DFM / DFA review
First-pass report within 24 hours on prototype boards: land patterns, stencil apertures, panelisation, fiducials and assembly sequence.
PROTOTYPE TO PRODUCTION · NPI
Same lines, first article to 5,000 units.
Prototypes and volume share the same 7 SMT and 2 THT lines: DFM inside 24 hours, 1–10 pcs in 3–7 working days, assembly lead time ex-components.
QUICK-TURN PROTOTYPES
Lead-time tiers, stated before you send files
Every figure below is an assembly lead time ex-components — the clock starts when the BOM is complete and released, not when the order is placed.
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3–7 days
1–10 pcs
Prototype quantity, quoted per project rather than against a blanket minimum.
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5–10 days
10–1,000 pcs
Small batch on the same placement programme the volume build will use.
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≈3 weeks
5,000 pcs
The 5,000-piece figure is specific to that quantity, not a general production lead time.
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+30–40%
Unit premium, 5–20 pcs
Falls to +5–15% once the batch reaches 101–499 pcs and carries the same setup.
Send the Gerbers and we will tell you the date
A board outline, a BOM with manufacturer part numbers and a target quantity are enough to return a first-pass route, a price band and a calendar date.
NPI FLOW
Six gates between your files and a volume release
Stencil & fixture design
Laser-cut stainless stencil with nano coating, area ratio ≥0.66 and aspect ratio ≥1.5, plus carriers for a double-sided second pass.
First-article inspection
FAI report holding SPI and AOI data against the agreed IPC-A-610 Class 2 / Class 3 criteria.
Pilot build
A small batch runs on the production line and the production programme, which is what exposes takt and yield problems before volume.
Production release
PPAP for automotive programmes, or a customer-defined release package: control plan, process records and traceability scope.
Volume on the same lines
7 SMT lines and 2 THT lines, single site, 300,000+ boards a month. Nothing about the process changes when the quantity does.
GATE ONE — DFM / DFA
What the first review sends back
The first-pass DFM report goes out within 24 hours on prototype boards. It is a list of returned items with a proposed fix, not a pass mark.
Land patterns first
Where a library footprint disagrees with the component datasheet, the datasheet land pattern wins. This is the single most common cause of tombstoning and head-in-pillow on a first build, and it is cheapest to fix on paper.
Solder mask and via treatment
Narrow mask dams between adjacent pads bridge during reflow. Vias that are neither tented nor plugged leave flux residue and can throw solder balls onto the board. Both are named in the report with the specific pads or vias.
Panelisation, rails and fiducials
Breakaway rail at least 5 mm, V-CUT only above 0.8 mm board thickness, and fiducials that are present on both the panel and the single board and are not symmetrically placed.
Placement access
Components closer together than the nozzle envelope cannot be placed reliably, and a heavy part without a support point can drop off during the second reflow pass. Both are flagged with a minimum spacing.
