Why PCB manufacturing companies prefer internal PCB prototypes

Why PCB manufacturing companies prefer internal PCB prototypes

For any company that wants to create own brand product series, PCB prototype design is essential. For the PCB company that designs new PCB for customers, it's also an important process. PCB prototype design is very important, because it is a process that affects the company's profits.

Is there a debate in the industry whether the PCB prototypes should be kept in-house or outsourced to the contractor? Earlier, the answer was mainly the latter. But the times are changing. Today, PCB manufacturers are more willing to choose the internal prototype design.

Why internal prototyping is better? There are several reasons why it is the preferred internal PCB prototyping design in today's market.

Cost

The biggest reason to outsource is that the cost is much lower. Indeed, investing in in-house prototypes machine requires a significant amount of. However, as time goes on, the amount of service you will pay to the outside contractor may be much higher than the amount you put on the machine.

Easier to make changes in the PCB prototype design

Now, the prototype design is created using a computer-aided design program. Although contractors may have the latest software, people tend to forget that once software is generated, software cannot really predict the behavior of prototypes.

PCB prototypes can show different signals or different reactions to different temperature applications. Internal prototyping teams can easily solve these problems.

The possibility of alternative design

The in-house prototyping team makes it easier to design a number of prototype designs. Design engineers can experiment and provide changes in material, weight, performance, etc. If given to outside contractors, the task would be very expensive.

Fixed current design  

No external contractor is perfect. It is always possible for the contractor to make mistakes in the PCB prototype design. Although this may mean more work for an in-house designer. But they are also free to make the changes they think appropriate so that the prototype conforms to expectations.

These are some of the reasons why PCB prototype design is preferred compared to outsourcing.