How Does Turnkey PCB Assembly Reduce Turnaround Time?

By Chris Dickey, V.P. of Marketing, Svtronics

 

Turnkey PCB manufacturing is exactly that; a business that manufactures printed circuit boards without any special outside needs that might slow them down.  Because turnkey PCB assemblers do all of the work in-house, they offer a better return on investment for the original equipment manufacturer. The process from start to finish is cost-effective, so the OEM gets more out of their final product. 

Speedy Process Improves ROI

When the OEM chooses a PCB manufacturer who works at a traditional pace, the time it takes from the design to its shipment is slow. When one aspect of the OEM’s design is slowed, the entire process slows. Traditional PCB manufacturers do not make all of the decisions in-house, which takes control of the OEM and the PCB manufacturer. All parties rely on other channels to get parts and processes completed.

Manufacturing today requires efficiency, both related to time and money. When processes are slow, money is lost. Traditional PCB manufacturers have not been proven to be as efficient with time and money as turnkey PCB manufacturers.

In-House Manufacturing is Cost-Effective

Turnkey PCB manufacturers provide a better ROI because of the way they design, assemble, and ship their products. In traditional PCB manufacturing and assembly, hiring design consultants and chasing down parts slows the process. In turnkey manufacturing, the designers are already in-house, and a team within the organization has parts-acquisition down to a speedy science. All exterior channels disappear, so turnkey PCB manufacturers only focus on completing your board.

In a traditional PCB manufacturing setting, files are shared back and forth between the designers, engineers, and customers. This slows the process significantly, and in manufacturing time is money. Each time the design is passed to someone, it is not being manufactured. This means that the design is actually costing money, as each person who reviews it is being paid to do so.

In turnkey PCB manufacturing, these steps are gone so money is saved. Instead, the OEM shares the design and the in-house designer works directly with them. This speeds up the process and saves the OEM money.

No Waiting for Parts

The same is true when the turnkey PCB manufacturer acquires the parts for the board. Traditional PCB manufacturers shop around for parts with each individual board. This slows the manufacturing of the board as the PCB manufacturer has to wait for parts to arrive. They also have to trust that the parts will work and fit. Shopping around for parts and waiting for them to arrive is time-consuming. When problems arise, projects are slowed even more.

All too often, parts come from sources all around the world. With international tariffs, communication issues, and shipping problems, issues arise often increase the costs of PCB manufacturing.

But, with turnkey manufacturing, the process is sped up as parts are already available and in-house, so there are no overseas issues that may arise. With turnkey manufacturers, an in-house parts expert is always acquiring necessary parts, so the OEM will not have to wait. This improves the OEM’s ROI because it takes away the wait time that comes with a traditional manufacturer.

Cost-Effective PCB Manufacturing

When a company decides to outsource their PCB manufacturing, the most cost-efficient option is usually the turnkey PCB manufacturer. Their in-house assembly is speedy and accurate. By being able to turnaround a PCB project in a short amount of time, the OEM usually does not have to worry about budget concerns.

Turnkey PCB manufacturing rarely has unexpected issues. As the entire process is done under one roof, the same problems that happen with traditional PCB manufacturing are non-existent. When you hire a PCB manufacturer within the US, you do not have to worry about issues relating to language and time zones. You can effectively communicate what you need and determine if the turnkey PCB manufacturer can meet them.

With a turnkey PCB manufacturer, you can expect that all work is done under one roof. The turnkey manufacturer will rarely outsource their work, which also improves the ROI for the OEM. Design, parts acquisition, assembly, testing, and shipping have already been pre-arranged, so the OEM can trust that the cost that was quoted by the turnkey manufacturer will not change.

If you are looking for a way to reduce PCB manufacturing turnaround and see an increase in your ROI, then it is time to look at turnkey PCB manufacturing. Their highly organized way of designing, assembling, and shipping printed circuit boards has changed the industry, especially, for OEM who are looking to save money on contract manufacturing for their high-tech projects.