The question is a fair one. Many of our clients ask us what the most efficient method for testing prototype assembled PCBs is, and whether we can help them get the job done quickly and efficiently. Some PCB manufacturers do their own prototype testing, and offer this as an additional service to clients, but at Green Circuits, we see this as a production inefficiency.
Why is that?
There are several reasons why board prototype testing is best handled by our clients’ in-house engineers. These reasons include better cost efficiency, decreased turnaround times, and the fact that clients are best-positioned to test boards in real-world applications.
Cost Efficiency for Testing Prototype Assembled PCBs
For us to test our clients’ boards, we would have to increase the costs of our services considerably. Setting up an assembled PCB testing fixture for a specific application is a time- and labor-intensive process that our clients are typically already performing for their other existing products.
As a result, by leaving our clients’ in-house engineers to test prototypes, we’re able to deliver reliable solutions of consistent quality with greater cost efficiency than our competitors. The fact that the boards we create are still in the early stages makes this a viable option – changes can be effectuated simply and easily.
We employ rigorous procedural methods that ensure our boards are designed according to specification. Our longtime clients test prototypes for real-world applications – not to determine whether Green Circuits dotted its “i’s” and crossed its “t’s” in the assembly process.
Since our client’s in-house engineers understand the desired capabilities of their assembled PCBs best, they are usually able to determine testing parameters the fastest, and at the lowest cost.
Decreased Turnaround Time
If our team were to test every single assembled PCB we create, we wouldn’t be able to offer the lightning-fast assembly services that our partners rely on. Since our turnaround times are among the lowest in the industry, having our clients test prototypes has shown itself to be the most efficient method for generating value in our projects.
In-house engineers can quickly inform our team what, if any, changes need to be made, and we can deliver a new prototype assembled PCB faster than most any PCB assembly service on the market.
Early-Stage Board Testing in Real-World Applications
Setting up and operating an assembled PCB test fixture is not cost-effective for early-stage printed circuit boards. Knowing that boards are manufactured according to the highest standards of quality, our clients overwhelmingly prefer to test them directly in real-world applications, and find out if changes need to be made.
Green Circuits is a printed circuit board assembler that specializes in lightning-fast board prototype assembly. Get a quote on your upcoming PCB project from one of our specialists!