Complete manufacturing guide — 32 production steps, 8 factory zones, 18 machine types. From raw copper laminate to assembled circuit boards.
The 32-step journey from raw FR-4 laminate to finished, tested circuit boards.
A complete PCB manufacturing facility organized into distinct zones with controlled environments and specialized equipment.
Environment: Yellow light cleanroom, 22±2°C, 50±5% RH, Class 10,000
Cuts raw copper-clad laminate (FR-4) to panel size. 200-500 panels/hour.
Models: SCHMOLL, Pluritec · $15,000-40,000
Exposes photoresist with laser — no film required. Resolution down to 2 mil (50µm). 60-120 panels/hour.
Models: Orbotech Nuvogo 800, MIVA LDI-800 · $200,000-800,000
Automated wet processing: develop resist, etch copper, strip resist. 2-4 m/min conveyor.
Models: Chemcut, SCHMID · $150,000-500,000
High-res camera scans every inner layer for opens, shorts, width violations against Gerber data. 30-60 panels/hour.
Models: Orbotech InfinityOI, Mirtec · $100,000-400,000
Environment: 22±3°C, vibration-isolated drilling section
Chemical treatment for micro-rough surface bonding with prepreg.
Models: Atotech, MacDermid Alpha · $80,000-200,000
Bonds layers with prepreg at 175-185°C, 250-400 PSI for 60-90 minutes. 6-12 panels per cycle.
Models: Burkle, Lauffer, Cedal · $200,000-600,000
X-ray imaging locates buried inner layer targets. Accuracy: ±0.025mm (1 mil).
Models: Pluritec, Posalux · $100,000-250,000
High-speed 80-200K RPM, 4-6 spindles, drills 0.15-6.5mm holes. 300-800 holes/min per spindle.
Models: Schmoll, Excellon, Hitachi · $150,000-500,000
UV/CO₂ laser for micro-vias (0.05-0.15mm). 1,000-5,000 holes/second. Essential for HDI.
Models: ESI (MKS), Mitsubishi, LPKF · $300,000-1,200,000
Removes drill burrs with abrasive brushes and high-pressure water rinse.
Models: Schmid, Bungard · $30,000-80,000
Environment: 22±2°C, 50±5% RH, chemical fume extraction, DI water system
Deposits 0.5-1µm seed layer on drilled hole walls using Pd catalyst chemical reduction.
Models: Atotech, MacDermid · $200,000-500,000
Builds copper to 25µm (1oz) using DC/pulse rectifiers. 20-25µm/hour, 15-25 ASF.
Models: Atotech, Process Automation · $300,000-800,000
Copper plated on traces, then tin plated as etch resist to protect desired copper.
Models: Atotech Inpulse 2, Technic · $150,000-400,000
Strip-Etch-Strip: strips resist, etches exposed copper, strips tin. 2-4 m/min.
Models: Chemcut, SCHMID · $150,000-400,000
Environment: Yellow-light cleanroom, dust-free, 22±2°C
Applies LPSM (green, blue, red, black, white, matte). Curtain coat or screen print.
Models: Taiyo PSR-4000, Sun Chemical · $100,000-300,000
Component designators, polarity marks, logos. Screen print or inkjet.
Models: Orbotech Sprint, DEK · $50,000-200,000
HASL ($80-200K) | ENIG ($200-500K) | OSP | Immersion Tin/Silver | Hard Gold
| Finish | Process | Shelf Life | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| HASL (Lead-Free) | Hot air solder leveling | 12+ months | Lowest |
| ENIG | Electroless Ni + Immersion Au | 12+ months | Medium-High |
| OSP | Organic coating | 6 months | Lowest |
| Hard Gold | Electrolytic gold (1-2µm) | Permanent | Highest |
Environment: Dust extraction, chip collection
Routes board outlines, cutouts, slots, mouse bites. 40-60K RPM. Accuracy ±0.1mm.
Models: Schmoll, Pluritec · $100,000-300,000
V-shaped grooves (1/3 thickness each side) for easy depaneling.
Models: Genitec, LPKF · $30,000-80,000
UV laser cuts with zero mechanical stress. Critical for flex-rigid boards.
