PCBWay: One of the best China PCBA suppliers

PCBWay, a PCB and PCBA manufacturer based in China, operates two PCBA processing plants and three PCB manufacturing workshops. With over ten years of experience, PCBWay has been providing PCB prototyping and manufacturing services to electronics manufacturers worldwide. This is what most overseas users know about PCBWay, but it is not comprehensive.

In fact, PCBWay is part of Jeddobang Technology Co., Ltd., which also includes the brands “PCBGOGO,” “Jeddobang,” and “Jietron Electronics.” These brands work together to offer comprehensive services both domestically and internationally. In this article, FS Technology will delve into the details to help you determine if PCBWay is a suitable service provider for your needs.

Services Provided by PCBWay

Like FS Technology, PCBWay offers comprehensive one-stop-shop solutions that simplify and manage complexity in the rapidly expanding marketplace. They are engaged in the entire product development process, from early design concepts to packaging fully assembled products ready for distribution. Services include rapid turn PCB prototyping, high mix/low volume production, and NPI services with no quantity restrictions, providing the flexibility needed to create the best products.

By leveraging their operational expertise across different sectors, PCBWay helps customers reduce working capital in various ways. They excel at transforming abstract designs into high-quality products. To streamline the challenging component procurement process, they offer turn-key and consigned solutions, ensuring convenience for their clients.

PCBWay understands the importance of time to market and offers box build and mechanical assembling services to expedite product launch. They have experience building products for a wide range of industries, including consumer electronics, industrial, medical, telecommunications, broadcasting, life science, and optics. In addition to full mechanical assembly, PCBWay provides services such as enclosures, electrical testing, package design, burn-in testing, and direct shipment to clients. Their goal is to leave every client satisfied and confident in the new, high-quality products they receive.

By implementing centralized order input, digital engineering technical services, and highly digital workshops, PCBWay OEM uses the Internet, Internet of Things, and cloud technology to significantly transform the entire value chain of the electronics manufacturing industry and assist factories in producing products that meet customer demands.

In order to quickly increase the upstream and downstream high-quality production capacity of the electronics manufacturing industry, PCBWay adopted the “1+N” innovative model of self-operated factories with collaborative factories. By empowering upstream and downstream factories, helping the complete industry chain to break information islands, enabling the industry chain to have interconnection, achieving accurate order distribution, real-time data sharing, and forming a significant synergy supply chain services that are reliable and timely.

Despite these advantages, there are some limitations that require your additional attention:

Limited Local Presence: Primarily operates as an online manufacturer and service provider, which can lead to limited physical presence and local support in different regions. This may result in communication difficulties and increased lead times for customers in certain areas.
Language Barriers: PCBWay.com mainly operates in English and does not provide a large number of language options like FS Technology, which may encounter difficulties for customers who are not proficient in this language, especially in understanding technical specifications and functions.
Minimum Order Quantities: Unlike FS Technology and JLC PCB, which are caring companies, PCBWay sets minimum order quantity requirements for various services, which is impersonal, especially for some students or electronic enthusiast groups.
Limited Design Support: For some large-scale PCB assembly orders, it is not recommended to use PCBWay, a better choice is FS Technology. Although they have the ability to complete large-scale orders, there are certain limitations in technical support, and FS Technology helps users solve any design problems through technical teams. That’s why companies like PCBWay can do it cheaply and quickly when it comes to prototyping.
Pricing Complexity: While PCBWay offers competitive pricing, their pricing structure can be complex, with additional costs for various features and services. Customers are advised to carefully review product details and pricing information before placing an order to avoid any confusion.

Reviews on PCBWay

FS Technology does not give any comments to other peers but obtains some users’ comments on PCBWay through Internet searches, and we will add links to the source network in the specific content:

Shameless Spammer

Some users have expressed their concerns about PCBWay, referring to them as “shameless spammers.” They point out that PCBWay incentivizes positive reviews by offering rewards of up to $50, which may explain the abundance of overwhelmingly positive feedback. As a competitor, FS Tech understands this approach, as all companies desire positive reviews online. However, this practice raises doubts about the reliability of all positive reviews, as some may be motivated by the monetary incentive rather than genuine experiences or satisfaction with the service. It is natural to be tempted by the opportunity to earn $50 for a review.

