PCB Tech - About the method of multi-layer PCB manufacturing cost

When ordering multilayer printed circuit boards, you must ensure that they are purchased at a reasonable cost. However, most customers who need them only consider the total price, including costs.

Helping customers reduce the cost of multilayer PCBs in the manufacturing process is the top priority of many manufacturers. However, multi-layer printed circuit board customers can learn how to reduce costs in the multi-layer PCB manufacturing process through simple methods or means. Here are 9 effective ways for multi-layer correct PCB service providers to reduce costs. Fortunately, there are various PCB manufacturing.

Multilayer board specifications

The trace width is important because the correct trace width ensures that the trace (whether for power or signal) will operate as required while providing the best functionality of the printed circuit board. However, in general, the width of the trace that carries the logo may be smaller than the width of the trace used to carry the current.

Customers ordering multilayer printed circuit boards can reduce related costs or buy cheaply by ensuring that manufacturers reduce trace widths and spacing. Unfortunately, most customers do not realize that issues related to track width and pitch at the design stage will significantly affect the cost of their printed circuit boards. To ensure that manufacturing costs are kept low, you need to choose a size that can provide you with a comfortable space to complete the layout.

You need to be aware that the closer the spacing, the higher the cost of manufacturing the printed circuit board design. Although traces and width spacing are essential features, especially on multilayer printed circuit boards, it is necessary to reduce traces and width spacing.

Trace width and spacing

The trace width is important because the correct trace width ensures that the trace (whether for power or signal) will operate as required while providing the best functionality of the printed circuit board. However, in general, the width of the trace that carries the logo may be smaller than the width of the trace used to carry the current.

Customers ordering multilayer printed circuit boards can reduce related costs or buy cheaply by ensuring that manufacturers reduce trace widths and spacing. Unfortunately, most customers do not realize that issues related to track width and pitch at the design stage will significantly affect the cost of their printed circuit boards. To ensure that manufacturing costs are kept low, you need to choose a size that can provide you with a comfortable space to complete the layout.

You need to be aware that the closer the spacing, the higher the cost of manufacturing the printed circuit board design. Although traces and width spacing are essential features, especially on multilayer printed circuit boards, it is necessary to reduce traces and width spacing.

Electroplating and finishing

Another factor to consider when involving multilayer printed circuit boards is the costs associated with plating and finishing. Some finishes bring high-end multilayer printed circuit boards with a longer shelf life, thereby increasing manufacturing costs. HASL is one of the most advantageous and extremely low-cost finishes.

If you want to reduce the production cost of multilayer printed circuit boards, make sure to use cheaper plating and finishing procedures. Not all of these are low-cost. For example, finishing procedures such as electroless nickel immersion gold are expensive, especially when budgets are limited.

Mass production

Before mass production became popular, the creation of most multilayer PCB products was highly dependent on the initial order. However, when mass production is developed and perfected, most companies see the advantages or benefits of mass-produced goods. In other words, manufacturing products in batches reduces manufacturing costs. It is cheaper to manufacture products on a large scale instead of manufacturing individual parts with economies of scale.

This is also true when manufacturing multilayer printed circuit boards. If you want to reduce manufacturing costs, you need to manufacture printed circuit boards in batches. In this way, you will reduce or minimize the total cost of producing each product.

Limit the number of geometric figures

If you want to reduce the manufacturing cost of multilayer printed circuit boards, you must ensure that the geometry is reduced. The geometry does describe the dielectric substrate details, reference planes, and traces in the printed circuit board stack.

If you choose to use or have a larger geometry, this will bring a higher price, especially in terms of the overall number of printed circuit boards. Although larger geometries will lead to higher yields, you must be prepared to spend more on multilayer printed circuit boards.

Adhere to recommended tolerances

Although strict tolerances, especially the thickness of printed circuit boards, can lead to high-performance printed circuit boards, you need to be aware that this will increase the cost of multilayer printed circuit boards during the manufacturing stage.

Therefore, as a customer who wants to reduce the manufacturing cost of a multilayer printed circuit board, it is best to choose only strict tolerances that are conducive to PCB design and performance. Otherwise, it is best to limit the thickness of the circuit board to a tolerance range. You need to adhere to the recommended tolerances to ensure lower manufacturing costs.

Maintain sufficient spacing between copper layers

More than half an ounce of copper in the inner layer of the printed circuit board and close to 1 ounce of copper in the outer layer of the printed circuit board significantly increase the cost of manufacturing the printed circuit board.

To ensure that the manufacturing cost of multilayer printed circuit boards is greatly reduced, you need to ensure that sufficient spacing is maintained between the copper materials. To ensure that the cost of multilayer printed circuit boards is reduced, you may need to direct the manufacturer to use thick copper. If the spacing between the copper materials is far from each other, it means that you will have to use a large number of components, which will increase the cost of manufacturing printed circuit boards.

Multilayer PCB manufacturing-drilling size

When manufacturing printed circuit boards, the type of machine or equipment used to drill holes in the printed circuit board is very important. Although high speed and flexibility are some of the most important advantages of laser drilling machines, you need to be aware that using these types of equipment will increase your manufacturing costs.

If you want to significantly reduce the manufacturing costs associated with creating multilayer printed circuit boards, consider using nominal drill sizes instead of laser drills, unless lasers are the only viable option. When designing multilayer printed circuit boards, larger hole diameters are very desirable because they require lower accuracy, especially in multilayer PCB manufacturing. In addition, this will reduce your multi-layer PCB manufacturing costs.

Multi-layer PCB manufacturing-PCB material selection

Finally, the choice of materials used to manufacture printed circuit boards, especially multilayer printed circuit boards, always affects production costs. Some of the factors that affect material selection include temperature reliability, thermal reliability, signal performance, heat transfer, and mechanical properties, to name a few.

Based on experience, those operations involving high frequency will require advanced materials. If you have a limited budget and want to minimize the manufacturing cost of multilayer PCB, then it is recommended that you choose cost-effective materials that suit your application. If you use high-end equipment and require excellent surface finishes in the final product, then you must be prepared to deal with the high production costs associated with such procedures.