Manufacturing with Devil Circuit Boards

Devil Circuit Boards can help you fabricate printed circuit boards that meet the most strict tolerances and requirements.  While the list of capability is extensive, here are some of the most common specs we can meet:

• FR4/Polyimide/ISOLA/Rodgers materials
• .025"-.250" thickness
• 2-40 layers
• Max PCB size of 20"L x 25"W
• 1-3oz Copper
• HASL/ENIG/Immersion Tin/Hard Gold plating
• Blind/Buried Via
• Via in Pad and Via Fill

This list is not exclusive.  Please reach out to us directly if you have needs above what is listed here.

Minimum quantities will vary by PCB requirements per job.  Devil Circuit Boards will advise to minimum lot size at time of quotation.

At Devil Circuit Boards we evaluate each job on a stand alone basis.  Every PCB board fabrication and PCB assembly is completely unique.  There is no way for us to answer this question without first evaluating the full scope of work on your PCB project.  Please use our contact form to begin an RFQ process or give us a call directly.

Every job is different and pricing will vary from job to job, but one thing will always stay consistent.  High quality PCB fabrication and circuit board assembly all done exclusively in the USA comes at a certain price!

We believe our price is fair to us and worth it to you, the consumer.  

You are not just purchasing circuit boards.  You are really purchasing our expertise and utilizing our precision equipment to process your advanced PCB requirements, all done in the USA, that will meet the most stringent demands.  That means a great deal to some and we are proud to offer this capability to US-based customers and corporations.  

After all, if it was truly easy to do this you wouldn't be seeking outside professional help.  We have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into our facility to provide you with elite level PCB services.  Those looking for elite level service, you need look no further.  

If cheap is your only qualifier, your time will be better spent exploring overseas options.

Best of luck!

There are several things that can make one PCB more expensive than others.  Here are a few of the main drivers of costs in PCB fabrication:

• Overall circuit board size.
• Number of layers.
• PCB material type (FR4, Rogers, etc.)
• Required plating (HASL, ENIG, etc.)
• Blind/buried/filled vias
• Copper weight above 1oz
• Non-standard cores and final thickness
• Any other non-standard requirements

We have been asked many times what can be done to make a PCB less expensive for fabrication.  Here are some things that can be easily implemented in CAD that WILL help make your PCB board fabrication less expensive:

• Overall circuit board dimension as small as possible.
• Keep it to two layers or as few layers as absolutely necessary for your application.
• Use HASL or Immersion Tin plating.
• Standard FR4 material using standard thickness options.
• No buried/blind/filled vias
• Utilize 1oz copper or less.
• Standard 10mil space and trace sizing or wider.

We have often been asked some typical and not-so-typical questions from customers on how they "think" they can get a PCB fabrication done cheaper.  These customers are typically hobbyist, are working on a shoestring budget or lower, and usually are inquiring about a very minimal spec PCB fab to begin with.  While some of these could help reduce costs in a huge production run, the overall affect on price is minimal or outright not practical for small prototype runs.  Here are some things that generally will not save you money:

• Reducing overall drill hole/standard via count---no affect on minimum fabrication costs.
• Forgoing solder mask---minimum fee accounts for mask and you are risking dead shorts across your assembly, but you're the boss!
• Single-sided only---minimum fees account for 2 layer processing, don't waste time trying to get all the traces to one side to "save" money.
• "I just need one."---there are still minimum material and process requirements even for just one, that's why it's called a "minimum fee"!
• "I don't have gerbers, can't you just copy this board?"---That's actually called reverse engineering and NO, not for free!
• "Can I supply you the FR4, they sell it on Amazon?"---NO!

Devil Circuit Boards has the ability to machine assemble a wide variety of PCB boards.  Here is a small list of the most common specs we can accommodate:

• All jobs processed to meet IPC-A-610 Rev F Class 2 minimum. Class 3 available.
• SMT and TH assembly
• Down to 0201 SMT component case size
• Min PCB panel size 4.5"W x 4.5"L (Individual circuit size can be smaller)
• Max PCB size 20"W x 25"L
• Max PCB weight (bare board) 15lbs
• Max PCB thickness .250"
• RoHS processing
• No large-scale BGA processing available at this time.