Reviews from Review Sites

Upon conducting a search for user reviews of PCBWay on the Internet, we discovered that the majority of reviews are positive. The content of this article is based on the findings from Trustpilot, a reputable review site. Trustpilot has a total of 128 reviews for PCBWay, with an overall rating of 4.1. Among these reviews, 65% are 5-star ratings, while 23% are 1-star ratings.

Negative comments from netizens on PCBway

PCB Assembly Capabilities

PCB assembly is a standard service offered by PCBWay, where they utilize their team of experienced engineers and advanced equipment to transform your design into tangible products based on your requirements. PCBWay offers PCBA services, including prototyping, small batch PCB assembly, SMT, THT, BGA, mechanical assembly, and cable assembly. The following table highlights PCBWay’s assembly capabilities:

Items	PCBA Capability
Lead Time	They can take anywhere from 24 hours to several weeks. You can choose a lead time based on your budget and schedule. Their turn time policy starts after receiving all necessary files and parts such as Gerber file, centroid, BOM, and other required data.
Parts Source	— Kitted: They request clients to supply all parts for PCBA services. You need to send components with BOM files and packing details, including part numbers, manufacturer quantities, and numbers in the kit. — Turn-key: With their wide network of part sourcing, they provide turn-key services for their customers.
Assembly Types	They offer THT, SMT, and a hybrid of both. Additionally, they provide single or double-sided component configurations.
Solder type	Available in leaded and lead-free PCB assembly.
PCB Stencils	Use laser-cut stainless steel stencils for BGA and fine-pitch components. On-demand, they can provide nano-coating.
Minimum Order	Minimum order quantity is five pieces.
Component Size	— For passive components: 0402, 01005, 0201 — For BGA: 0.3 mm pitch for rigid boards and 0.4 mm pitch for flex boards — Can assemble 0.24 mm fine-pitch parts.
Component Packaging	Accept parts in tubes, Cut tape, loose parts, and bulk.
Board Dimension	Minimum board size: 10 mm x 10 mm Maximum board size: 250 mm x 500 mm
Board Shape	They can assemble boards in circular, rectangular, and any odd shape.

PCB Manufacturing Capabilities

PCBWay is committed to delivering high-quality circuit boards that meet rigorous industry standards. They achieve this through the use of advanced manufacturing processes, cutting-edge equipment, and stringent quality control measures. Their manufacturing capabilities are capable of handling various types of PCB designs, from simple single-layer boards to complex multilayer designs. Here is an overview of PCBWay’s manufacturing capabilities:

Features	Manufacturing Capabilities
Layers	1 to 10 layers
Material	Aluminum PCB, FR-4 PCB
Maximum PCB Size	Maximum: 500 mm x 1100 mm
Minimum PCB Size	Minimum: 5 mm x 6 mm
Board Size Tolerance	±0.2 mm
Board Thickness	0.2 mm to 2.4 mm
Minimum Trace Width	0.1 mm/4mil
External Layers	Thickness: 1oz/2oz/3oz (35μm/70μm/105μm)
Internal Layers	Thickness: 1oz/1.5oz (35μm/50μm)
Drill Size	0.2 mm to 6.3 mm
Minimum Annular Ring	Width: 0.15 mm
Finished Hole Diameter	0.2 mm to 6.2 mm
Solder Mask	LPI
PCB Surface Finish	HASL, OSP, Immersion gold
Solder Mask Colors	Green, Blue, Red, Yellow, White, Black
Panelization	Tab-routing, V-scoring, Tab-routing with Perforation

Prototyping and Prices

Like all online quoting PCBA companies of the same type, such as JLCPCB, PCBWay offers cheap and fast prototyping. However, when your project is transferred to mass production, a processing plant like FS Technology that focuses on service and quality is often a more correct choice!

Order Quantity	Original Lead Time (Days)	Current Lead Time (Hours)
0 to 50 pieces	2 to 3 days	24 hours
1m2 to 5m2	5 to 6 days	3 to 4 days
5m2 to 10m2	6 to 7 days	4 to 5 days
More than 10m2	8 to 10 days	5 to 6 days

Services	Prices
PCB Prototype	10 pieces for $5
PCB Assembly	Starting from $30
Flex, Rigid-flex PCB	$46.76
HDI PCB	$349.68
CNC Machining	Starting from $25
3D Printing	$4.98

3D Printing Capabilities

FDM(Fused Deposition Modeling)

The filamentous hot-melt material is heated and melted using FDM technology. Simultaneously, a computer-controlled 3-dimensional nozzle selectively deposits the material on the worktable, following the cross-sectional profile data, and building up layer by layer at a rapid pace. After the completion of each layer, the machine table is lowered by the thickness of a single layer. The process continues, creating the second layer, and so on, until the final solid shape is formed.

