Kitting & enclosure preparation
Enclosure, panel, fasteners and label set kitted against the build record before assembly starts.
BOX BUILD · BOARD TO SHIPPABLE UNIT
From populated board to boxed, serialised unit.
Four delivery levels sit behind this page: the populated board, the coated board, the board with its harness, and the boxed unit carrying a serial number. Coating follows IPC-CC-830 chemistry and thickness, assembly happens in an ISO Class 8 clean area, and every unit leaves in an ESD bag with a moisture-barrier bag. CE, FCC and UKCA conformity duties stay with the OEM; we supply the technical file inputs.
HOW FAR DO YOU GO
Four delivery levels, each with its own acceptance test
The first question on this page is not what we can build but where our scope stops, because that decides whether you need a second supplier at all. Pick the level and the acceptance evidence comes with it.
L1 Populated boardIPC-A-610 acceptance at the agreed class plus electrical test records; the board itself is not a CE-marked product
L2 Conformal-coated boardCoating to IPC-CC-830 chemistry and thickness, with a 365 nm UV fluorescence coverage check
L3 Board + harness assemblyWire cut, stripped, crimped and connectorised to drawing, with a continuity test on every harness
L4 Boxed unit with serial numberUnit-level functional test, serial number bound to the build record, then ESD bag and moisture-barrier packing
ASSEMBLY SEQUENCE
Six stations from kit to sealed carton
The coating step sits before programming and before final fastening, because coating a populated unit is the only way to reach the joints underneath the parts.
Cable, harness & connector assembly
Cut, strip, crimp and connectorise to drawing, then continuity tested as a sub-assembly before it goes anywhere near the board.
Conformal coating
Spray, selective or dip application of acrylic, silicone or polyurethane to IPC-CC-830, with coverage confirmed under 365 nm UV light.
IC programming
Firmware or configuration written offline or in-line, with the checksum recorded against the unit serial number.
Torque-controlled assembly
Fasteners driven to the torque value named in the work instruction, using a controlled tool rather than a trained wrist.
Unit test, serialisation & packing
Powered functional test to your plan, serial number bound to the build record, then ESD bag and moisture-barrier bag with desiccant.
THE WHOLE BOX-BUILD SCOPE
Seventeen parameters of the unit build
Coating thickness, temperature range and application cycle are industry-typical values published for these chemistries. The qualification tests and the compliance split are standard clauses and regulation, so they are stated as such.
| Parameter | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Assembly scope | Populated board fitted into the enclosure with harness, connectors, display parts, fasteners and labels | Line capability |
| Cable and harness | Cut, strip, crimp and connectorise to drawing; continuity tested | Line capability |
| Coating chemistry | Acrylic, silicone or polyurethane to IPC-CC-830; parylene subcontracted | Standard clause |
| Coating thickness | IPC-CC-830: 30–130 µm for most types. Industry-typical practice: acrylic 25–75, silicone 50–210, polyurethane 25–75, parylene 5–50 µm | Standard clause and industry-typical values |
| Coating temperature range | Acrylic −65…+125 °C; silicone −65…+200 °C; polyurethane −65…+125 °C; parylene Type C −200…+150 °C | Industry-typical values |
| Coating application | Automated spray, ±10 µm thickness control, 30–60 s per board, 30–50% overspray; selective needle or film coating, 0.5 mm edge definition, 60–180 s per board; dip coating with 1–5 mm/s withdrawal | Industry-typical values |
| Coating reworkability | Acrylic reworkable in IPA or acetone; silicone peeled or cut away; polyurethane very difficult; epoxy effectively not; parylene very difficult | Industry-typical values |
| IPC-CC-830B qualification | Eight tests: insulation resistance, dielectric withstand, thermal shock, moisture resistance, fungus resistance, mandrel bend, flammability and UV fluorescence coverage | Standard clause |
| Potting and encapsulation | Resin fills the cavity for mechanical support, environmental sealing and high-voltage insulation; not reworkable | Line capability |
| IC programming | Firmware or configuration written offline or in-line, with the checksum recorded | Line capability |
| Torque-controlled assembly | Fasteners driven to the torque value in the work instruction, with a controlled tool | Line capability |
| Work instructions | Station-level work instructions with a per-unit build record | Line capability |
| Unit-level functional test | Powered test to your test plan, on the FCT bench and program scoped for the product | Line capability |
| Shipping pack | ESD bag, moisture-barrier bag, desiccant and humidity indicator card | Line capability |
| Serialisation | Unit serial number bound to the build record and test data | Line capability |
| Clean environment | ISO Class 8 clean area, used for coating and sensitive unit assembly | Line capability |
| Unit compliance obligation | CE, FCC and UKCA conformity duty sits with the OEM as legal manufacturer: 47 CFR 15.101 exempts a subassembly sold to an equipment manufacturer for further fabrication, and EU 2019/1020 Art. 4 requires an economic operator established in the Union. We supply technical file inputs: BOM, material declarations, process records and test data | Standard clause and regulation |
WHY COATING IS JUDGED, NOT EYEBALLED
IPC-CC-830B qualification, all eight tests
Coating is the one process on this page that cannot be inspected after the fact and cannot be undone. That is why the acceptance argument rests on standard test clauses rather than on a visual opinion of the finish.
