When you are choosing a manufacturer for PCBs, you should consider not only the most important factors for you but all of the factors that go into a great company. This helps to ensure that you are choosing your manufacturer correctly.

Below, we will be looking at some of the factors that tend to be at the top of many peoples’ lists when they are looking for a PCB manufacturer.

Are Quick Turn PCBs Important for You?

Whether you are creating your prototype, or you are looking to have a large number of printed circuit boards manufactured, you want to know how long it will take. Sometimes, you do not have as much time as you might like. You need the PCBs as soon as possible. This means that you need to choose a manufacturer capable of meeting your specific needs not only in terms of quality but also turnaround time. It is important to realize that not all companies will be able to offer quick turn PCBs.

Fortunately, you will not find that problem with Advanced Circuits. We have a range of options available to meet the needs of our customers. We can offer same-day turns for those who are placing their two-layer PCB order by 8:15am MST. These boards will be shipped the same evening. Additionally, if you submit two-layer or multilayer PCB designs on Friday, we will build the boards over the weekend, so they can arrive by Monday morning.

We offer small quantity and quick turn assembly services that ensure you are getting the PCBs you need when you need them. We also have an on-time guarantee. Our company built a reputation on being able to provide quick turn PCBs, and this means that we will guarantee that your standard spec PCBs will ship on time, or they are free.

Reputation and Experience of the Company

One of the first things that you should look for when choosing a manufacturer for your PCBs is how much experience they have in the field. Are they a new entrant into PCBs or do they have several decades in the field? While there might be some new companies offering quality products, they do not have the reputation of older companies. This also often means they will not have the same capabilities. They will not be able to get the materials they need at good prices. Those companies will not have dedicated manufacturing facilities, and it is unlikely that they will have a reliable process for quick turn PCBs. A good reputation and experience go a long way in this field, so do not overlook how important it can be.

The Standard and Custom Options

When it comes to the standard and custom PCB options that a company offers, you need to understand what they mean by those options. Some companies, for example, will not have true custom printed circuit boards, but will only offer standard options. Take the time to learn how many layers are available, whether they have a minimum number you will need to order, board thicknesses, copper weight, materials, and more. You have to be sure the company can provide you with the boards you need.

Customer Service

How the customers are treated is also important and something you will not want to overlook. Find a company that can guarantee their quality and their quick turn PCB time. Make sure that you have plenty of ways to contact the company if needed, and that the manufacturer offers free checks of your work before going into production. This helps to reduce the possibility of creating boards that are not going to work.

Overall Capabilities

What are the overall capabilities of the manufacturer? Will they be capable of providing you with just a prototype if needed? Will they be capable of offering short runs, as well as producing the PCBs you need on a massive scale? You have to think about what your needs are right now, and what they could be in the future when you are choosing a PCB manufacturing company. Take the time to learn more about the company’s certifications, such as whether they can offer military-grade PCBs. How many facilities do they operate?

Additionally, you will want to be certain that the PCBs are being made in facilities owned and operated by the company. Some manufacturers shunt their production off to other parties, which means you cannot always rely on the quality or the speed. Learn as much as possible about the company you are considering and then make up your mind whether you want to do business with them or not.

These are some of the most important things you will want to consider when you are choosing your PCB manufacturer. Always make sure that the company you choose can meet, and hopefully exceed, your needs.

Get in Touch with Advanced Circuits

If you are looking for a company that excels in all aspects of PCB manufacturing and customer service, Advanced Circuits is ready to provide you with what you need. We have decades of experience in the field and we have a range of quality services and features that help to make us a top choice in the field. We are the third-largest PCB manufacturing company in the United States, and we want to ensure our customers are always happy with the orders they place. Our experience, our size, and our dedication help to ensure that you can count on our quick turn PCBs.

Why should turnkey PCB assembly be a challenge? There are many steps involved. Just consider a few of them:

• Initial design
• Output to design for manufacturing or DFM checks
• Film creation
• Mapping of copper paths
• V-scoring
• Testing, and all of the phases between and after

Not surprisingly, any firm that offers same-day turnarounds for turnkey PCB assembly seems like an impossible thing, but at Advanced Circuits, we offer just that, and more.

