Printed circuit board (PCB) are an essential component of almost every electronics industry. In the early days, PCB manufacturing was a slow, conventional method. As technology has improved, the process has become faster, more creative and even more complex. Each customer requires specific changes to the PCB within specific time limits. In some cases, custom PCB production takes up to an hour. However, if the custom PCB is functionally tested at the end of the process and the test fails, the manufacturer and customer may not be able to afford the loss. This is where PCB prototyping comes in. PCB prototyping is a fundamental step in PCB production, but why is it so important? This article discusses exactly what prototypes must provide and why they are important.

PCB prototype Introduction

PCB prototyping is an iterative process in which PCB designers and engineers try several PCB design and assembly techniques. The purpose of these iterations is to determine the best PCB design. In PCB manufacturing, circuit board materials, substrate materials, components, components installation layout, templates, layers and other factors are considered repeatedly by engineers. By mixing and matching the design and manufacturing aspects of these factors, the most efficient PCB design and manufacturing methods can be determined. Most of the time, PCB prototypes are performed on virtual platforms. However, for robust applications, physical PCB prototypes can be manufactured to test functionality. A PCB prototype can be a digital model, a virtual prototype, or a fully functional (look-alike) prototype. Because prototyping was an early adoption of Manufacture and Assembly Design (DFMA), the PCB assembly process has many benefits in the long run.

The importance of prototype manufacturing in PCB manufacturing

Although some PCB manufacturers skip prototyping to save production time, doing so is usually the opposite. Here are some of the benefits of prototyping that make this step effective or essential.

A prototype defines the design flow for manufacturing and assembly. This means that all factors related to manufacturing and assembly are considered only during PCB design. This minimizes the barriers to production.

In PCB manufacturing, suitable materials for a particular type of PCB are selected during prototyping. In this step, engineers test and try a variety of materials before choosing the right one. Therefore, material properties such as chemical resistance, rust resistance, durability, etc. are tested only in the early stages. This rules out the possibility of failure due to material incompatibilities in the later stages.

PCBS are usually mass-produced. Single-design PCBS are used for mass production. If the design is custom, the potential for design errors is high. If a design error occurs, the same error is replicated across thousands of PCBS in mass production. This can result in significant losses, including material inputs, production costs, equipment usage costs, labor costs and time. PCB prototyping helps identify and correct design errors at an early stage before production.

Often, if a PCB design error is found during production or assembly or even operation, the designer must start from scratch. Often, reverse engineering is required to check for errors in manufactured PCBS. Redesigning and reproducing would waste too much time. Because prototyping resolves errors only at the design stage, repetition is saved.

They have been designed and manufactured to look and work similarly compared to final product requirements. Therefore, product feasibility increases due to prototype design.