The production cycle of any electronic equipment manufacturer will depend on the delivery timeline of their PCB manufacturer. Most of the manufacturing companies in the electronics industry outsource their PCB needs, as it is one of the most convenient ways of sourcing their PCBs. It saves them time as well as money when sourced from the right manufacturers in China.
You will be required to carefully plan your PCB sourcing schedule in order to have your PCBs delivered to you on time. Every single electronic product you manufacture will have one or more PCBs installed in them. In other words without these PCBs, it is not possible to manufacture any of your electronic equipment. This is an ongoing requirement and you should have a steady flow of PCBs. The moment you PCB supply stops you production cycle will also stop. Depending on your production capacity and the turnaround time for the PCB manufacturing process, you need to plan your PCB ordering cycle.
You could either place blanket order for the entire year and have the PCBs delivered in different batches as per your needs or you could place multiple orders in smaller batches. If you are placing smaller orders then you should be placing the orders at least two cycles in advance. This will save you from all sorts dangers on stalling of your project. When it comes to timely delivery of the PCBs, things could go wrong at various levels. Delays could be because of the supply of inadequate specifications to the manufacturer or it could be due to bad selection of the supplier. Things could also go wrong if the PCB components required for assembly are not available or if the supplier lets the PCB manufacturer down.
Regardless of the reason why there is a delay in the delivery of the order, ultimately your production cycle will be hit. Therefore, you will have to tread very cautiously when you are selecting your manufacturer. Be sure to pick your manufacturer after a careful review. There are plenty of choices for you and you just need to make the right decisions when it comes to selecting your PCB manufacturers.
Two key components need to be taken into account when scheduling your PCB sourcing cycle. Firstly, the production time taken by your manufacturer or the turnaround time for production. Secondly, the shipping time for the delivery of the order. If you are sourcing your PCBs locally, you need not have to worry about shipping time very much. On the other hand, if you are sourcing from China or some other country, you will need to allow enough time for the order to be shipped to you. It may not be advisable to place last minute orders. You will need to work with the most dependable manufacturers so that you can be very sure about the quality of the PCBs that they deliver and about their delivery times. Do your homework well and plan your PCB ordering calendar correctly to avoid last minute delays and anxieties.
China PCB One Technology LTD. is the author of this article on PCB manufacturer. Find more information, about PCB manufacturing.
