AURORA CIRCUITS BLOG – Updates on PCB Manufacturing and Assembly
Aurora Circuits Builds Heavy Copper PCBs
Aurora is a leading heavy copper PCB fabricator since 2003. These are circuit boards with copper layer thicknesses up to 20 ounce copper, from prototypes to full scale production.
The Future is Electric…Or is it?
We wrote an article in I-Connect007 back in April of 2021 covering the oncoming wave of electric vehicles and corresponding infrastructure.
Designers: We Need to Talk
Working in a vacuum is never a preferred method when partnering with an outside service or customer. If we want to get things done correctly, we all must work together.
The Designer’s Guide to Heavy Copper
The electronics industry is seeing an escalating demand for heavy copper printed circuit boards powered by new technology.
Treat Your Suppliers Like Gold
Treat your suppliers like Gold. We all know about how important it is to treat our customers like gold, but what about our vendors and suppliers? Gone are the days when we could pull out that old capitalist golden rule: “He who has the gold makes the rules.” That just...
Supporting American Printed Circuit Boards Act of 2022: An Appraisal
We hope that the “Supporting American Printed Circuit Boards Act of 2022” is passed through Congress in the upcoming session with little or no partisan roadblocks. At first glance, the reporting that surfaced regarding this piece of legislation notes potential...
How the Other Half Lives
Semiconductor development and manufacturing in the US has been getting quite a bit of attention lately; the shortage in late 2020 that remains today opened the eyes of all stakeholders across a large bandwidth of industries that depend on chips. Automotive, consumer...
Automation is our Future
The current challenges finding labor is going to drive us to do something we should have done a long time ago in the PCB industry: automation. There are already a few PCB fabrication houses that are as automated as any PCB shop can get these days, with more moving in...
Working With Your PCB Supplier
After working with customers over the years, I have compiled a list of some of the things in my career that foster a positive PCB fabricator/customer relationship. Here’s a short list of steps you can take that will make your partnership with your PCB supplier more...
Press Release: Aurora Circuits Achieves AS 9100
Aurora Circuits announced today that Aurora Circuits has successfully achieved their ISO 2015 Registration.
Working Smarter
So many times over the years we have experienced the frustration of losing a major order because of price and thought: “Well, let the other guy have it, he’s going to lose his shirt building it at that price.” It was easier to rationalize and walk away from the...
The Canary
Profit is a key component to the free market equation, so how in the world did we go wrong in the US? Before the governmental response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we assumed our economy was humming along, witnessing the longest economic expansion on record with 128...
It’s The Little Things
There are many ways to not only save money but time as well. If you take the time to examine everything we do when it comes to providing our customers with better products and services you will always find a way to save time and yes sometimes, most of the time, money....
Aurora Circuits on Track for AS 9100 Certification
Aurora Circuits on Track for AS 9100 Certification Aurora Il: Dr. Chris Kalmus, Owner and President of Aurora Circuit announced that his company has company is in the final stages of acquiring their AS 9100 Certification, and expects to be fully certified in early...
Watch those Revs! And save time and money!
One of the easiest mistakes for a PCB fab shop to make is building a board to the wrong revision. Now to some this might not seem that simple a mistake to make but it is and most of the time the reason is that the rev is not properly indicated by the customer.I think...
Planning Your PCB Design: The First Steps
There will never be a time that technology stops evolving. So why do we stop evolving our planning processes when it comes to design and innovation. Getting caught in the step-by-step routine when it comes to design can be the biggest downfall for innovation....
IMM Silver
In the never-ending search for the best possible surface finish on printed circuit boards, there is quite a bit to be considered. Circuit density (line width, line space and SMT pitch), solderability, surface flatness (for SMT applications), and shelf life to name a...
Prototyping, Quick Turns and Embracing New Technology: Our Tools for Survival
The domestic PCB industry has been fractured into two camps within the last ten to fifteen years: quick turn prototyping vs full production shops. It’s been continuously relayed to me that you can never be everything to everyone, so choose your path and stick to...
RECENT NEWSLETTERS
Newsletter: February 2023
We are getting ready for the APEC show in March. If you’re attending and would like to stop by our booth or schedule an appointment, please reach out. The exhibitor hall will be open at 5pm on Monday, 3/20, 9-4:30 on 3/21 and 9-2 on 3/22.
Newsletter: November 2022
We are definitely seeing an uptick in orders and companies looking to keep their innovative IP safe. As we inch towards more financial upheaval in the next 6-12 months…
Newsletter: October 2022
We are definitely seeing an uptick in orders and companies looking to keep their innovative IP safe. As we inch towards more financial upheaval in the next 6-12 months…
Newsletter: September 2022
We are definitely seeing an uptick in orders and companies looking to keep their innovative IP safe. As we inch towards more financial upheaval in the next 6-12 months…
Newsletter: August 2022
We are starting to shift our business model at Aurora Circuits to better accommodate…
Newsletter: July 2022
The supply chain continues to affect growth across our industry. Because we continue to battle…
Newsletter: June 2022
We’ve been plugging away the past month on some exciting new projects, fine tuning processes…
Newsletter: May 2022
We at Aurora Circuits continue to battle supply chain issues like the rest of the manufacturing and consumer world–hopefully…
Newsletter: April 2022
The weather in Chicagoland this month has been challenging (snow one day, high 60’s the next) and we…
Newsletter: September 2020
The Spring and Summer season was a busy one for Aurora Circuits. Although the manufacturing industry saw a downturn in bookings and production during Q2…
Newsletter: August 2020
News and insights from Aurora Circuits: Ultra-heavy Copper PCB Webinar replay; the RAM Act (HR 7594); the PCB industry in this volatile market
Newsletter: July 2020
We’re on a roll! Life as we know it has seemingly eased back into its normal routine (for the most part), and Aurora Circuits is seeing…
Newsletter: June 2020
Aurora is heating up and we’re not just talking about the June weather! Over the course of the last two months we have successfully…
Newsletter: March 2020
Customers who for whatever reason want their boards built here in the U.S. scout around and find PCB fabricators that meet…
Newsletter: February 2020
News and insights from Aurora Circuits: How buy local applies to high-tech and a sneak peek interview from iConnect007
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FEATURED CIRCUIT BOARD STORY
US Car Manufacturer Sitting Pretty With 67% Cost Savings
By reengineering this auto manufacturer’s PCB, the cost dropped to 33% of the original amount, saving over $375,000.
In late 2015, Aurora received an opportunity to quote a LED vanity mirror for a major, fully electric car manufacturer circuit board. The initial design was a plated-through-hole version that was fairly sophisticated for the application. The Manufacturer also required a production commencement in 60 days to prevent a shutdown of the production line.
The engineering team at Aurora Circuits suggested, after reviewing the manufacturer’s original design, that a redesign to a single-sided board would drastically save turnaround time and expense when starting production. The original design would sell for $2.25 each and require two separate printed circuit boards per vehicle. This particular part was reengineered into a single-sided, common version for less than $0.90 each, thus saving $2.70 per vehicle. When applying this to the production volume, Aurora Circuits is saving the manufacturer over $375,000 on a model year basis.
Also, to prevent any production line start up issues, Aurora Circuits built a small quantity of the plated through hole version until the single-sided version was fully tested and in full production.
Could your costs use a makeover? Let's talk.