Seeed Studio, as you may know already, is a Chinese-based company which provides various electronic components and modules, all related to Arduino, Raspberry Pi and other general electronic fields. However, a branch of Seeed Studio is its Fusion PCB service, which is well known for specializing in PCB prototyping mainly. However, Fusion PCB also offers a PCB assembly service for your PCB, if you do not have the correct components for it, and an SMT stencil manufacturing service in addition to your customized PCB design preference. In this article, I will cover basic information to what this PCB assembly service offers, which includes its PCB assembly capabilities, its basic steps to order a PCB, its product's quality control (with certification), as well as its customization options which comes with prototyping your own PCB from start to finish.
Firstly, Seeed Studio's PCB prototype service and PCB assembly service sites are easily accessible through the web, where you can go directly to them by using the hyperlinks above. In regards to the PCB assembly service, it can be defined as a one-stop, high quality yet affordable PCB assembly service which turns your conceptual design into a reality. It's instant quote feature enables you to view a price of the assembly you require and individually see the price broken down. The price is also relatively affordable with a $25 starting cost and a $0.01 to $0.30 assembly fee per component with free shipping worldwide. Click on this hyperlink to be directed to the Seeed Open Parts Library (OPL) to see what components may be used for assembly. Additionally, the turnaround time between order confirmation to dispatch takes around 20 working days but if components are sourced from the OPL, the time is reduced to 7 working days. I also want to mention that Seeed Studio's products all fall under a 100% quality guarantee where they offer free re-work with parts supplied from reliable suppliers. All boards undergo free visual inspection, x-ray inspection, AOI testing, in-circuit testing and functional testing. Fusion's assembly lines are all fully compliant with IPC-A-610F and are capable of SMT, through-hole and mixed assembly work. These lines can solder both BGA and fine-pitch components from 0.38mm pitch, into rigid, flexible, rigid-flex and aluminium PCB board types, whether you need 1 or 8000 pieces as Seeed provides dedicated assembly lines for both low and high volume needs. The below image shows you the simple steps to order with the Seeed Fusion PCB Assembly service from this link:
Addressing Seeed Studio's Fusion PCB Prototype service, there are tons of customization options which you can choose from before ordering your PCB. After uploading your Gerber file to the site, you will face a whole list of options which include your preference of base material, layers, thickness, color, surface finish, solder mask dam, copper weight, drill hole size, trace width, blind or buried vias, plated half-holes or castellated holes and whether you would like impedance control. You can then see the total price and your PCB specifications as you have set to the right column. Please view the images below for a look at the site and the options offered:
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In conclusion, I do think that the Seeed Studio PCB assembly and prototype service is appropriate for any electronic hobbyist, whether you are making your first PCB, or whether you are designing a major project to be produced in bulk. With the immeasurable features which you are facing when prototyping your customized PCB, it proves to be excellent for anybody, to a single fine detail. It's cost is reasonable for its high quality standards being applied to every product made. With that said, if you need another PCB assembled or prototyped and shipped to your doorstep, consider using Seeed Studio's PCB services.
Seeed Studio is also now having a special offer for their PCB assembly service! Pay only for materials and components and Seeed will assemble the boards for free. No assembly cost, no set-up cost, no operation fee. Here's the order page: https://www.seeedstudio.com/free-assembly-for-5-pcbs.html
