Benefits of Outsourcing Printed Circuit Board Design Services

Printed circuit board design services are used to create a new printed circuit board or modify an existing one. This is done by creating a schematic, which is then converted into a physical design that can be manufactured and assembled with other components.

The schematic shows each electrical component and its connections, while the physical design shows where each component will be placed on the board. The schematic can also include elements such as power supplies and connectors, which are not normally visible in the final product but must be included to make sure they work correctly.

Once the schematic has been created, it can be used to create a physical layout of components on the PCB using software. This layout is then sent off for manufacturing and assembly by a third-party company.

What are the benefits of printed circuit board design services?

1. Time savings

Utilizing a professional PCB design service can lead to significant time savings during the design process. Rather than having to hire and train internal designers or spend time learning PCB design skills, companies can outsource their design needs to an expert team.

This allows the design process to proceed much faster than an internal team could work. Professional PCB designers are highly efficient, with years of experience optimizing workflows. They have worked on countless design projects, so can quickly apply their expertise rather than starting from scratch each time.

Outsourcing also avoids any delays from having to ramp up an internal team's capabilities. Since design firms already have all the necessary skills and tools in place, they can begin work immediately. This prevents wasted time upfront getting a team trained and equipped. The overall design timeline shrinks dramatically when leveraging outside expertise.

In today's fast-paced, rapidly innovating business environment, getting products designed quickly is imperative. Working with an established PCB design firm yields significant time-to-market advantages over trying to design boards in-house. Their specialized skills and efficient processes lead to much faster design turnarounds.

2. Cost Savings

Engaging an experienced PCB design services firm can result in significant cost savings compared to maintaining an in-house PCB design team.

Outsourcing PCB design eliminates expenses associated with hiring, training, and retaining skilled engineers. Specialized PCB design software and tools can also involve major investments in purchasing and maintenance.

Rather than carrying the high fixed costs of salaries and technology, outsourcing provides flexibility to scale design capacity up and down as needed. Companies only pay for the specific services and hours used.

Experienced design firms have optimized workflows to deliver results faster and more efficiently. Their expertise allows them to avoid costly errors that often occur with in-house novice designers.

By leveraging a design firm's economies of scale, purchasing power, and existing infrastructure, companies can realize lower per-unit costs. The overall expense is often 30-50% less than in-house design costs for infrequent or low-volume orders.

Outsourcing shifts the burden of overhead, equipment, labor, and training costs away from companies. This enables product teams to focus their budgets on other strategic priorities. Companies gain access to world-class design skills without the major investments required to develop comparable competencies internally.

3. Expertise and experience

Outsourcing PCB design to a specialist provider grants access to a level of expertise and experience that can be difficult to develop in-house. Many PCB design firms employ teams of highly skilled engineers, each with years or even decades of industry experience across various fields such as analog, digital, RF, and microwave design. These veteran engineers have completed thousands of designs and can readily apply their know-how to tackle even the most complex layout challenges. They are intimately familiar with the nuances of PCB design tools, fabrication capabilities, and industry best practices.

An established PCB design company also accumulates knowledge over time by working with a diverse range of clients and projects. With each new design, the team expands its expertise across different markets, applications, and technologies. Companies can leverage this collective knowledge when outsourcing their design work rather than relying solely on limited in-house capabilities. Accessing veteran talent and accumulated expertise allows PCB projects to proceed efficiently with a higher likelihood of first-pass success.

4. Advanced tools and technology

Designing printed circuit boards requires specialized software tools and technologies that enable automation, sophisticated analyses, collaboration, and process efficiency. Working with an experienced printed circuit board design services provider gives you access to advanced design tools you likely don't have in-house. This includes software for:

1.          Schematic capture to convert electronic circuits into digital schematic diagrams.
2.          PCB layout with features like auto-routing to arrange tracks and optimization algorithms.
3.          Signal and power integrity analysis through simulation and modeling.
4.         Thermal analysis to model heat dissipation.
5.        . Design rule checking to validate manufacturability.
6.          Library management for part data.
7.          Collaboration tools for easier teamwork and change management.
8.          Data management integrations to sync with enterprise systems.
9.          Manufacturing output generation like Gerber and drill files.

