PCB Prototype Cost

After spending time engineering and designing, your PCB is ready for its prototype build. Congratulations! The design team will want to jump from electronic files to physical boards, and a contract manufacturer (CM) is integral to overseeing this process for those without hardware production experience. Building a PCB prototype will involve many manufacturing processes and associated costs. The CM’s choice of PCB fabricator, the parts and materials used by the CM, and the manufacturing and test methods will heavily impact the PCB prototype cost. Understanding the prototype building process can help designers make decisions for CM partnerships.

Why Per-Board PCB Prototype Costs Are Higher Than Production Builds

As prototypes are more exploratory by nature than DFM boards, PCB prototype prices will typically exceed final production on a per-board basis. Some of the significant factors contributing to this discrepancy include:

• Documentation – The amount and quality of the documentation accompanying a prototype build may require completion, and the manufacturer must update or create the necessary documents to proceed with the build.

• Component research – The parts in the design may require refining due to lack of availability or end–of–life (EOL) production status. As a result, the component engineers will need to spend time researching suitable replacements.

• Engineering – The design may be more conceptual than production-ready and require more engineering analysis to correct potential manufacturing errors.

• Design for X – A prototype’s layout must accommodate testing/debugging. Design for assembly (DFA) and design for testing (DFT) features will help when the board transitions to production, while a design for debugging is essential in a prototype. Options such as test probe points and component sockets make analyzing the prototype’s performance or investigating alternative design strategies easier.

• Time to market – The CM will fast-track the project through the factory to build prototypes as quickly as possible. While the manufacturing steps, such as component placement and soldering, will be the same as those of a regular production board, a prototype will be built in smaller numbers with dedicated team members to guide its progress.

Why The Lowest Price Isn’t Always Best for Prototype Assembly

Finding a low-volume, high-quality CM between these two extremes has a greater upfront cost, yet it provides the best environment for building a prototype PCB. While PCB production is an iterative process, working with a CM that is ill-suited for prototype design may delay final manufacturing and incur unnecessary costs:

• Some CMs may be unable to provide a full documentation package containing the modifications made during production. This drawback pushes responsibility back to the design team, which is usually remedied with time and money to duplicate their work. Similarly, some CMs don’t identify and review DFA issues, which can lead to yield issues in high-volume production.

• Engineering analysis of potential DFM issues, bill of materials (BOM) validation, and high-quality manufacturing standards may be substandard. CMs that don’t invest in these practices will be able to charge less, but correcting engineering and production problems later can prove costly when scheduling is more compact.

• CMs that do not have a vast network of vendors to use for bare-board materials or components will pay more per board. This expense may be acceptable during prototyping when the volume is low but becomes an issue with larger lot sizes.

What You Should Expect From Your CM

PCB prototype costs are greater than a regular production board: in addition to added expenses inherent to prototype manufacturing, it is imperative to know that CMs best suited for the job will cost more. In return, expect a higher level of quality from a CM investment in the following areas:

• Experience – CMs should possess a wealth of experience building prototypes for multiple market segments backed by industry-standard certifications. This experience becomes helpful when converting a prototype to a high-volume PCBA run.
• Resources – A CM with good business relationships will have multiple components, materials, and bare-board fabrication vendors. Using their network of partners, they can quickly respond to the prototype’s needs.

• Facilities – An up-to-date facility with the latest equipment can handle greater design complexity.

• Personnel – Highly trained technicians accelerate the manufacturing and testing of PCBAs. Additional experienced engineering staff extends design proficiency to a prototype without requiring further overhead.

At VSE, we have the experience, resources, facilities, and personnel necessary for your prototype PCB. Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility ensures all of the minutiae surrounding a prototype build are taken care of from the initial engineering analysisand component research through manufacturing and testing. Through it all, we partner with you to provide a complete documentation package and prototype build ready for mass production, leaving your design team prepared to proceed to the next product development phase with complete peace of mind.