Devil Circuit Boards does not require a minimum quantity order for assembly.  We do require a minimum lot fee charge based on the complexity of the assembly.  Please reach out to us directly for full quotation of your PCB project.

Yes, Devil Circuit Boards can provide first articles for inspection in some circumstances.  First article requests must be called out in your RFQ. Due to extra processing times and machine set ups there are extra fees involved in this request.  Contact us to discuss your specific needs.

Devil Circuit Boards offers full turn key services for most printed circuit board needs, certain restrictions apply.  Please reach out to us directly with your PCB project details for a full quote.

Yes, absolutely, Devil Circuit Boards will accept customer supplied PCB and part kits for assembly with certain restrictions and requirements for items supplied.   Contact us directly for further details.

Devil Circuit Boards is excited and ready to help with your next PCB fab or circuit board assembly project!  Here is a list of items that should be included when submitting for quote:

• Full Gerber & Drill and/or ODB++ file packages.
• Fabrication and Assembly sheets or list of fab specifications preferred.
• Full Bill of Material (BOM) for both PCB assembly evaluation and/or part acquirement services.
• Quantities required for Fab and/or Assembly.

That's a great question.  The answer is, it depends!

PCB assembly costs are driven by a several factors.  Parts, board size, single or doubled side placement, and quantity all play a factor.  

Probably the most important aspect can be split into two halves of the same coin and it centers on the parts:  the total unique part number count and total amount of parts to be placed.  Unique parts are individual part numbers, 1K resistors or .1uF capacitors for example.  To clarify, it's how many individual part numbers there are total in your BOM.  The total part count is how many parts need to be attached to the board all together irrespective of unique part number.

The second important aspect is the kind of technology you are using in your design.  There are two types, Surface Mount Technology, also know as SMT, and Through Hole or commonly abbreviated as TH.  When both are used this is referred to as "Mix Tech".  

If you are you using all SMT in your assembly it will tend to be less expensive as it will run through automated machine assembly or pick and place.  This drastically reduces time for part prep and setup for assembly and placement is usually completed within a few minutes even for some of the most dense assemblies.  High unique part count assemblies will affect price as more time is needed for programming and machine setup.  High total part count takes more machine time to run and can add some cost into an assembly, but it's effect is usually not as impactful as unique part count. 

A total TH assembly is going to be more expensive due to excessive manual labor required for TH component prep and assembly.  This process usually includes cutting and bending components for proper insertion into the board and then manually stuffing the board prior to soldering.  It's not recommended that you use all TH in your design.

Mixed tech can fall somewhere in between, again it will depend on total unique part count and total part attachment requirements of each technology.

A single side assembly means parts are only attached to one side.  SMT only single side assemblies are the cheapest to run.  There is only one set up for the machine run and has the lowest NRE costs involved (stencil, programming, etc.).  

Double-sided all SMT will add costs due to two separate machine runs, one for each side of the PCB.  There are more NRE fees involved due to two separate process paths.  

TH only and Mixed Tech runs will come in the highest as there are more labor and process path costs involved to complete your assemblies.

The quantity you are requesting can also play a factor and depends on several of the things mentioned above.  If the assembly is somewhat simple, it may cost you just as much to assemble ten PCBs as a hundred.  That's not always the case, but typically the more assemblies you purchase the lower the individual cost of each assembled unit becomes.

On top of all of this is your BOM costs for parts.  That can be the most expensive of all, eclipsing both fabrication and assembly costs!  That one falls all on you, the designer, to keep those costs under control and in budget.

Yes, repair services are available for PCB boards of an industrial nature.  Only business to business customers are served in this fashion.  We DO NOT offer repair on consumer electronics.  

Non Recurring Engineering fees, or NRE's, are one time costs for certain aspects of PCB assembly.  This includes things like solder paste stencils, machine programming, and customized tooling.  On future re-orders, as long as a job remains unchanged, you will not incur these costs again.  

If a job goes through a new revision, you may be subject to new NRE fees.  Devil Circuit Boards will evaluate the job and if the original NRE stencil, programming, and tooling can still be utilized for the new job there will be no new NRE fee.  Many times this is the actual case, but there are circumstance where we would need to update these to accommodate your new assembly.