Printed Circuit Board (PCB) assembly is attachment of various electronic components to the circuit board. There are thousands of components that need to be assembled carefully on the circuit board. PCB assembly services are provided by companies commonly known as Electronic Manufacturing Service (EMS) providers. These services include PCB Resin Encapsulation, PCB population, PCB enclosures, inspecting and testing electronic components. There are several benefits of contracting PCB assembly services to EMS providers such as low investment on labor, more time to focus on core business activities, regular maintenance and upgrades.

But, before choosing an EMS provider three things should be kept in mind. Here is a quick guide to choosing right services:

Quality Check

Your preferred EMS provider should adhere to latest standards set by industrial regulatory authorities. Is your service provider ISO 9001certified or not? There are some minimum standards that any EMS provider should follow as it reflects the quality of their services. Also ask whether your EMS provider is ready to comply with your company standards or not? It shows their commitment towards keeping long term relationship.

Staff certifications

Make sure to review not only certification of EMS provider but also that of assembly technicians. The staff should be able to produce training and certification records when asked for. In case the staff doesn’t hold a proper certification then check their certification progress.

Cost effective services

Since labor costs varies from area to area, therefore make sure that EMS service provider provides you an itemized breakdown of the total cost of PCB assembling. Once an estimated cost is provided, conduct cost comparison of different competitors and choose accordingly.
If you find this quick guide helpful, then share your feedback with Denis Ferranti Electronics at electronics@dferrantigroup.com