A One-Stop Turnkey PCB Assembly, Design and Shipping Shop

We offer more than 25 years in the circuit boards industry and rank among the largest of the one-stop solutions for manufacturers in need of prototypes, stencils, supplies, and turnkey PCB assembly. We operate within a facility that includes tens of thousands of square feet of production space and offer clients a turnkey PCB assembly system that includes everything from design testing and submission to packing and shipping.

We offer clients such vital services and options as:

• One day PCB – We are one of the few PCB makers that can manufacture and assemble circuit boards and ship them out in as little as a single day.
• Full support – Unlike many other manufacturers, our team works with orders of any size, every step of the way. We begin with a quote based on initial design uploads, and take a project to final production and turnkey PCB assembly phases.
• Quality – Our design process is not of the “no-touch” variety where the designs are sent in and run into production right away. Every single order (whether one-off or thousands of PCBs) gets our full CAM review, as well as visual inspections of the final circuit boards produced.
• Transparent pricing – Also unlike many other producers, we do not ask for stenciling fees, setup fees, and other hidden, but ultimately unnecessary, charges on turnkey PCB assembly projects.

We are truly a one-stop system, ensuring a seamless process under one roof. Clients’ orders or projects remain in the hands of our engineers from beginning to end, and even before, as we have 24-hour service offered by authentic CAM engineers who take questions at all hours. Without any outside vendors (we are not a broker) and with production and full turnkey PCB assembly in a single space, there are almost no risks of delays, problems, and mistakes.

What We Include in Turnkey PCB Assembly

The speed and ease offered by a turnkey PCB assembly team are invaluable, but we also make some incredibly handy resources available too.

• PCB Artist Software – The cost of PCB design software is part of doing business, and it can be a huge expense. Advanced Circuits’ clients enjoy free use of our proprietary design software (an industry best) in an unrestricted format and entirely for free. It downloads to the desktop (Windows only at this time) and offers up to 28 layers in a single design. The program has over 500k parts from which to choose, integrates a controlled auto-router function to speed up design processes, and offers multi-page schematics for more complex projects. With a complete library of tutorials to train those using the program, there is almost no learning curve and even if errors are made, there are steps to the turnkey PCB assembly process that catch mistakes before
• Ordering through the software – When a client runs the proprietary software available through the site, we also provide them with a discount for ordering through it at the same time. Designs still get a CAM engineer review and crucial checks for errors, too.
• FreeDFM – For those already using a CAM program, turnkey PCB assembly is still supported by this design testing option. Files are imported as Gerber files (industry standard) and then loaded to the online software. This will review the entire file, correct any problems, and generate a report indicating changes or potential problems.
• No minimum orders – Whether a client needs a prototype or a large run, there’s no worry about minimums, ever.
• CAM Engineer Evaluations – All products are evaluated by one of our in-house engineers long before production begins, to spare clients any costly mistakes.
• Customers get authentic tech support – We go beyond basic customer support and offer turnkey PCB assembly clients the opportunity to troubleshoot with the help of a CAM engineer available 24 hours a day.
• Premier shipping – Any turnkey PCB assembly orders come with the BEST ON-TIME SHIPPING in the industry, and we are now shipping 50% of orders early! In fact, we ship Standard Spec orders on time or they’re FREE!

No Outsourcing with Advanced Circuits: We Proudly Produce & Stand Behind Our Work

It is a frustrating truth that most manufacturers face the risk of outsourcing on almost anything they use or buy. Outsourcing is no longer limited to customer service and other phone service options alone, and if it is turnkey PCB assembly that is in question, the risks of trouble increase with outsourcing. From errors or flaws in the design process, to manufacturing glitches that result in wasted money and time, it is unwise to look to brokered or outsourced solutions for a turnkey PCB assembly process.

Working with Advanced Circuits means buyers get the kinds of hands-on results that are so important and desirable. With us, all circuit board designs pass through a series of rigorous examinations long before production begins. We are not a broker but are instead a reliable one-stop solution; making everything in-house, eliminating production problems and supplying turnkey PCB assembly and results required for success.

These viewers can help to eliminate issues with the manufacturing of the board, as you can get the data and feedback you need. This will ensure that you are not sending out work that is incorrect to the manufacturer. Everyone who is designing a circuit board, regardless of how simple or complicated it might be, will benefit from a Gerber file viewer.