Models: LPKF MicroLine · $150,000-400,000
Environment: ESD-safe, calibrated instruments, ISO 9001/IPC-A-600
Moving probes test every net for opens/shorts. 4-8 heads, 20-60 points/sec. No fixture needed.
Models: Gardien, atg Luther · $200,000-500,000
Custom fixture contacts every test point simultaneously. 5-15 seconds per board.
Models: Gardien, CheckSum · $80,000-200,000 + fixtures
TDR measures controlled impedance for USB, HDMI, Ethernet, DDR, RF boards.
Models: Polar Instruments CITS · $50,000-150,000
Destructive testing: cut, polish, examine cross-sections under 200-1000x microscope.
Equipment: Saw, mount press, polisher, microscope · $30,000-80,000
Environment: Class 10,000 cleanroom, ESD-safe, 23±3°C, 40-60% RH
Laser-cut stencil applies paste. 2D/3D SPI validates volume. ±0.025mm accuracy, 15-30s cycle.
Models: DEK/ASM, MPM, GKG, Yamaha · $50,000-250,000
High-speed robot places SMD components. 20-80K CPH, 01005 to 50mm. ±0.03mm accuracy.
Models: Yamaha YSM40R, JUKI RS-1, Fuji NXT III · $80,000-500,000
8-12 heating + 2-3 cooling zones. Peak 245-260°C (lead-free). N₂ atmosphere option.
Models: Heller, BTU, Rehm, Ersa · $40,000-200,000
Inspects every solder joint: missing parts, tombstones, bridges, insufficient solder.
Models: Koh Young Zenith, Mirtec MV-6 OMNI · $100,000-350,000
Inspects hidden BGA/QFN joints. 1-5µm resolution. Essential for ESP32-S3 modules.
Models: Nordson Dage, Nikon, YXLON · $150,000-500,000
For through-hole components. Selective solder programs specific joints.
Models: ERSA Versaflow, Pillarhouse · $40,000-150,000
In-circuit: tests component values. Functional: powers up and runs firmware tests.
Models: Keysight i3070, SPEA 4060 · $50,000-300,000
Includes: DI Water, Chemical Storage, Waste Treatment, Compressed Air, Nitrogen, UPS/Power
18 MΩ·cm resistivity. RO + ion exchange. 20-100K liters/day.
$50,000-150,000
Chemical precipitation, pH neutralization, copper recovery from etch waste.
$100,000-500,000
Temperature-controlled HAZMAT storage for acids, bases, copper sulfate, resist chemicals.
$30,000-100,000
Chemical fume scrubbers, cleanroom HEPA, negative pressure in wet areas.
$80,000-300,000
Outsource bare PCB fabrication. Focus on assembly. Lowest investment, fastest ROI.
Produce 2-layer PCBs in-house plus full SMT. Covers most ESP32/IoT boards.
Complete 4-16+ layer fabrication with HDI. Competitive with JLCPCB/PCBWay.
| Material | Specification | Use | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| FR-4 Laminate | 1.6mm, 1oz Cu, double-sided | Standard PCB base | $8-15/sheet |
| Prepreg | 2116, 7628, 1080 styles | Bonding layers (multilayer) | $5-12/sheet |
| Copper Foil | 1oz (35µm), 0.5oz (18µm) | Outer layers | $3-8/sheet |
| Dry Film Resist | 15-40µm, negative-working | Circuit imaging | $50-100/roll |
| Solder Mask Ink | LPSM, various colors | Protective coating | $80-150/kg |
| Solder Paste | SAC305, T4/T5 powder | SMT assembly | $30-80/500g |
| Drill Bits | Carbide, 0.15-6.5mm | CNC drilling | $0.50-5/bit |
| Metric | Target |
|---|---|
| First Pass Yield | >95% fab, >99% SMT |
| Line/Space | 3/3 mil (adv), 4/4 mil (std) |
| Registration | ±2 mil layer-to-layer |
| Copper thickness | ±10% of spec |
| Impedance | ±10% of target |
Budget SMT assembly setup for KaamyabPakistan Progress Centers. Outsource bare PCBs from JLCPCB, assemble locally.
PCB: $0.40 | Components: $5-15 | Enclosure: $1-3 | Labor: $2-5
Manufacturing cost: $8-24/unit
Selling price: $40-150 → Margin: 70-85%