COVID-19 has turned the world of manufacturing, and everything else, upside down. For printed circuit boards, it was especially painful. Close to 75% of all PCBs are made in Asia, and this made it even more difficult to manage. Currently, less than 5% of all PCBs are made in the U.S., and that is not going to change anytime soon as our cost base is much too high to be price competitive. It is also very difficult to get a new site permitted given the type and amount of chemicals that go into PCB manufacturing. With this being the reality that we live in at the moment, we must truly understand all of the aspects of the PCB supply chain in Asia (not just China) and how to position ourselves with a partner that has made the significant financial investment in a resilient supply chain. In this webinar, we reviewed some topics we have been asked to elaborate on by our customers, along with managing your freight costs, delivery times, laminate availability, and stocking programs we offer. For more information on our quick-turns PCBs, visit https://www.epectec.com/pcb/quick-turn-pcb-printed-circuit-board.html.

1. Manufacturing That Eliminates Risk & Improves Reliability
Quick Turn PCBs
Why An Experienced Supply Chain Matters
08.06.2020

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Agenda
 Intro
– All PCBs are not the same
– All PCB suppliers are not the same
 Understanding transportation when buying PCBs from Asia
 PCB Laminate - How design decisions effects lead time.
 Flex & Rigid-Flex - Why does it take so long?
 Inspection & Quality Requests - What they add.
 Summary

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Webinar Objective
 To help customers better understand all
the variables that need to be
considered during the selection of a
quick turn vendor for PCBs.
 By better understanding all these
variables, companies can do the work
to ensure that their supply chain is
capable before their critical delivery is
necessary.

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Not All PCBs Are The Same
 Design complexity matters in delivery.
 How many companies say that they can do 1-day, 2-day, and 3-day
turns? ALL OF THEM
 Without understanding the design, you can’t comment on delivery.

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Major Complexity Adders - Via Types
 Need laser drilling equipment to accurately control the depth of the
hole with such a small diameter.

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Lamination
Cycles
Every blind and
buried via
requires a
lamination
cycle.
Think Delivery75% Processes Every Time
2
Hours
1
Hour

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Blind and Buried Vias
 It’s all about lamination and plating cycles.
 6-Layer Example:
– Each cycle requires:
• Drill & Hole Prep
• Plate
• Deburr
• Via Fill
• Image/Etch/AOI
• Repeat
– Standard 6-Layer
• Image/Etch/AOI (A)
• Laminate
• Drill
1
2
2
3
A
A

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Proper Filled Vias – Complexity Adder
 >10 mil vias – Easy to fill
 <10 mil vias – Easier to plate shut

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 Material lead time – talk early
 Required tight tolerance machining
 Traditional PCB CNC equipment is
not suitable
 OR – no flow pre-preg, which
requires intricate machining
 Multiple lamination cycles
Hybrids, Cavities, and Air Pockets

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Not All PCB Manufacturers Are The Same…
 Understanding a few key items
about your manufacturer will help
you understand if they have the
ability to make your quick turn on
time.
 Every manufacturer wants to say
they can do it all.
 Investment here matters.

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Engineering
 How many CAM operators do
they have in house?
 Do they outsource any of their
CAM work?
 Will they do DFM reviews for
free during the design process?
 Can they commit to getting a full
list of TQs within 2 hours after
submittal of a less than 5-day
turn order?
This is where many fabricators
“game the system” to add time
to the delivery.

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What Processes Do They Outsource?
 Domestic
– Surface Finishes
• HASL
• ENEPIG
• Hard Gold
– Laser Drilling
– Via Fill
– Lamination
– Plasma Etch
Outsourcing not only adds days
for shipping but it can cause
delays due to scheduling.

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What Processes Do They Outsource?
 Many factories in Asia only
have a few processes in
house.
 Especially in Taiwan.
 Not uncommon to have
drilling, solder mask, and ET
with all of the other processes
being within a 10-mile radius.

