PCB News - How can engineers quickly calculate PCBA costs?

How can engineers quickly calculate PCBA costs?

PCB design engineers estimate the entire PCBA cost through the online platform, which often results in huge deviations from the quotations of different suppliers, which is prone to confusion, and it is impossible to judge the true manufacturing cost. In view of this, it is particularly important for electronic engineers to accurately calculate the cost of PCBA. This article explains in detail the material cost, processing fee, industry gross profit margin level and other subjects in PCBA cost.

(1) PCBA cost composition: material cost

Engineers can query the reference price on the open platform according to the BOM material. For core components, you can directly contact agents and traders for inquiries. The cost of PCB is mainly determined by size, number of layers, material, copper thickness and possible special craftsmanship. Engineers can check the reference price through the platform. Bulk orders are based on the unit price of 580 yuan/square meter for double panels and 900 yuan/square meter for 4-layer boards. Estimate (based on common line width and line spacing design requirements).

(2) PCBA cost structure: processing fee

Count the number of package pins of BOM components, one pin is counted as one point. The unit price of SMT patch is 0.012 yuan/point, and the unit price of DIP plug-in materials is 0.05 yuan/point. For proofing orders, a one-time engineering fee ranging from 800-3000 yuan is generally collected (depending on the design and component density).

(3) PCBA cost composition: tooling and test fixture costs

For bulk orders, PCBA processing manufacturers will issue production auxiliary tooling such as wave soldering jigs and test racks, generally for a one-time charge. The charging standard is roughly: 15 wave soldering fixtures, the unit price is 200-400 yuan; the test rack 1-5 sets, the production unit price is 1000-10000 yuan (not including the additional current and voltage meter, load and other accessories in the test rack)

(4) PCBA cost composition: gross profit

The gross profit margin of PCBA processing manufacturers is generally about 15%-30%, which is mainly determined by the order batch, the difficulty of PCBA board production, and the straight-through rate. The PCBA production process is long and is greatly affected by material performance, placement technology, testing, quality supervision and other links. The rework cost caused by defects is also high, so a certain gross profit margin must be guaranteed.

When electronic engineers have the ability to independently calculate PCBA target costs, they can naturally distinguish whether the quotations obtained from various suppliers are true. When there is a serious deviation from the PCBA cost of the quotation, you need to carefully examine it. It is best to get the OPEN BOM quotation and compare the unit price of each core component. The electronic components market is mixed. It is necessary to ensure that the channels of components come from regular agents and traders to avoid buying second-hand and refurbished materials at a "cheap price", which will cause great hidden dangers to products.