AURORA CIRCUITS BLOG – Updates on PCB Manufacturing and Assembly

IMM Silver

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...

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Automatic Optical Inspection (AOI)

Automatic Optical Inspection (AOI)

Automatic Optical Inspection (AOI) machines use multiple advanced visual methods to identify manufacturing defects on PCBs. At Aurora Circuits, we have acquired multiple state-of-the-art AOI machines to scan for all types of defects to not only minimize but completely...

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Working for You

Working for You

As we all wonder when we will get back to “business as usual,” it appears that this way of life will be with us for a while. At Aurora Circuits we are doing everything we can to service our customers while keeping our own teammates safe as possible through these...

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Risky Business

Risky Business

We all try to mitigate risk every day in a plethora of our mundane tasks, even if it’s done sub-consciously.  These instinctual responses to stimuli are ingrained into us as we develop from infants into full grown functioning adults.  We all calculate risk...

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Break the Chain and Adopt “The Web”

Break the Chain and Adopt “The Web”

A chain is looked at as strong, unbreakable and secure.  The term “supply chain” is meant to conjure those same sentiments in the manufacturing sector, allowing all of us to believe that we manufacturers, in all industries, are impervious to disruptions in our...

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RECENT NEWSLETTERS

Newsletter: August 2020

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

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

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

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

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.