, small businesses, universities and many world-class companies and organizations including Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Micron, Siemens, STMicroelectronics and Rohm.
Services: PCB manufacturing, PCB assembly, cabling, enclosures, keypads, stencils and components, one-stop turnkey services and design consultation
Example of a 12-layer HDI boards with buried and blind vias built by ExPCB.
Epec
www.epectec.com
Location: New Bedford, MA
Epec specializes in custom, build to print electronics. It has a global team of engineers, designers, R & D innovators, product managers, manufacturing/supply chain professionals, quality assurance personnel and sales/customer service staff, all of whom are experts in their fields. Rather than limit its production capacity to its US and UK manufacturing centers, Epec has developed UL certified world class production facilities which are ISO-9001, QS-9002,
TS-16949, with aligned technology roadmaps and quality systems.
Services: Provides complete engineering and design services, from concept through production, in a quick and efficient time frame. Capabilities include: battery pack design and assembly, PCB electronic design, cable assembly design, flex and rigid-flex circuit design, user interface and more.
Imagineering
www.pcbnet.com
Location: Elk Grove Village, IL
Imagineering acts as a reliable source for high quality and on time PCBs. Its quick turn prototypes not just intended for testing and verification of designs. Every one of its boards meet
IPC-A-600 F (Class2) standard, be it prototype or production. Specializes in quick turn prototypes, as well as rapid turn production.
Services: PCB assembly capabilities summary: SMT, Flip chip, thru hole, Flex circuit assembly, cable assemblies, lead-free assembly and sire harness assembly. Full Turnkey service for all customers if needed as well as partial turn-key and consignment orders. PCB capabilities include: 22 layer fabrication, hole sizes down to 8 mil plated and 5 mil laser drilled, 3 mil line width and spacing, 6oz copper and a maximum PCB thickness up to .300″.
MacroFab
www.macrofab.com
Location: Houston, TX
MacroFab’s mission is to create the future of electronics manufacturing through user-centric, cloud-based technology. In October 2017 the company launched its 10-day Prototype turnaround service. This service benefit teams that quickly iterate on designs to finalize to their products.
Services: MacroFab’s software allows you to control and manage your entire PCBA manufacturing from start to finish. You can update your PCB layers and BOMs online, then approve the files for production.
MacroFab lets you upload your product design files directly onto its online platform. You can receive an instant quote and place your order without delays.
OurPCB
www.ourpcb.com
Location: Shijiazhuang Hebei, China
OurPCB is a multi-national PCB manufacturing and PCB assembly company that provides global service and support while using its own Chinese manufacturing capabilities. Company has provided professional PCB production and assembly services for more than 2,500 customers around the globe.
Services: Assembly capabilities include BGA, LGA, QFN, QFP, DIP and SIP. The smallest SMT footprint it can mount is 0201. Factory can also provide programming and wiring as well as injecting and conformal coating services.
PCBCart
www.pcbcart.com
Location: Hangzhou, China
PCBCart is a professional PCB production service provider with more than 10 years of experience in the electronics manufacturing industry. We’ve manufactured printed circuit boards for more than 10,000 companies and over 80 countries around the world. Fast, affordable prototype assembly they take your unique PCB designs, prepare them for the assembly process and perform comprehensive testing to ensure they meet your precise performance requirements. Can provide a complete turnkey PCB prototype assembly featuring a one-stop shop approach.
Services: Development, manufacturing, assembly and testing of custom PBCs; Rapid PCB prototyping; Circuit boards manufacturing: PCB assembly; Components sourcing services
PCB Unlimited
www.pcbunlimited.com
Location: Tualatin, OR
In 2003, PCB Unlimited’s sister company Stencils Unlimited pioneered the internet SMT stencil quote and order process. In 2008, PCB Unlimited took it one step further by providing a one-stop-shop where engineers can quote and order online US and offshore PCB services and everything else they need for their PCB projects.
Services: US PCB fabrication including Rigid, Flex and Rigid-Flex PCBs; Offshore PCB Fabrication; US Quick-Turn Prototype PCB Assembly and Low Volume Production followed by PCB Unlimited’s offshore operation to service your high-volume production needs
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Screaming Circuits
www.screamingcircuits.com
Location: Canby, OR
Screaming Circuits, a division of Milwaukee Electronics, was founded in 2003 to reinvent electronics manufacturing. Unlike old-fashioned manufacturing models that focused on mass volumes and cost-control through rigidity, Screaming Circuits specializes in fast and flexible prototype and short-run assemblies. It offers short-run production for higher volumes without forecasts, NRE charges or volume commitments. If you need to go a step further with scheduled production, its parent company Milwaukee Electronics provides a full range of electronics manufacturing services, from original design to volume production and life-cycle management.
Services: PCB fabrication, PCB assembly, parts sourcing, layout engineering, prototype to volume production transitioning
Sierra Circuits
www.protoexpress.com
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Sierra Circuits is an ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485:2016 and MIL-spec MIL-PRF-55110 certified, Silicon Valley-based, high-technology PCB manufacturer and assembler. It specializes in quick turn PCBs and medium production. By owning its manufacturing and assembly facilities, the company controls every aspect of the production schedule and quality.
Services: Micro/fine line PCBs, PCB assembly, flexible PCBs, lead-free PCBs, high-reliability PCBs, no-touch PCBs, burn-in PCBs, R&D PCBs, MIL-spec PCBs, PCB design
Sierra Circuits can produce Flex PCBs with flex from 1 to 16 layers.
SlingShot Assembly
www.slingshotassembly.com
Location: Denver, CO
SlingShot Assembly’s state-of- the-art production facility handles prototype and low-volume production orders. From a single board and up, they use the latest software, processes and equipment to produce high-quality assemblies fast and at a reasonable price. Customers use the company’s assembly services for early prototype runs when they need high-quality assemblies completed in a matter of a few days. Typically, the quantities for early prototypes range from a single board to about 50. Once initial testing of early prototypes is completed, many customers move to late-stage prototyping or pre-production assemblies.
Services: Quick turn PCB assembly, standard assembly turn time: 2 – 3 days (turn times as fast as 24 hours available), prototype and low-volume production (single orders welcome, 100% turn-key components, turn-key board fabrication encouraged, test (including flying probe and functional test), conformal coating, limited box build services, web-based BOM sourcing and more.
This article appeared in the May 334 issue of Circuit Cellar
Circuit Cellar's editorial team comprises professional engineers, technical editors, and digital media specialists. You can reach the Editorial Department at editorial@circuitcellar.com, @circuitcellar, and facebook.com/circuitcellar
