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Bare Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing

NAICS 334412 · Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing6 · SBA size standard: 750 employees

Bare printed circuit board manufacturers produce custom rigid, flexible and rigid-flex boards from customer Gerber files or CAD data. The specialists turn incoming design packages into verified orders, verified files into panelized production plans with drill and routing programs, production plans into material orders and work orders, and completed boards into final inspection, packaging and shipment. Tooling, plating chemistry, etching parameters and quality records stay with the production floor and quality team.

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What makes this business different

  • Customer-provided Gerber, drill, stackup and fabrication notes that must be read exactly as supplied
  • Panelization rules that balance material yield, drill counts, copper balance and array strength
  • Trace widths, spacing, impedance and annular ring tolerances that vary by job and must be verified before tooling
  • Controlled impedance, blind/buried vias, heavy copper, flex materials and surface finishes that drive specific process flows
  • Chemical baths, plating lines, etching and solder mask that require daily chemistry checks and waste logs
  • First-article inspection, cross-section reports, flying-probe test programs and IPC class 2 or 3 acceptance criteria
  • Repeat OEM and contract-manufacturer customers who reorder the same revision or request quick-turn prototypes
  • Equipment calibration, chemical waste manifests, operator training logs and record retention that must be maintained

Specialist bots

  • a technician at a workstation reviewing layered circuit board design files on multiple monitors with Gerber viewer open

    Design Intake Specialist

    Turn every customer design package into a verified, production-ready order with all files attached.

    Works in: Ambitious Docs, Ambitious Tasks, Contract Analyzer · Workflows: Order and design file intake

    Automates

    • Reads incoming emails and attached Gerber and fab files
    • Runs initial design-rule checks against capability matrix
    • Drafts order acknowledgment with exceptions
    • Creates the master production task

    Stops for a person

    • Engineering reviews and approves all exceptions and capability questions
    • A person sends the final order confirmation and handles pricing adjustments
    • Any non-standard stackup or impedance call is confirmed by engineering
  • a technician positioning film artwork on a large light table next to a stack of copper-clad laminate sheets

    Panelization Engineer

    Convert verified design files into optimized panels, NC programs and tooling documentation.

    Works in: Ambitious Docs, Process Optimizer, Ambitious Tasks · Workflows: Panelization and tooling generation

    Automates

    • Imports and cleans customer Gerber and drill data
    • Creates panel layouts for maximum yield and balance
    • Generates drill, rout and scoring files
    • Adds required coupons and fiducials

    Stops for a person

    • The production engineer approves final panel layout before release
    • Any yield or manufacturability trade-offs are reviewed by engineering
  • a worker in cleanroom attire checking inventory levels of copper clad laminates and prepreg sheets inside a climate controlled storeroom

    Materials and Chemistry Coordinator

    Turn panelized production plans into material orders and maintain plating bath and laminate inventory.

    Works in: Ambitious Sheets, Ambitious Tasks · Workflows: Material and chemistry purchasing

    Automates

    • Calculates laminate, prepreg, foil and drill requirements
    • Subtracts current stock and shelf-life dates
    • Drafts purchase lists by supplier
    • Tracks chemistry replenishment needs

    Stops for a person

    • Purchasing places all orders and approves expenditures
    • Engineering approves substitutions that affect electrical performance
  • a production planner standing at a large wall-mounted scheduling board with colored cards representing different circuit board jobs

    Production Scheduler

    Build daily and weekly production schedules across all process stations and identify bottlenecks.

    Works in: Process Optimizer, Ambitious Tasks · Workflows: Production scheduling and capacity

    Automates

    • Loads jobs into the schedule by required process sequence
    • Balances load across plating, etching, drilling and testing
    • Highlights capacity constraints and suggests adjustments
    • Generates work-order travelers

    Stops for a person

    • The production manager approves the final daily schedule
    • Expedite requests are reviewed and prioritized by management
  • a technician using a flying probe tester on a bare circuit board mounted in a test fixture on a workbench

    Quality Verification Specialist

    Generate inspection checklists, record test results and compile quality data packages.

    Works in: Ambitious Docs, Ambitious Sheets, Ambitious Tasks · Workflows: Quality inspection and test

    Automates

    • Creates first-article and final inspection checklists from job requirements
    • Logs dimensional, electrical and microsection results
    • Prepares test programs from netlists
    • Assembles final quality documentation

    Stops for a person

    • Quality technicians perform all physical inspections and cross-sections
    • The quality manager reviews and signs every final data package
    • Any failed boards are dispositioned only by authorized personnel
  • a worker in a packaging area placing finished bare circuit boards into antistatic bags inside a corrugated shipping box

    Shipping and Documentation Coordinator

    Prepare packing lists, certificates, labels and shipping documents for each completed order.

