PCB Manufacturing
PCB Manufacturing from Your Gerber Data
Bare boards fabricated from your Gerber and drill files in rigid, flexible, HDI, aluminium and high-frequency constructions. Layer count, material, copper weight and surface finish are confirmed against your documentation before the order is released.
Board types and construction options
Fabrication covers the constructions below. Where a design sits between two categories, describe the requirement and it will be reviewed as part of the quotation.
Rigid PCB
Standard rigid boards for control, power and instrumentation designs.
Double-sided PCB
Two copper layers with plated through-holes for moderate-density routing.
Multilayer PCB
Four or more layers with a defined stack-up for dense routing and controlled impedance.
Flexible PCB (FPC)
Polyimide-based circuits for assemblies that need to bend or fold.
HDI PCB
Higher density interconnect boards built with finer lines and smaller vias.
Aluminium PCB
Metal-core boards for designs that need heat moved away from components.
High-frequency PCB
Low-loss laminates for RF and high-speed signal integrity requirements.
Heavy copper PCB
Higher copper weights for current-carrying and heat-spreading applications.
Build requirements
Each of these is taken from your documentation. Where a drawing is silent on a point, it is raised during review rather than decided for you.
- Layer count and stack-up
- Layer sequence, dielectric thickness and copper distribution.
- Base material
- Standard laminate, high-TG or halogen-free, as specified.
- Finished thickness
- Board thickness including the tolerance you require.
- Copper weight
- From standard foil weights through to heavy copper builds.
- Surface finish
- ENIG, OSP or HASL, on one or both sides as required.
- Solder mask and legend
- Colour, coverage and which sides carry each.
- Controlled impedance
- Target values and the traces or nets they apply to.
- Drilling and profiling
- Hole sizes, via types, board outline and panelisation.
Files needed for a quotation
A complete set avoids a second round of questions. Send whatever exists and note what is missing — the gap is easier to close at enquiry stage than after the order is placed.
- Gerber files (RS-274X) and Excellon drill files
- Layer stack-up, where the design defines one
- Finished thickness, copper weight and surface finish
- Material preference: standard, high-TG or halogen-free
- Impedance targets, with the relevant traces marked
- Board outline, panelisation and V-cut instructions
- Quantity, and whether this is a prototype or production order
- Acceptance requirements, such as IPC-A-600 class or your own criteria
How a bare board order runs
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Documents received
Gerber, drill data and any build notes are received and logged against the enquiry.
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Engineering review
The data is checked for consistency and any open point is raised with you before pricing.
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Quotation issued
A written quotation confirms material, finish, quantity and acceptance criteria.
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Production released
Fabrication starts against the confirmed build requirements, with in-process checks at each stage.
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Inspection and delivery
Boards are checked against the agreed criteria and packed for dispatch.
Rapid prototyping and series production
Prototype panels and production orders are built from the same files, so the design validated at prototype stage is the design that goes into series. The stack-up, finish and material do not have to be re-specified between the two, and a prototype used to test a design change becomes the reference for the production release.
Prototype quantities are quoted from the same documentation as volume orders. If the first batch exposes a problem, the corrected files replace the original rather than running alongside them, so there is one current version of the board in production.
Lead times are quoted per project against the current schedule. No fixed turnaround is published, because it depends on construction, quantity and material availability — those are stated when the quotation is issued. For assembled prototypes, see PCBA manufacturing.
Quality and acceptance
Inspection scope is agreed before production, so what the boards are checked against is known on both sides.
Incoming material
Laminate and copper-clad material are checked against the specified grade before release to production.
In-process checks
Drilling, imaging, plating and surface finish are checked against the build documentation at each stage.
Final inspection
Finished boards are checked visually and dimensionally against the agreed acceptance criteria.
IPC-A-600 can be applied as the acceptance reference where you require it. Customer-specific criteria are equally acceptable and are written into the quotation. Production records are retained per order for traceability.
FAQ
What files do you need to quote a bare board?
Gerber and Excellon drill files are the minimum. Layer stack-up, finished thickness, copper weight, surface finish and material preference should come with them, along with quantity and any acceptance requirements. If part of this is still open, say so and it will be resolved during review.
Can you work from drawings instead of Gerber?
Gerber data is the normal input because it defines the copper, mask and drill geometry directly. If you only have drawings or a native board file, describe what you have — whether it can be used is confirmed during review rather than assumed.
Which surface finish should I specify?
ENIG, OSP and HASL are all available. The choice usually follows from solderability, storage life, fine-pitch features and cost. It is confirmed in the quotation against the construction you need.
Do you build impedance-controlled boards?
Yes. Controlled impedance is handled through the stack-up, so the target values and the traces or nets they apply to need to be stated in the documentation.
Is there a minimum quantity?
Prototype and production quantities are both quoted. Send the quantity you actually need and it will be priced as it stands rather than rounded to a minimum.
How is acceptance defined?
IPC-A-600 can be applied as the acceptance reference, or your own criteria can be used. The basis is written into the quotation, so what the boards are checked against is known before production starts.
Related services
Request a Quote
Send your fabrication files and build requirements by email. They are reviewed and answered with a quotation covering material, finish, quantity and acceptance criteria.
Request received
Your request is saved and our engineering team can already see it. We will reply to .
Keep this reference — quoting it in any follow-up lets us find your request immediately. Sending files? Email them to chelsea@zzpcba.com and quote the reference above.