Requirement	Specification
Maximum build size	1300 x 1300 x 1300 mm
Minimum wall thickness	1.5 mm
Layer height	100 to 300 micrometers
Infill	20 to 100%
Dimensional accuracy	L ≤ 100 mm: ±0.2 mm; L > 100 mm: ±0.2% * L (mm)

SLS (Selective Laser Sintering)

With the use of this technique, a layer of powder material is evenly distributed over the top of the molded item. The temperature is then raised to just below the powder’s sintering point. The control system guides the laser beam to scan the powder layer based on the cross-sectional profile of the layer. As the laser scans the powder, its temperature increases, reaching the melting point and causing it to sinter and fuse with the molded component underneath. Once a layer is complete, a spreading roller applies another layer of uniform and dense powder onto the workbench. The roller then sinters the next layer section until the entire model is finished.

Requirement	Specification
Maximum build size	400 × 390 × 390 mm
Minimum wall thickness	1 millimeter
Dimensional correctness	L < 100 mm: ±0.25 mm; 100 mm < L < 200 mm: ±0.3 mm

SLA (Stereo Lithography Apparatus)

A liquid photosensitive resin is poured into the liquid tank, where it rapidly solidifies upon exposure to ultraviolet light from the laser (SLA utilizes an ultraviolet laser, while SLS uses an infrared laser). The build platform is initially positioned one layer’s thickness below the liquid level. Following the machine’s instructions, the laser beam is focused by the lens and scans the cross-sectional profile across the liquid surface. This process quickly solidifies the resin in the scanned area, completing the formation of one layer of the plastic sheet. The build platform is then lowered to the thickness of the first layer, and the second layer is solidified. This layer-by-layer approach is repeated until the three-dimensional object is fully formed, combining all the layers together.

Requirement	Specification
Max building size	2100 × 800 × 700 mm
Min wall thickness	0.8 millimeter
Dimensional accuracy	L < 100 mm: ±0.2 mm; L > 100 mm: ±0.2% * L (mm)
Surface finish	3 – 10 microns RA

DLP 3D Printing Service Feature

Requirement	Specification
Maximum building size	300 x 230 x 130 mm
Minimum wall thickness	0.8 mm
Dimensional correctness	L < 100mm: ±0.1mm; L > 100mm: ±0.1% * L (mm)
Surface finish	3-5 microns RA

Vacuum Casting service

Requirement	Specification
Standard lead time	About ten copies in fifteen working days
Standard accuracy	±0.3% (with a lower limit of ±0.3mm for dimensions less than 100mm)
Minimum wall thickness	At least 0.75mm for accurate mold filling, suggested thickness of about 1.5mm for correct results
Maximum part dimensions	Limited by vacuum chamber dimensions (1900 x 900 x 750mm) and maximum volume of 10 liters
Typical quantities	About twenty-five copies per mold, depending on complexity, for casting materials
Surface structure	High-quality surface finish compatible with injection molding

HDI Capabilities

Requirement	Specification
Base Material	FR-4 High Tg, Ceramic, Halogen-free, PTFE, Polyimide
Type of Board	R-FPC, FPC, HDI
Highest Layer	Sixty-four layers
Copper Base Thickness (min)	1/3 oz
Maximum Finished Copper Thickness	Eight oz
Minimum Trace Width/Spacing	2 mil / 2 mil
Maximum Production Size	609 mm x 889 mm
Minimum Distance from Hole to Internal Conductor	6 mil
Minimum Distance from Hole to External Conductor	6 mil
Minimum Over-hole Solder Ring	3 mil
Soldering Ring Size	5 mil
Minimum BGA Pads	8 mil
Minimum BGA Pitch	0.4 mm
Minimum Finished Hole Diameter	0.15 mm
Board Thickness to Hole Diameter Ratio	20:1
Minimum Solder Resist Bridge Width	3 mil