    Works in: Ambitious Docs, Ambitious Tasks, Ambitious Sheets · Workflows: Packaging and shipping

    Automates

    • Groups finished boards by customer order
    • Drafts packing lists and certificates of conformance
    • Creates carrier labels and customs forms
    • Closes the order and triggers invoicing

    Stops for a person

    • A person performs final visual count and packaging
    • The owner approves any international shipping documents
    • All certificates are reviewed before release
  • a technician organizing printed travelers and inspection reports in a filing cabinet next to a row of completed circuit boards

    Compliance and Records Clerk

    Organize job travelers, inspection records, material certifications and calibration logs.

    Works in: Ambitious Docs, Ambitious Sheets, Ambitious Tasks · Workflows: Regulatory and quality recordkeeping

    Automates

    • Compiles all production and inspection records by job number
    • Stores and indexes files for retrieval
    • Tracks calibration and training due dates
    • Prepares data packages for customer requests

    Stops for a person

    • The quality manager confirms which records are required for each customer
    • All final records are reviewed and approved by authorized staff before archiving
    • The bot never certifies compliance

Workflows

Order and design file intake

Starts when: A customer submits files, specifications and purchase order by email or portal

  1. Capture Gerber, drill, fab drawing, stackup, material, finish and quantity
  2. Run design-rule checks against supplied parameters and capability matrix
  3. Confirm due date against current queue and quick-turn capacity
  4. Draft order acknowledgment with price, lead time and exceptions
  5. Create a production task with all customer files attached

Watch for: Missing or ambiguous fab notes must be clarified before release; Revision changes require re-verification of all layers

Panelization and tooling generation

Starts when: After order is released to production

  1. Import Gerber and drill files into CAM software
  2. Panelize boards optimizing for material yield and drill efficiency
  3. Generate NC drill, rout, and scoring programs
  4. Add fiducials, coupons, and title blocks per customer requirements
  5. Output production-ready files and tooling list

Watch for: Panel size limited by press and plating tank dimensions; Copper balancing and vent patterns required for plating uniformity

Material and chemistry purchasing

Starts when: After panelization is approved and weekly

  1. Explode panelized jobs into laminate, prepreg, copper foil and drill sizes
  2. Subtract from on-hand inventory and shelf-life sensitive stock
  3. Draft purchase orders by supplier for cores, foils and chemicals
  4. Track plating bath chemistry and replenishment needs
  5. Flag long-lead or controlled materials for engineering review

Watch for: Laminate and prepreg must be ordered to specific thickness and Tg; Shelf-life sensitive materials cannot be overstocked

Production scheduling and capacity

Starts when: Daily and after each new order release

  1. Load approved jobs into the construction scheduler by process flow
  2. Balance load across imaging, plating, etching, drilling and testing stations
  3. Identify bottleneck operations and suggest expedited or deferred jobs
  4. Generate daily work-order packets with traveler and inspection points
  5. Update queue visibility for engineering and sales

Watch for: Quick-turn prototype jobs compete with scheduled production; Certain processes run only on specific shifts due to chemistry stability

Quality inspection and test

Starts when: After each major process step and at final

  1. Generate first-article and in-process inspection checklists
  2. Record cross-section, impedance, and solder-mask thickness results
  3. Create flying-probe or fixture test programs from netlist
  4. Flag boards that fail dimensional, electrical or cosmetic criteria
  5. Compile final quality packet for shipment

Watch for: IPC class specified by customer must be followed exactly; Microsection and thermal stress samples are retained for records

Packaging and shipping

Starts when: After final inspection and customer approval

  1. Group boards by customer and order
  2. Draft packing list, certificate of conformance and test reports
  3. Create shipping labels and carrier paperwork
  4. Record serial numbers or date codes when required
  5. Close order and trigger invoice

Watch for: Moisture-sensitive boards require vacuum seal and desiccant; International shipments need specific customs documentation

Regulatory and quality recordkeeping

Starts when: End of each job and on scheduled audit dates

  1. Compile traveler, inspection reports, material certs and test data
  2. Store records by job number and date
  3. Track equipment calibration, chemical waste manifests and operator training logs
  4. Flag upcoming renewal dates for registrations the owner maintains
  5. Prepare data packages for customer audits

Watch for: Record retention periods vary by customer and industry; The production manager confirms which requirements apply to each job

Bot templates for this industry

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Size Standards, Table of Small Business Size Standards Matched to North American Industry Classification System Codes, version March 2023 (effective 2023-03-17, NAICS 2022). Size standards are shown for reference only.