CONTACT · REQUEST A QUOTE · SHENZHEN
Send Gerbers or ODB++, a BOM with manufacturer part numbers, your target annual volume and the IPC-A-610 class. A process engineer reads it, not an autoresponder. Reply within one business day.
BEFORE YOU SEND
Four inputs turn an enquiry into a quotation without a round of questions. Anything missing from this list is asked for by a process engineer after the first reply, not by an automated form.
Fabrication data with copper, mask, silkscreen and drill layers, plus an Excellon drill file split into plated and non-plated holes. ODB++ or IPC-2581 is easier when the design has impedance-controlled nets, because the stackup arrives with the netlist.
Every line needs the manufacturer, the manufacturer part number and the reference designators it covers. Approved alternates go on the same line. A centroid file with rotation and side data saves a day of programming.
Annual volume drives component pricing and the choice between flying probe and a bed-of-nails fixture. The first order quantity drives the unit premium: +30–40% at 5–20 pcs, +5–15% at 101–499 pcs.
The class sets inspection configuration, cost and the traceability package, and it is fixed before the stencil is cut. Class 3 raises assembly cost by 20–40% and lowers line speed by a similar margin, so it is worth naming deliberately.
If an NDA is required, say so in the first message and the agreement is signed before files move. Gerbers and BOMs are held in an access-restricted directory and are not disclosed to third parties; the bare boards are sourced from audited partner fabs that receive only the fabrication data they need.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
A process engineer reads the message and the attached files. Reply within one business day; our working day is UTC+8.
First-pass DFM report within 24 hours on prototype boards: land patterns, mask dams, via treatment, panelisation and placement access, each with a proposed fix.
Lifecycle status, single-source parts, long-lead items and compliance are checked before the price is issued, so the quote reflects a buildable BOM.
Purchase order, payment terms, trade term and the confirmed ship date are fixed at order acknowledgement.
FAI report with SPI and AOI data against the agreed class, plus the lot traceability record that travels with the boards.
Assembly, inspection and packing, then shipment under the agreed Incoterm with commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and certificate of origin.
INDICATIVE PRICE STRUCTURE
| Item | Indicative range | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| NRE engineering fee | USD 0–150, waived on most projects | Quoted with the build rather than as a separate charge. |
| Stencils | USD 1.53–65 by size; framed stencils from USD 80 | One per board revision, laser-cut stainless with nano coating. |
| IC programming | USD 50–200 | Offline or in-line, including the programming file setup. |
| First-article inspection | USD 100–300 | Report with SPI and AOI data and appearance criteria. |
| General test fixture | USD 2,000–10,000+ | Functional test jigs and handling fixtures, design included. |
| ICT bed-of-nails fixture | USD 2,000–50,000+ | Worth tooling above roughly 2,000 boards a year; flying probe is cheaper below 500 a year. |
| Unit premium, 5–20 pcs | +30–40% on unit price | Stencil, programme, first article and changeover over very few boards. |
| Unit premium, 101–499 pcs | +5–15% on unit price | Same setup spread across more units. |
Indicative industry ranges, not a quotation. Your project is priced from your files, volume and acceptance class.
LEAD TIME — EX-COMPONENTS
Prototype quantity, quoted per project.
Small batch on the production programme.
Specific to that quantity.
Measured once components are in hand.
Every figure above is an assembly lead time ex-components: the clock starts when the BOM is complete and released for build, not when the purchase order is raised. Long-lead semiconductors can add 12–26 weeks on top (industry data), and that gap sits in front of the assembly window rather than inside it.
WHERE WE ARE
One 10,000 m² plant in Bao'an, Shenzhen. Seven SMT lines, two THT lines, two functional test lines, coating and packing under one roof — there is no second site and no subcontracted assembly line.
A process engineer reads the first message, and European and North American accounts are handled by an English-speaking project manager. Enquiries are answered on working days within one business day.
Our working day is UTC+8. Messages that arrive during the European or North American working day are read the same Shenzhen morning.
For file lists, NDA requests or a question about a live order, email sales@voltcircuit.com. For a quotation, the quote request button opens the enquiry form and keeps the request on one track.
MINIMUM ORDER
The floor exists because parts arrive on reels with their own minimum multiples, and because a placement programme, a stencil and a first article cost the same whether they carry five boards or five hundred. Publishing a lower number would mean quoting something that cannot actually be bought.
A prototype build is therefore priced on its own terms rather than forced up to a production minimum. Tell us the quantity you need and it is quoted as that quantity, with the package-driven floor shown as a separate line if it applies.
QUICK ANSWERS
T/T 30% deposit with the 70% balance against a copy of the bill of lading. Below USD 20,000 an escrow arrangement is available at 0.3–0.5%. Net 30 or Net 60 is not offered on a first order.
An L/C at sight costs 2–3% in bank charges. It is worth considering above USD 50,000 and uneconomic below USD 10,000, where the charges outweigh the payment protection.
EXW, FOB Shenzhen, CIF, DAP and DPU. CIF is not a delivered term: risk transfers at the port of shipment, not on arrival. DDP is quoted case by case, and we normally recommend the freight forwarder act as importer of record.
Yes. Every BOM is scanned for lifecycle status, single-source parts, long-lead items and counterfeit risk before quotation. Consignment stock is also accepted and goes through incoming inspection like any other delivery.
Never automatically. A proposed alternate comes with a datasheet parameter comparison, approved vendor list parts are considered first, and nothing is ordered until you confirm in writing.
RoHS and REACH declarations with test reports, and the 3TG CMRT, are provided on request per order. These are declarations and reports rather than certificates, and no certificate numbers are printed on this site; the UL file number is supplied on request.
All questions on the FAQ page → /faq/ — lead time, minimum order, payment, logistics, packaging, warranty and returns in 28 answers.
Enquiry received
One process engineer reads the enquiry and replies to the address you gave, in your working day. Expect either a quote, a DFM note, or a short list of the items still missing — not an automated acknowledgement.
Gerbers or ODB++, a BOM with manufacturer part numbers, annual volume and the acceptance class are enough to start. Missing items are listed back to you rather than blocking the quotation.
Nothing arrived? Write to sales@voltcircuit.com and quote the same details.
REQUEST A QUOTE
One enquiry, one process engineer, one reply inside a working day. Send what you have; the missing items are listed back to you rather than blocking the quote.
Reply within one business day
Gerbers or ODB++, a BOM with MPN, annual volume and the acceptance class are enough to start.