PCBA Manufacturing
PCBA Manufacturing Services
PCBA manufacturing covers surface-mount and through-hole assembly, mixed technology builds and BGA placement, using components supplied under turnkey, consignment or mixed arrangements. Boards are assembled, inspected and delivered against the documentation you provide.
What PCBA manufacturing covers
PCBA — printed circuit board assembly — is the board after components have been placed and soldered. The process routes below are matched to the design rather than sold as separate services.
SMT assembly
Surface-mount placement on YAMAHA YS12 and YSM20R lines, with automatic solder paste printing and ten-zone reflow.
DIP and THT
Through-hole insertion and soldering for connectors, power devices and other leaded parts, by wave or hand soldering.
Mixed technology
Boards carrying both surface-mount and through-hole parts are built in a single route rather than split between suppliers.
BGA assembly
Area-array packages placed and reflowed, with X-Ray inspection used to verify the joints underneath.
Three component supply models
The supply model decides who buys the components, who carries the risk on availability, and how the material is checked in. It is agreed before the quotation is issued.
Turnkey
You send the BOM and the components are procured against your order. Suits projects without an established component supply chain, or where consolidating purchase and assembly with one supplier is simpler.
What we need from you: BOM with quantities and an approved alternatives policy
Consignment
You supply the components and we assemble. Suits customers with contracted or consigned stock who need the material kept under their own control.
What we need from you: BOM, material list and incoming quantities
Mixed supply
Part of the BOM is procured and part is supplied by you, split line by line. Useful where some parts are already held or under contract while others are short.
What we need from you: BOM marked with supplied and to-source lines
What we need before assembly
The BOM and the placement data have to agree with each other. Where they do not, the difference is raised before production rather than resolved on the line.
- BOM with reference designators, quantities and package types
- Pick-and-place (centroid) data that matches the BOM
- Assembly drawing showing polarity and orientation
- Any parts you will supply, marked as such on the BOM
- Approved alternatives, or a note that approval is required before substitution
- Test and inspection requirements beyond standard visual and AOI checks
- Board quantity, and whether this is a prototype or production order
Production equipment
Assembly runs on dedicated SMT and through-hole lines, with inspection equipment in the same production area.
SMT placement
YAMAHA YS12 and YSM20R placement machines
Solder paste printing
Automatic solder paste printer
Reflow soldering
Jintuo ten-zone reflow oven
Wave soldering
Wave solder line for through-hole joints
AOI
Automated optical inspection after placement and reflow
X-Ray
X-Ray inspection for BGA and other hidden joints
DIP and post-solder
Through-hole insertion and hand soldering stations
Dry ice cleaning
Dry ice cleaning for flux residue and contamination
Inspection and test
Inspection is built into the route rather than added at the end, so a deviation is caught at the stage that caused it.
Paste and placement
Solder paste deposition and component placement are monitored on the line before reflow.
AOI
Automated optical inspection after reflow checks placement, polarity and solder joint condition.
X-Ray
Used for joints that cannot be seen optically, principally BGA and other area-array packages.
Visual inspection
Manual review against IPC-A-610 criteria or your own acceptance requirements.
Functional test
Arranged to your test specification where the project calls for it.
Traceability
Production records are kept per order, covering material, process and inspection results.
Functional testing follows your specification; the method and coverage are agreed during quotation, so the test scope is part of the order rather than an assumption.
Prototyping through to volume
Prototype builds validate placement, soldering and test coverage before a production run is committed. The same BOM and assembly data carry into series production, so an approved prototype does not have to be re-engineered at the point of scale.
Component availability is checked at both stages. Long lead-time or end-of-life lines are flagged before the order is placed, not after the boards are on the line — which is the point at which a substitution becomes expensive.
Lead times are quoted per project. No fixed turnaround is published, because it depends on component availability, assembly complexity and quantity. For bare boards built alongside assembly, see PCB manufacturing.
Quality management
The management systems, acceptance standards and substitution rules that apply to an assembly order.
Management systems
ISO 9001 · ISO 13485 · ISO 14001
Product safety certification
UL
Substance compliance
REACH
Acceptance standards
IPC-A-600 · IPC-A-610 · IPC J-STD-001
ISO 9001, ISO 13485 and ISO 14001 are management system certifications. UL is product safety certification and REACH is substance compliance. IPC-A-610 and IPC J-STD-001 are acceptance standards for assembly and soldering, not certifications. Substitution is controlled separately: no alternative part is fitted without your written approval.
FAQ
What is the difference between PCB and PCBA?
A PCB is the bare board produced from your Gerber data. PCBA — printed circuit board assembly — is that board after components have been placed and soldered onto it. Assembly needs a BOM and placement data in addition to the fabrication files.
Can you assemble boards fabricated elsewhere?
Boards fabricated elsewhere can be assembled where the surface finish and tolerances suit the process. Send the board specification with the BOM and it will be confirmed during review rather than assumed.
Do you source the components?
Under turnkey or mixed supply, yes. BOM lines are checked for availability, minimum order quantity and lead time before quotation. Under consignment you supply the parts and we handle incoming verification and material management for the build.
How are alternative parts handled?
An alternative is proposed with the reason — availability, lead time, minimum quantity or lifecycle status — and compared on electrical parameters, package, temperature range and lifecycle. Nothing is fitted without your written approval.
What test coverage is available?
AOI, X-Ray and visual inspection are part of the standard route. Functional testing is arranged to your specification where the project requires it, with the method and coverage agreed during quotation.
Can you support both prototypes and volume?
Yes. Prototype builds are used to validate placement, soldering and test coverage, and the same BOM and assembly data carry into the production run without being re-engineered.
Related services
Request a Quote
Send your BOM, placement data and assembly drawings by email. They are reviewed for consistency and answered with a quotation covering material, supply model and inspection scope.
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.