prototype  & production  Capabilities

Our guidelines are designed to ensure fast & cost-effective manufacturing.  Below are tools to help you iterate quickly and increase your chances of success on the 1st spin.    

 

RApid Prototyping & turn-key MFG

fast.  COST EFFECTIVE.  MADE IN aMERICA.

 

SOURCING

  • Next day part availability with Digikey and Mouser
  • Customer specified suppliers and supplied parts
  • Component crosses and Mectronx inventory
  • Mechanical BOM sourcing including custom items 

FABRICATION

  • Rigid, Rigid-Flex, and Flex
  • Layers 2-8
  • Impedance Control
  • Request for Controlled Dielectric

PCB ASSEMBLY

  • Up to 120 Unique SMT BOM items
  • 1000+ SMT placements/PCB
  • Minimum size 0201 

sourcing 

Coming Soon – DOWNLOAD MECTRONX DRC

UPload design

To receive a quote, click the “Upload Design” link in the header.  Answer all the questions to ensure we can quickly and accurately respond.  Once you submit your RFQ, a team member will gather information on availability, lead time, and costing.  Manufacturing will audit “design for manufacturability” and component crosses, if necessary.  Average quote time is 1 business day depending on, complexity, component availability, and/or missing information. 

Missing, incomplete, and inaccurate data is the #1 reason for delayed quotes.  

      

files & info Required

  • Gerber (PCB Fabrication)
  • ODB++ (Pick & Place Equipment)
  • FAB Drawing (PCB Fabrication)
  • BOM in Excel or CSV (Component Sourcing)
  • Properly fill out Upload Design page

Revision 

Rapid Prototypes require BOM & PCB revision.  We deal with thousands of part numbers daily.  If you require a change, be sure to rev your documents.  

  • BOM required
  • Gerber required
  • FAB drawing required 

FIDs 

Fiducials are required on the PCB sides containing any SMT components.

  • Typical Fids sizes are between 0.5 to 1.5 mm round with a 3 x diameter solder mask keep out area.
  • Ideally the Fids should be placed diagonally as far apart as possible on the PCB.
  • Fids must be assigned as a component and prefer reference designator such as F1 or FID1.
  • Panel Fids are not PCB Fibs.  Mectronx will add the panel fids while working with the FAB supplier.

Stencil 

  • Mectronx recommends setting paste layer to 1:1.  Our team will then work with our stencil providers to provide the optimal aperture opening, thickness, and coating. 
  • If the customer modifies the paste layer, we will assume this is intentional and follow your design.
  • Mectronx rapid prototypes use production stencils.  The stencil is customer property and available upon request.  Stencils are kept on site for 1 year and then recycled.

Programming & Functional Testing 

  • Functional testing & programming is required for production and on-demand manufacturing.
  • Optional functional testing & programming for prototypes.
  • All testing and programming must be clearly defined and provided by the customer.
  • Customers are welcome to be on site for testing the first piece off the SMT line.

Payment

  • Typical new customer payment terms are 50% due at receipt of PO; prior to part procurement. Balance invoiced upon shipment of product, Net30.
  • Tariff charges will be passed on directly to the customer at 1:1 rate
  • Option to pay with Credit Card (customer to cover credit card surcharges)

Labeling

Rapid prototype labeling comes standard with date code and serial number.  Custom options available upon request.  Examples:

  • Barcoding
  • MAC address
  • Logos and product icons
  • Customer serial numbers

shipping

FOB Oconomowoc, WI (Mectronx loading dock) 

  • Standard UPS
  • Optional FedEx
  • SpeeDee Delivery Freight
  • Optional UPS Freight

Panel Design

Mectronx will panelize the PCB.  If you have critical areas or keep-outs due to sensitive components please designate on the FAB drawing.  De-paneling options include V-score, mouse bites, and pre-routed at the FAB house.          

STOP The line!

Stop!!! I forgot to change “fill in the blank“.  Is it too late?

Short answer is no, but…

  • Does the FAB require changes? How far along is the FAB process?
    • If changes are required and the process is still in audit, only the process fee is charged.
    • If changes are required and the FAB requires to be re-spun, the process fee and FAB change will incur.
  • Is the SMT line loaded causing the need to break down and reschedule?
    • The largest constraint in electronic manufacturing is the SMT line and the time it takes to kit, load, and program.  If a changeover is required, an additional cost will be charged to cover the labor. 
  • Delays in shipping may occur and the job may be bumped down our queue. 
  •  

fabrication

Coming Soon – DOWNLOAD MECTRONX DRC

 

Standard rigid

Listed below are our economical fabrication standards to help improve manufacturability and overall production time.  See Advanced Rigid for complex designs not covered below. 

