PCB Manufacture

We do not directly manufacture PCB products, certainly not in quantity, instead we offer a management service for PCB manufacture, bearing in mind that we have 20 years experience or more of getting our own PCBs made. Note that the ability to design a PCB does not imply the ability to get the same PCB made in production quantities; this requires experience if one is to avoid pitfalls, delays and un-necessary cost.

For example, a customer may have a working prototype pcb design that they need manufacturing in some quantity. Although the board designer has done a competent job, she is not in a position to manage or even select the PCB sub-contractor. In many cases this would be good practice anyway, as a good board designer should be employed designing boards not managing sub-contractors; in this case Aardvark Engineering Consultancy would be employed for this purpose, in which case we would carry out some or all of the following:

• Evaluate the design for manufacturability (it's amazing how a few simple changes can drastically affect yield and cost).

• Assess, recommend or select a PCB manufacturer according to appropriate requirements.

• Liaise with the selected manufacturer to confirm the design, agree testing regimes etc.

• Design and build the necessary test equipment.

• Supervise testing.

• Fault find and troubleshoot.

In other cases a customer may only have a concept or even just a requirement, in which case Aardvark would design the board as well as manage its manufacture.