By leveraging professional-grade PCB design software and associated technologies, you benefit from greater design automation, reduced errors, more accurate analyses, seamless data handoffs, and overall improved quality. The specialized expertise of the PCB design firm is required to wield these tools effectively to deliver optimized, fabrication-ready designs.

A Few Essential Things About Metal Core PCB

 A metal core printed circuit board or MCPCB is a printed circuit board that has a metallic core. This is a type of PCB that has a thicker copper layer than traditional PCBs. This makes it more resistant to corrosion and also allows for greater current flow in the traces of the circuit board. A metal core PCB is used primarily in high-voltage circuits such as power supplies.

MCPCBs are often used in power supplies because they can handle more current than standard PCBs without overheating or burning out components. They are also able to dissipate heat much more efficiently than traditional PCBs, meaning they can be used at higher voltages without damaging them.

Manufacturing Process

The manufacturing process for metal core printed circuit boards involves several key steps:

Etching - The copper foil on the substrate is coated with a photoresist material and then exposed to ultraviolet light through a mask. The photoresist that was exposed to UV light becomes soluble while the unexposed photoresist remains on the copper foil. The board is then washed with a chemical solution to dissolve away the exposed photoresist and etch away the copper that is no longer protected by the photoresist. This leaves behind the desired copper circuit pattern.

Plating - The etched board then goes through an electroplating process to build up a desired thickness of copper on the traces. This plating process also allows other metallic surfaces to be added, like nickel, gold, or tin. Plating helps protect the copper from corrosion and improves solderability.

Lamination - Prepreg bonding sheets are layered between the core substrate and outer copper layers. This full stack is laminated together under heat and pressure, and bonds the layers into a single board. The lamination process also serves to cure the resin in the prepreg layers.

Drilling - Once laminated, the board undergoes drilling to create holes that allow connections between layers. High-speed numerical control drill bits are used to precisely drill these holes to facilitate component assembly later on. The holes are then typically plated to form a conductive path between layers.

Quality Control

Quality control is a critical part of the metal core PCB manufacturing process. Rigorous testing procedures are implemented to catch any defects and ensure the boards function properly.

Testing for Shorts and Opens

One of the main tests conducted is testing for electrical shorts and opens. Shorts occur when an undesired connection exists between two points in a circuit. This results in excessive current flow and can cause circuit failure. Opens describe breaks in the intended conductive paths on the PCB. Both shorts and opens prevent the proper flow of electricity and impair circuit operation.

To check for shorts and opens, manufacturers employ flying probe testing. Probes are programmed to check each trace on the boards for continuity and isolation from other nets. Any shorts or opens detected are flagged and addressed before the board moves to the next step. This verifies all conductive paths function as designed without any unintended connections.

Impedance Testing

Impedance testing is also important for MCPCBs. A controlled impedance is critical for maintaining signal integrity and preventing signal reflection in high-speed designs. Manufacturers use impedance testers to validate the designed impedance values match the actual fabricated boards.

Any sections falling outside the acceptable impedance tolerance are identified. The PCB layout may then be adjusted and reviewed to correct the issue on subsequent board revisions. Tight impedance control ensures reliable functionality for high-frequency and sensitive circuit designs with metal core boards.

Other Tests

Additional testing steps may include AOI (Automated Optical Inspection) to check for physical defects and electrical testing to confirm proper functionality using test points on the board. Comprehensive testing provides full confidence in the quality and reliability of the completed metal core PCBs.

Applications

Metal core printed circuit boards are used in a variety of applications where their thermal management abilities are advantageous. Some of the major uses include:

·         LED Lighting - MCPCBs help dissipate heat in high-power LED lighting fixtures. The metal substrate acts as a heat spreader to take heat away from the LEDs to improve performance and longevity.

·         Automotive - In automotive electronics, metal core PCBs are used in control units, infotainment systems, ADAS, and lighting. The high current densities required make thermal management essential.

·         Aerospace - Avionics, power systems, and controls in the aerospace industry utilize metal core PCBs to handle demanding environmental conditions.

·         Industrial - For industrial equipment with high power demands, like servo motor controls and power conversion, metal core PCBs manage heat properly.

The thermal conductivity of a MCPCB allows them to spread heat over the surface, rather than building up in components. This helps sensitive electronics operate reliably for longer durations before failure. The applications that benefit from metal core PCBs tend to have high power densities, size constraints, and challenging operating environments.