ALL THE NUMBERS
Lead time, premium, NRE and tooling in one table
| Item | Figure | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Prototype, 1–10 pcs | 3–7 working days | Assembly lead time ex-components |
| Small batch, 10–1,000 pcs | 5–10 working days | Assembly lead time ex-components |
| 5,000 pcs | Approximately 3 weeks | Quantity-specific, not a general volume lead time |
| Volume, components in hand | 3–4 weeks ex-works | Assembly lead time ex-components |
| Unit premium, 5–20 pcs | +30–40% | Stencil, programme, FAI and changeover amortised over very few boards |
| Unit premium, 101–499 pcs | +5–15% | Same setup spread over more units |
| NRE engineering fee | Commonly USD 0–150; waived on most projects | Quoted with the build |
| Stencils | USD 1.53–65 by size; framed stencils from USD 80 | Laser-cut stainless, nano coated |
| IC programming | USD 50–200 | Offline or in-line |
| First-article inspection | USD 100–300 | Report includes SPI and AOI data |
| Test fixture NRE | General fixtures USD 2,000–10,000+; ICT bed-of-nails USD 2,000–50,000+ | Includes fixture design |
| First-pass DFM report | Within 24 hours on prototype boards | Engineering review |
| Minimum order | Chip passives 0603–2225 / SOT / SOD / MELF: 50 pcs + 30 spares. Other packages: 100 pcs + 50 spares. | Set by the component package; prototypes quoted per project |
| Component lead time | Long-lead semiconductors can add 12–26 weeks | Industry data |
| Lead-time basis | Assembly lead time ex-components | Starts when the BOM is complete and released |
| Lines | 7 SMT lines and 2 THT lines, 300,000+ boards a month at one site | Prototype and volume share them |
| Automotive and medical release | PPAP under IATF 16949:2016 (product design excluded); IQ / OQ / PQ validation pack under ISO 13485:2016, scope Production of PCBA | Documentation on request |
WHERE THE MONEY GOES
A small-batch premium is a changeover cost, not a negotiation opening
5–20 pcs unit premium+30–40%
101–499 pcs unit premium+5–15%
NRE, most projectsUSD 0–150, usually waived
StencilsUSD 1.53–65; framed from USD 80
IC programmingUSD 50–200
First-article inspectionUSD 100–300
Five boards still consume one stencil, one placement programme, one first-article inspection and one line changeover. Spread across 400 boards the same work costs a fraction per unit, which is the whole of the difference between +40% and +5%.
The minimum order is set by the component package rather than by the board: 50 pcs + 30 spares for chip passives 0603–2225, SOT, SOD and MELF, and 100 pcs + 50 spares for everything else. Prototype quantities are quoted per project, so a genuine five-piece build is priced as a five-piece build.
ENGINEERING SCOPE
Six things we do for you between quote and volume
24 hours
DFM / DFA review
First-pass report on prototype boards covering land patterns, mask dams, via treatment, rail width, fiducials and placement access, each with a proposed fix.
Tooling
Stencil and carrier design
Laser-cut stainless with nano coating, area ratio ≥0.66 and aspect ratio ≥1.5, plus the pallet or carrier a double-sided build needs for its second pass.
Documentation
First-article report
FAI paperwork holding SPI and AOI data, appearance criteria and the measured values behind them, judged against the class written on the work order.
Pilot
Small-batch pilot build
A pilot lot runs on the production line with the production programme. Takt time, feeder setup and yield problems surface while the volume is still small enough to react.
Change control
ECO and revision handling
An engineering change re-opens the first article and the release. Post-ECO first articles are reported separately and are excluded from the first-pass yield figure.
Release
PPAP and custom release packs
Automotive programmes release through PPAP. Everything else releases against a package the customer defines: control plan, process records, traceability scope and test data.
THE CONTINUITY CLAIM
Ramping up changes three things, none of them the process
The reason a prototype translates into volume here is that nothing is re-tooled for a different factory, because there is no second factory.
Panelisation follows the quantity
A one-off prototype is often built as a single board. At volume the same design moves to an array with breakaway rails, V-CUT or perforated tabs. V-CUT needs at least 0.8 mm of board thickness, and rails are at least 5 mm wide.
Placement programme and feeders
Feeder configuration, nozzle selection and placement order are re-optimised for the panel and the quantity. The machine, the reflow profile and the alloy do not change.
Inspection configuration, not inspection philosophy
Which joints get X-ray and how much of the lot is sampled is configured per project and per acceptance class. That configuration is written down at first article and reused at volume.
Sustained placement capacity≈5,600,000 points/day
Capacity basis7 lines × 84,000 CPH × 24 h × 40% OEE
Board output, single site300,000+ boards/month
Lines reserved for volume7 SMT + 2 THT
TOOLING AND DOCUMENTS
Four things that get ordered alongside the boards
Stencils
Framed and unframed stencils
USD 1.53–65 depending on size, framed stencils from USD 80. Laser-cut stainless steel with a nano coating so the paste release holds at 0.4 mm pitch and on 01005 parts.
Test
Test fixtures
General-purpose fixtures USD 2,000–10,000+; ICT bed-of-nails fixtures USD 2,000–50,000+, including the fixture design. Flying probe is the cheaper route below 500 boards a year; a bed-of-nails fixture pays off above 2,000 a year.