 

 

   

  • Standard turn – 5 days
  • Quick turn – 2 days
  • Thickness – 0.031″ / 0.062″ / 0.093″
  • Solder mask colors – green / red / blue / clear / black / white
  • Silkscreen color – white / yellow / black
  • Copper weight – 0.5 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 oz
  • Standard finish – ENIG
  • Material – Stock FR4 Ventec VT-42 / VT-47 180TG
  • Min line & spacing for 0.5 oz copper – 5/5 trace/space
  • Min line & spacing for 1 oz copper – 6/6 trace/space
  • Min line & spacing for 2 oz copper – 8/8 trace/space
  • Min line & spacing for 3 oz copper – 10/10 trace/space
  • Min line & spacing for 4 oz copper –  12/12 trace/space
  • Min finished hole size for 0.031″ & 0.062″ thick board – 0.008″
  • Min finished hole size for 0.092″ thick board- 0.012″
  • Max holes/panel – No limit
  • Electrical test – Yes
  • Board cutout options – Single up / V-score / tab routed
  • Plated slots – Yes
  • Controlled Dielectric – Yes
  • Castellated holes > 0.020″ –  Yes
  • Via Plug – LPI
  • Min solder mask web thickness – 0.005″
  • Layers – Up to 8
  • Max panel size – 18″ x 18″ 

 

Advanced rigid

Advanced fabrication standards greatly expand design options for complex circuitry.  Fabrication lead time and cost will increase on average 50% over standard rigid.

 

 

 

  • Standard turn – 10 days
  • Quick turn – 5 days
  • Thickness – 0.005″ to 0.250″
  • Solder mask colors – green / red / blue / clear / black / white
  • Silkscreen color – white / yellow / black
  • Copper weight – 0.25 to 8 oz
  • Standard finish – ENIG
  • Material – FR4 Laminate / FR4 Getek Laminate / Rodgers 4003 / 4350 / Nelco N4000-13
  • Min line & spacing for 0.5 oz copper – 5/5 trace/space
  • Min line & spacing for 1 oz copper – 6/6 trace/space
  • Min line & spacing for 2 oz copper – 8/8 trace/space
  • Min line & spacing for 3 oz copper – 10/10 trace/space
  • Min line & spacing for 4 oz copper –  12/12 trace/space
  • Min finished hole size – .006″
  • Max holes/panel – No limit
  • Electrical test – Yes
  • Board cutout options – Single up / V-score / tab routed
  • Plated slots – Yes
  • Controlled Dielectric – Yes
  • Castellated holes > 0.020″ –  Yes
  • Blind Via .002 mil Diameter
  • Min solder mask web thickness – 0.004″
  • Layers – Up to 20
  • Max panel size – 18″ x 18″
  • Impedance (+/-10%) W/TDR & Coupons up to 6lyr
  • Impedance (+/-10%) W/TDR & Coupons 8lyr

 

Rigid-FLEX & Metal core

Contact Mectronx 

 

 

 

stack-up request

When requesting impedance controlled stack provide:

  • Target impedance
  • Trace width
  • Trace height
  • Layers on which the impedance traces are present
  • Spacing between copper components on controlled traces for coplanar or differential calculations

 

PCB Assembly

Coming Soon – DOWNLOAD MECTRONX DRC

rapid prototype Inspection

All assemblies are inspected to IPC-A-610 Class ll standard by 3 different trained inspectors.

  • Pre-reflow
  • Post surface mount
  • Post through hole assembly

Manufacturing defects are reworked following IPC-7711/7721 guidelines. 

If a defect is caused by improper customer design, Mectronx will contact the customer and discuss how to proceed.  Examples include:

  • Improper footprint design
  • Wrong package size selected
  • Improper paste layer created by customer
    • Mectronx recommends setting paste layer to 1:1.  Our team will then work with our stencil providers to provide the optimal aperture opening, thickness, and coating.
    • If the customer modifies the paste layer, we will assume this is intentional and follow your design.
  • Challenging thermal or copper pour making solder flow not possible to achieve IPC  -A-610 Class ll standard.

 

House solder

Lead-Free (RoHS) No-Clean flux is standard 

Packages

  • SMT packages 0201 or larger
  • Fine pitch 0.4mm or larger

Mechanical assembly

  • Calibrated torque drivers from 0.5 to 30 in/lbs
  • Hot Melt robot application
  • RTV robot application (slumping and non slumping)
  • Air ionizers for LCD assembly
  • Laminar flow hoods for LCD assembly

Conformal Coating

Hand applied acrylic conformal coatings.  Our house material is acrylic Humiseal 1B31.  We can apply your specific material if the TDS states brushing is acceptable.  In general, this would include most urethanes and acrylics, not silicone. 

Encapsulation

Available for rapid prototyping and production.  We have industry proven house materials, or we can apply your specific material.  Mectronx works with Epic, Ellsworth, and Krayden to source and ensure we have the expertise to encapsulate your design properly.     

  • 16 gallon Soft Potting Meter Mix system (Epoxy)
  • 45 gallon Hard Potting Meter Mix system (Epoxy)
  • 300ml pneumatic applicator guns

Need zero void validation for your rapid prototype?  Let Mectronx test encapsulate your design by creating clear SLA models of your product and recording the material flow for optimal housing design.    

Plasma Treatment

Are you having difficulties bonding materials?  Plasma treatment is a simple, safe and environmentally-friendly technology that changes the surface energy when treated.  The result is materials that bond well together without the use of harsh primers.  Uses include most adhesives:

  • RTV 
  • Conformal coating
  • Potting epoxy and silicone