Insulation resistance>100 MΩ after 96 h at 65 °C / 90% RH at 100 V DC
Dielectric withstandPer IPC-TM-650 2.6.3, no breakdown
Thermal shock−65…+125 °C, 100 cycles, no cracking or delamination
Moisture resistance65 °C / 90% RH for 10 days
Fungus resistance28 days per MIL-STD-810 Method 508
FlexibilityMandrel bend
FlammabilityUL 94 V-0 or V-1
Coverage inspection365 nm UV fluorescence
WHAT WE BUILD
Six box-build operations
ENCLOSURE
Enclosure assembly and kitting
Enclosure, panel, fastener and label sets kitted against the build record, so a missing bracket is caught at the kit cart rather than with the unit half closed.
HARNESS
Cable and wire harness
Wire cut, stripped, crimped and connectorised to your drawing, then continuity tested and delivered as a verified sub-assembly.
COATING
Conformal coating
Acrylic, silicone or polyurethane applied by spray, selective needle or dip to IPC-CC-830, with coverage checked under UV. Parylene is placed with a vacuum-CVD subcontractor.
PERMANENT
Potting and encapsulation
Resin filling for mechanical support, environmental sealing and high-voltage insulation. It is not reworkable, so the decision is confirmed at DFM stage and never after the pour.
FIRMWARE
IC programming
Offline or in-line programming of firmware and configuration data, with the checksum archived against the unit serial number.
DOCUMENTED
Torque-controlled assembly and work instructions
Station-level work instructions with the torque value written into them, and a per-unit build record that survives the shipment.
WHAT MAKES ONE UNIT TRACEABLE
Test, serial number and a pack that survives the sea
A boxed unit is only an improvement on a bare board if you can tie it back to what happened on the line. That takes three things, and the wording of the third one matters more than it sounds.
Unit-level functional testPowered test to your plan on the FCT bench and program scoped for the product
SerialisationSerial number bound to the build record, the test data and the material lots
Shipping packESD bag, then moisture-barrier bag with desiccant and humidity indicator card
Packaging wordingThis is moisture-barrier packing: an ESD bag, then a moisture-barrier bag with desiccant and a humidity indicator card. No stronger claim is made for it
MATERIALS AND CONSUMABLES
What you can specify
CHEMISTRY
Coating system
Acrylic where the unit must stay field-repairable, silicone where the assembly sees up to +200 °C, polyurethane where chemical exposure is the threat, and parylene at 5–50 µm placed externally for the thinnest conformal coverage.
POTTING
Potting resin
Selected against the cavity geometry and the insulation requirement. Once the cavity is filled the assembly is no longer reworkable, so the resin and the fill level are agreed before the first unit is poured.
WIRING
Wire and connectors
Wire gauge and connector types to your drawing, crimped to the tooling specified for the terminal, with a continuity test on every harness before it is fitted.
PACKING
Packaging materials
Static-dissipative ESD bags, moisture-barrier bags, desiccant and humidity indicator cards, sized to the unit rather than to a stock carton.
COMMERCIALS
Order size, lead time and assembly charges
Every date below is an assembly lead time ex-components: it starts when the last component is kitted, not when the order is placed.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum order, chip passives 0603–2225, SOT, SOD, MELF | 50 pcs + 30 spares |
| Minimum order, all other packages | 100 pcs + 50 spares |
| Prototype quantities | Quoted per order |
| 1–10 pieces | 3–7 working days |
| 10–1,000 pieces | 5–10 working days |
| 5,000 pieces | About 3 weeks |
| Volume, after components are kitted | 3–4 weeks ex-works |
| Long-lead semiconductors | Can add 12–26 weeks |
| NRE | USD 0–150, waived on most projects |
| IC programming | USD 50–200 |
| First-article inspection | USD 100–300 |
| Stencil, where reflow is in scope | USD 1.53–65 by size; framed from USD 80 |
| Unit premium, 5–20 pieces | +30–40% |
| Unit premium, 101–499 pieces | +5–15% |
Related lines: all capabilities · component sourcing · testing & inspection · through-hole & DIP · SMT assembly · DFM guides
SECTOR REQUIREMENTS AT UNIT LEVEL
What each sector adds to a boxed build
Industrial automation
Control cabinets and panels
UL 508A panel-shop qualification is an OEM-side obligation in the United States, alongside wide-temperature and EMC consistency.
Medical devicesValidated unit assembly
Batch traceability and IQ/OQ/PQ validation documents, with EO and gamma sterilisation putting limits on which components can be used.
Automotive & EVUnderhood electronics
PPAP and 8D discipline with −40…+125 °C cycling, which is the reason silicone coating at up to +200 °C exists in the list above.
Consumer & IoTCertified wireless products
FCC Part 15, CE RED, RoHS and WEEE, with antenna and shielding layout settled before the radio module goes to test.
Energy & powerGrid-facing enclosures
Flame-retardant materials to UL 94 V-0, generous creepage distances and a 15–25 year service life to design against.
Telecom & data centreRack-mounted hardware
NEBS testing per Telcordia GR-63 and GR-1089, plus thermal design that keeps every field-replaceable part reachable.
NEXT STEP
Name the delivery level you need
L1, L2, L3 or L4 decides what gets quoted. Send the assembly drawing, the coating requirement and whether the unit ships with firmware already loaded, and the reply will state the level, the coating chemistry and the acceptance test for each stage.
Reply within one business day
Useful with the enquiry: assembly drawing, harness drawing, coating type and thickness, firmware file, torque specification and packing requirement.