Carriers
Carriers and pallets
Second-pass reflow carriers and composite pallets for the through-hole section, cut for your specific layout. USD 3,000–8,000 per design (industry-typical).
Documents
First-article document pack
FAI report at USD 100–300 with SPI and AOI data, appearance criteria, the class it was judged against, and the lot traceability record that follows the boards out of the door.
Stencils, carriers and fixtures are quoted as separate line items so you can see what is reusable on the next revision. Where a fixture is designed here, the documentation travels with the boards and is listed alongside the testing and inspection configuration and the component sourcing record for the lot. Hardware builds that go past the board are handled through box build.
NPI QUESTIONS
Six things NPI managers ask before the first order
Does the first article have to be redone after a revision?
Yes. An ECO re-opens both the first article and the production release, because the change invalidates the measurements the release was based on. The post-change first article carries its own report, and it is reported outside the first-pass yield figure.
Can we supply some or all of the components ourselves?
Yes. Consignment stock is accepted and goes through incoming inspection like any other delivery. Industry practice on SMT passives is to allow 5–10% attrition for reel loss, feeder damage and setup waste, so please ship above the net quantity.
When do you need the BOM?
As early as you have it. Long-lead semiconductors can add 12–26 weeks (industry data), and that time sits in front of the assembly window rather than inside it. A late BOM pushes the ship date by at least the procurement gap.
Will the panel change between prototype and volume?
Usually yes. Single boards move to an array with rails and either V-CUT or perforated tabs. V-CUT requires board thickness of at least 0.8 mm and rails are at least 5 mm; tab spacing runs 0.5–1.0 mm. The panel drawing is confirmed by you before it is cut.
What is the minimum order for a prototype?
The floor comes from the component package: 50 pcs + 30 spares for chip passives 0603–2225, SOT, SOD and MELF; 100 pcs + 50 spares for other packages. Prototype quantities are quoted per project, so a smaller one-off build is priced on its own terms.
What has to exist before you release volume?
A PPAP submission for automotive programmes, or a customer-defined release package otherwise. Either one is assembled at gate five of the NPI flow, after the pilot lot and before the first volume order.
WHAT VOLUME MEANS PER SECTOR
Six industries, six different release thresholds
Industrial
Industrial automation
Wide-temperature parts (−40…+85 °C) and 10-year supply. A PLC platform typically sees two or three engineering changes across a 15-year life.
MedicalMedical devices
Lot-level traceability plus IQ / OQ / PQ validation documents. Any process change re-opens verification before the next shipment.
AutomotiveAutomotive & EV
PPAP, 8D discipline and −40…+125 °C cycling. AEC-Q qualified parts are normally a programme requirement, not a preference.
ConsumerConsumer electronics & IoT
Weekly iterations and a cost staircase. Radio modules need antenna and shielding decisions made before the first certification run.
EnergyEnergy, power & grid
2–6 oz copper, UL 94V-0 materials and a 15–25 year field life. Recall cost at grid level makes first-article discipline non-negotiable.
TelecomTelecom & data centre
112 Gbps PAM4 signal integrity, large-board warpage, and rework access under high-density BGA arrays.
CASE EVIDENCE
Twelve working days, including a land-pattern redesign
US wearable hardware startup · 4-layer double-sided mixed assembly
Prototype delivered in 12 working days
A US wearable hardware startup needed a small prototype batch against a certification window. The design had a 0.4 mm-pitch part whose library footprint disagreed with the datasheet land pattern.
The DFM review returned the land pattern in the first-pass report; the pads were redrawn, a stepped stencil was cut for the fine-pitch device, and the boards were built on the same line the volume order will use.
Delivery12 working days
Build4-layer, double-sided
OutcomeCertification testing passed first time
Anonymised: customer type, region, constraint, result.
REQUEST A QUOTE
Start with the files you already have
Gerbers or an ODB++ package, a BOM with manufacturer part numbers, the target quantity and the acceptance class. That is enough for a route, a price band and a date.
Reply within one business day
Prototype quantities are quoted per project; volume pricing follows the quantity and the acceptance class.