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How Big Are They?
 Do they have pull with the
supply base?
– Laminate especially
– Do they have the buying power
 Can they get the technical
support that they need?
 Have they invested in
equipment, both new and
backup?
In China right now, the national
5G roll out is limiting the amount
of PCB laminate available to
smaller shops who must pay
CIA.

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What Resources Do They Have?
 How many U.S. employees?
 How and where are their foreign
employees? Are they employees
at all or are they contractors?
 What financial resources are
behind them if there is a quality
problem?
 What is their logistics strategy?

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Understanding Transportation from Asia
 65% of all small package air
shipments from China came
in on passenger aircraft.
 Passenger flights from
Asia/Pacific are down 85%.
 The capacity has reduced by
over 55%.
Does your supplier have
guaranteed weight on planes
every day? They do if they are
big enough and work with FedEx
and UPS.

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PCB Transportation from Asia
 Most companies work with
freight brokers.
 Freight brokers work to find
empty space on aircraft.
 PCBs can be done in 3 days
and then take 10 days to get off
the tarmac.
 Surcharges from Asia right now:
– UPS, Fed-Ex, and DHL
• Anywhere from $2/lb. to
$0.90/lb. depending on the
service.
• Let the supplier manage the
freight – they should have the
leverage.

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Transportation in the USA
 Shipping ground can add 3-4
days to the shipment right now.
 UPS/FedEx reporting 20% more
volume than typical peak
season.
 Let your supplier manage the
freight – they should have more
leverage.

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Materials
 Many Choices
– FR-4 (Epoxy)
– PTFE
– Ceramic
– Polyimide
– PTFE/Glass
– Hydrocarbon/Ceramic
– High Temp FR-4
– FR-4/Phenolic
Dk of a typical resin system = 2.0 to 3.0
Dk material with glass weave = 6.0

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Managing Laminate Issues
 Work with your fabricator (stocking for your needs or a pre-buy).
– Rogers
– 2 oz copper and greater
– Non-standard thicknesses
– DuPont – Flex material
 Call out impedance not specified dielectrics if possible.
 There is more than one option – Isola’s new High-Speed Offering.
 Let the fabricator make the laminate.

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Rigid-Flex PCBs – Why The Longer Lead Time?
 Multiple lamination cycles
 Usually using smaller panels
 Most require some type of laser
cutting or drilling
 Need to precut no flow pre-preg
 Stiffeners & PSAs
 2 QT items:
– Eccobond (minimize the spec)
– Stiffener (use PSA)
Get Your Fabricator
Involved Early

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Quality and Inspection
 Quality – IPC Standards
– Class II is the baseline
– Class III and Mil Spec require additional
processing and time
• Coupons on production panels
• Minimums on plating thickness and annular
ring
 For a QT – Do you need it?

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AS9100 & MIL Inspection - Bubble Drawing
Is it really needed?

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Additional Resources
 Ebook
– How Your PCB Quote Can Impact Your Delivery
 Website Page
– Quick-Turn PCBs
 Blog Posts
– How to Effectively Manage High Technology Quick-Turn
PCBs
– DFM For Your Quick-Turn PCB Order
– How Quick Turn PCB Days Are Counted
– How to Ensure Your Quick Turn PCB Will Not Be
Delayed

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Summary
 Design choices factor into the cost and
delivery of PCBs.
 When delivery is paramount – can you
make it easier.
 We can do whatever you need in the time
you need it.
 Working with your fabricator EARLY is
critical in meeting all your cost and delivery
targets.

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Our Products
Battery Packs Flex & Rigid-Flex PCBs Cable Assemblies Printed Circuit Boards
RF Products User Interfaces Flexible Heaters EC Fans & Motors

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Q&A
 Questions?
– Enter any questions you may have
in the Control Panel
– If we don’t have time to get to it, we
will reply via email

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Thank You
Check out our website at www.epectec.com.
For more information email sales@epectec.com.
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