PCB assembly - hourly rate - Australia - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: MegaObi
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 11, 2020, 02:46:56 am
content: Hi guys,I did not know where else to ask this, forgive me as I am new and if this is in the wrong place.Basically just want to know how much would be a reasonable price to ask for PCB assembly? Would you quote per hour/or per pcb?Mainly 402 package sizes with some qfn packages too.Around ~200 components per board?

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 11, 2020, 04:32:19 am
content: The price will depend a lot on quantity to assemble, and single or double sided load.For small quantities of someone elses design I would generally charge by the hour. If I designed the board, had previously assembled them, or they were simple enough, then I might give a rate per board.For larger runs, I would quote per board, plus a setup fee per job. There is usually a standard calculation used by a CM based on number of components to place, but number of BOM lines also factors into the equation. Of course that would be for mostly automated assembly, so any through hole parts add a premium.Then you also need to consider who is supplying the components, minimum order quantities, and what happens if something is purchased or assembled incorrectly.

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 11, 2020, 04:59:39 am
content: I assemble all my own prototypes, but in larger companies it isn't unusual to have different people do ing the schematics, the layout, the assembly, and final testing - or to contract some of that out (usually assembly). I know that some contract manufacturers have departments dedicated to hand assembly of prototypes. If someone wanted me to assemble their prototype, it generally means they don't know that the board will work. If that is the case, be aware that can potentially lead to a dispute about payment if they have no ongoing relationship with you.It has happened to me. A customer sent me the parts to assemble their PCB. It was designed by an intern I think. They soon realised the board would never work as designed based on my feedback. And so they decided not to pay for any of my time, and ignored all further contact attempts. They didn't even collect the assembled boards or remaining parts. I later found out the person who referred them to me was also no longer dealing with them.So make sure you are both clear up front about responsibilities and what is/isn't included. As I mentioned you need to know who is supplying parts (always get extras, especially 0402's), the bare PCBs, and solder paste stencils. I assume you have the necessary gear to do a professional job.Make sure you are clear on requirements for things like RoHS, cleaning, QC, and testing - and that you factor those in to the time/cost. I find testing is often more time consuming than assembly, especially on prototypes. You may even need additional equipment/tools for programming & testing, although the customer would normally provide those along with a documented procedure if they require you to do testing.

author: IconicPCB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2020, 07:59:50 pm
content: Organise a packet of information and submit it to various assembly houses for quotation.Anything else is a waste of time.Kepp in mind Australia is not a low cost country, ask the plumbers how much they charge for a callout.

author: PhilipT
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 12, 2020, 04:02:07 am
content: Hey I have a similar question, sadly I am expecting an answer like "you looking for free parking in the city?"I ordered a 8x20cm rainbow LED clock from Aliexpress. Sadly it was a kit with SMD components. Being only 20 dollars or so I think its going to be near impossible to find someone to assemble it seeing there are 50 odd led'son the one side and a handful of components on the other side. Can be done with a normal iron but you'll need a scope and a steady hand.Posting it to someone is Aus will cost me more than its worth.May just give it away unless you are the one in a few million guy in Brisbane that can help / want it.Ideal person would do assembly as a hobby and charge $30-60/hr? or am I dreaming?

author: 48X24X48X
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2020, 11:39:14 am
content: Quote from: Kean on September 11, 2020, 04:59:39 amAlways take some down payment before doing anything. It is a sign on whether they are serious on the order. You cannot be shy to ask for that else you will be on the losing side. Even with China PCBA factories I have dealt with, they take 100% payment before start of work. Only quote is free but there's some work involved there itself.

author: MegaObi
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 13, 2020, 11:10:36 pm
content: Quote from: Kean on September 11, 2020, 04:32:19 amThanks for your input - generally i do motherboard repairs for a living. So would around $100p/hour too steep?

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 13, 2020, 11:35:41 pm
content: Ask Jose at Soltronico:http://www.soltronico.com.au/They assemble my uCurrents and offer both machine and hand assembly.I forget the hand assembly hourly rate.

author: Mangozac
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2020, 12:15:38 am
content: Quote from: MegaObi on September 13, 2020, 11:10:36 pmFor just the labour on a run of 200 boards? Way too high. Maybe $40 per hour? Certainly less than $50.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 14, 2020, 12:28:18 am
content: Quote from: Mangozac on September 14, 2020, 12:15:38 amAny assembly place in oz should be well under $50/hr for assembly. Anything more and you are paying for professional engineering or technician rates. PCB assembly workers are usually making minimum wage kind of rates.Some assemblers will charge a "per joint" rate for hand assembly.As an example, I used a guy in Melbourne who worked out of his garage and he charged me $7/board to hand assemble my uWatch.http://calcwatch.com/construction.htmBut with 200 boards, with 200 parts per board and 0402's, you'd be looking at PnP machine assembly.Usually you'll pay a few hundred for a stencil, another few hundred for machine setup, then a per board rate. My uCurrent for example costs $4 per board for machine assembly and testing. This includes mechanical operations like the binding posts.Is your PCB panelised?

author: wilhe_jo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2020, 09:22:39 pm
content: Please flag this post...Ball park figures like this are rare...It would be interesting to hear about the economics of the unexpected makers "pnp business" as well ...mike ( mikes electric stuff ) has some content iirc but that was fuzzy and times change quickly...Regards