PCB Tech - Items in the bill of materials for PCB patch processing

When planning to build a printed circuit board (PCB) from a manufacturer, one thing you will encounter is the bill of materials. This is also called BOM. Now, what exactly is this list of materials? What factors does it include? When reading this article, are there any of these problems? Well, this is not rocket science at all, but it's easy to understand. The following post explains the BOM concept and also explains the important things to consider when preparing the bill of materials file. Keep reading to learn more.

What is a bill of materials?

The bill of materials is basically a document that includes all the information required for the assembly of the printed circuit board. It is one of the most important things required when manufacturing a PCB. Failure to provide a list of materials can cause a lot of confusion. This may further cause problems and unnecessary modifications during assembly, leading to delays. To avoid all this, it is always the best idea to provide an appropriate BOM. Someone may ask what is included in the list of materials. This will bring you to the next section.

What is included in the bill of materials?

Now that I understand what a bill of materials is, the following information will understand what needs to be included:

Manufacturer's name: It is better to mention the manufacturer's name, and prefer to use its parts and components in assembly. The name of the alternative manufacturer should also be mentioned. If components from major manufacturers are not available, this helps save a lot of time.

Manufacturer's part number: The component distributor provides a unique identification number for each part. Providing these accurate part numbers to the manufacturer helps to obtain the exact parts needed.

Part description: After completing the manufacturer's name and part number, you need to provide specifications

. This will help manufacturers understand the exact application requirements and determine the correct components for PCB design and manufacturing.

The value of the component: When the value of the component to be used in the component (such as resistance and capacitance) is provided, it will help the person providing assembly services to obtain the component with the correct required value.

Product quantity: do not want to purchase additional products or products that lack components. This will increase costs or cause delays. Therefore, it is very important to provide an accurate quantity list of products.

Reference number: The reference number is the information needed to understand the exact position of the component on the printed circuit board.

Placement method: Placement method is a technique used to mount parts and components on a PCB. It can be through-hole method or surface mount technology (SMT). This information will help the manufacturer continue to adopt the chosen method.

These are things that should not be missed when providing a bill of materials for the design, manufacturing and placement of printed circuit boards.