What Are They and How Do They Work?

To understand the benefits of a Gerber file viewer, it is important to understand more about printed circuit boards. PCBs are boards that contain electronic components. These might include capacitors and resistors, for example. The circuits are mounted to the board, and elements of the board are connected through thin strips of conducting material. This is often copper.

The Gerber file format is considered standard in PCB design. This means that most people in the field will know and understand what a Gerber file is and how to read it. It helps to have a standard that can be used throughout the industry rather than having multiple proprietary files.

The Gerber file describes and communicates the components of the PCB image, such as copper layers and other attributes. Gerber files can also be input files for PCB printing devices that can make or compare circuit board images. They are essentially “sketches” that provide information about the makeup of the circuit boards. They help to guide the production of the PCB from the design. There have been three generations of Gerber files.

The Standard Gerber, RS-274-D, was the first generation. Extended Gerber, RS0274X, was the second generation, and Gerber X2 is the latest generation.  Modern Gerber files will also often include metadata.

Each of the Gerber files will equal, or correspond to, a single layer in the physical board. This could be the bottom signal layer, the top signal layer, inner layers, etc. In the past, it would often be necessary to provide the manufacturer with the Gerber files, which they would use to manufacture the PCB. This meant that it was not always possible to catch issues in the design until it was too late.

The Introduction of the Gerber File Viewer

To make the process faster and easier, the Gerber file viewer was created. This is a software that will allow you to check the contents in a Gerber file. It is a fast and easy way to get a better understanding of the design and how it will translate to the actual PCB. There are many tools on the market, including software that can be downloaded and installed on a computer.

However, we’ve opted to make the process even easier for our clients. We at Advanced Circuits provide a free to use tool that is right on our website. You can upload your Gerber files for viewing on your own time. The tool is available around the clock, and it works easily. Anyone who has a Gerber file can use the tool to upload and view. They do not have to be an active customer to use the software.

Our Gerber file viewer, called FreeDFM, can look at the inner plane layers for spacing, trace width, annular ring, inner clearance, and thermal reduction. It can check the outer layers for spacing, trace width, and annular ring. It can check drilling for double hits and missing hits. It also checks the solder mask for undersized clearances and missing clearances. It checks the silkscreen for line width. The inner signal layers can be checked for spacing, trace width, annular ring, and inner clearance.

Our system will provide you with an easy to read graphical report. This can make it much easier to understand the findings from the Gerber file viewer, so you can easily see if there are problems you will need to address. We can ensure that the files contain all the needed data, and one of the most significant benefits of our viewer is that it can automatically correct some design issues. This means that if you have some small issues, they could be fixed for you automatically, which can help to reduce your workload.

Besides the information that can be gleaned from the Gerber file viewer, we can also provide you with a detailed PCB quote.

We make the system as easy to use as possible. You will first want to export your Gerber files from the design software and then upload a zip folder to the online tool. You can then provide your email address, where the results will be sent in a matter of minutes.

Why Choose Advanced Circuits?

In addition to our free Gerber file viewer, we can provide you with a wealth of other benefits when you work with us. We’re known for our speedy turnaround time and rapid shipping, which ensures that you get your PCBs quickly. We are one of the largest companies in this field, and we can provide you with reliable service, manufacturing, and assembly. If you have custom orders in mind, we can help with those. Also, there are no minimum order requirements for PCB orders.

Those who need a company that can reliably manufacture their PCBs will want to check out everything that Advanced Circuits has to offer. We can provide you with the services you need and using the Gerber file viewer helps to ensure that you are getting a great board that works the way it should.

Advanced Circuits has become North America’s leading one-stop-solution for PCB fabrication and Quick Turn, Small Quantity PCB Assembly. Providing advanced capabilities for high reliability and powerful PCB performance to meet the most demanding requirements and specifications. Advanced Circuits is a flight & space approved supplier, ITAR registered, and DoD contracts ready; offering up to 40 Layer Boards, Cavity Boards, Microvias (HDI), Heavy Copper, Blind & Buried Vias, Via-in-Pad, Oversized Boards, & more. Whether you need a small quantity prototype and custom PCBs or full production run, you will receive the same high quality craftsmanship on every PCB order.
For more info, visit www.4pcb.com or contact1-800-979-4722