Top Things You Should Know About Prototyping PCBAs in the USA

Ongoing logistics and production challenges in Asia have pushed many engineering teams to reconsider how they approach PCBA prototyping. Decision-makers have lost confidence that Asian manufacturers can consistently deliver cost-effective PCB board prototypes on time.

Earlier this year, COVID-19-related shutdowns in China delayed production for organizations worldwide. Meanwhile, shipping costs are still high. The Ukraine/Russia conflict looms over the global energy sector, extending shipping concerns and contributing to intermittent power outages in China’s prefectures and associated manufacturing stoppages.

Additionally, sourcing materials continues to be a problem everywhere. Modern electronics manufacturing is still hampered by these realities, which can make prototyping difficult.

While PCB prototyping helps engineers test different designs and catch flaws before full production runs, and provides a way to upgrade legacy products and de-risk investments in new products, moving prototyping to a different world region is challenging.

Finding the right prototype PCB partner requires thorough due diligence and careful planning to ensure the partner aligns with your technical requirements, quality standards, and long-term production goals. Thanks to platforms like MacroFab, electrical engineers now have access to a network of trusted prototyping options within the U.S., making it easier than ever to find partners meeting these critical criteria.

Switching PCB prototyping manufacturers can be risky, particularly when dealing with redesigns or new product launches. This challenge is amplified when working with certain manufacturers, especially in regions like China, where a common tactic is to subtly adjust designs or substitute components without thorough documentation. This approach often creates a dependency on the original circuit board manufacturer, as critical design changes and updates remain undocumented, leaving companies without the most up-to-date design notes.

This tactic makes it more challenging for customers to transition to a new partner, locking them into existing relationships. To mitigate these risks, it’s crucial to maintain control of your PCB design at all times. If you feel you've already lost this, gather all available information about previous PCB prototypes and production runs that you can to facilitate a smooth transition and continuity in the manufacturing process.

Furthermore, companies should ensure that any new prototyping facilities have the capacity, capabilities, and equipment to maintain design intent. Moreover, they should be able to improve upon previous designs in future iterations. Failure to think ahead in this area can lead engineering teams to shop around again when it’s time to upgrade designs. During the due diligence process, companies often evaluate potential prototype manufacturers on several key factors, including:

• Capabilities and Expertise: Assess whether the manufacturer has experience with similar projects, including their ability to handle specific PCB complexities such as multilayer boards, advanced materials, or unique design features.

• Quality Assurance Practices: Verify the partner's quality control measures, including their testing and inspection protocols, certifications (such as ISO or ITAR compliance), and track record for delivering reliable prototypes.

• Transparency and Documentation: Look for a partner that provides clear and accessible documentation throughout the prototyping process, including design updates, material sourcing, and traceability. This ensures continuity and reduces risks during future production.

• Scalability: Consider whether the partner can support not just prototyping but also the transition to volume manufacturing. This reduces the need to switch vendors later, saving time and effort.

• Lead Times and Flexibility: Evaluate how quickly the partner can deliver prototypes and adapt to design changes or unforeseen challenges, as these are critical factors during the development phase.

• Cost Transparency: Look for clear pricing structures with no hidden fees, as well as tools that provide cost comparisons for different quantities or configurations.

If the goal is to use the same manufacturer for prototyping PCBs and full-scale production, engineers also need to determine if potential partners have access to crucial components. Otherwise, companies will run into sourcing challenges that delay mass production.

Finally, engineers should ask new CMs how they will maintain design integrity over time. Both sides need to agree on items such as:

• Who will maintain documentation?
• What form will documentation take (i.e., physical vs. digital)?
• How often will documentation be subject to review?

Keeping this information updated is essential for enabling factory portability and efficient production. It’s also what maximizes PCB prototyping performance in the U.S.

The above considerations can assist companies in understanding the advantages of prototyping PCBAs in the United States. Additionally, engineering and manufacturing can communicate more easily. Simplicity is a plus when prototyping involves fast feedback loops and iterations. Having engineers and manufacturers separated by oceans and 12- hour time differences makes it more difficult. Prototyping facilities nearby improve quality control, communication, and iteration speed.

Protecting your IP is also easier in the U.S. than in markets like China. Designs and prototypes are less likely to get stolen here because our legal system has strict intellectual property rights protections. Meanwhile, institutions and governments worldwide have criticized China’s lax IP laws for creating a breeding ground for IP violations.

Furthermore, moving prototype PCBAs to the U.S. decreases the likelihood of unexpected delays. The inherent risk associated with transporting prototypes across the ocean is eliminated when prototypes are made in nearshore facilities. Additionally, prototype deliveries are more reliable, faster, and less expensive.

PCB prototyping in the United States is not without its challenges. For modern electronics manufacturing, working with MacroFab makes sense.

Listen to Parker and Stephen discuss 2024 semiconductor tariff increases and their impact on the electronics industry, in this classic Circuit Break episode.

When it comes to starting up new PCB prototyping operations in the U.S. MacroFab solves key pain points. With MacroFab, you can access a vetted network of North American factory production lines, including those with prototyping capabilities. By using the MacroFab platform, engineers can assess PCBA prototyping delivery and scaling options while accessing real-time component availability information along with options for selecting alternative parts based on risk and cost.

As companies scale up, MacroFab has reliable production lines across North America, including cost-effective manufacturing options located in Mexico. Users can rely on our engineering support staff to help them find the best locations for prototyping and mass production.

MacroFab also maintains a digital thread that tracks all design updates and changes. This is maintained on MacroFab’s cloud manufacturing platform, which is accessible to any employees who need it; you can choose who has authorization. There is no need for engineers to pass documentation back and forth, so tribal knowledge will remain in control. All important documentation can stay within MacroFab, where it’s safe and secure from IP theft, tampering, or improper use by unauthorized individuals.

Last but not least, our platform is intuitive and easy to use. Within our software, engineers can upload designs, order prototypes, make updates, evaluate market conditions, and more. With our tools and capabilities, companies can accelerate innovation and mitigate much of the risk associated with overseas prototyping by moving PCB prototyping to the U.S. The time is right to make the transition and move past outdated approaches to prototyping.