Printed Circuit Boards (PCB) is an inseparable part of the electronics industry. PCBs are found inside every conceivable electronic product: smartphones, cars, home appliances, medical equipment, and so on. In other words, we cannot imagine modern life without PCBs.
Producing a printed circuit board is not always cheap or expensive. Some boards are relatively low cost, while some others are much more expensive. The printed circuit board price can be varied by many factors. In this article, we will discuss which factors make a printed circuit board price more or less and share some simple and very effective PCB cost-saving tips without quality loss.

Factors That Affect Printed Circuit Board Price

It is hard to say exactly what a printed circuit board price is. The fact is that PCB is not the same as a chair, where its cost is primarily related to materials. The factors that affect a printed circuit board price are diverse, and the final number is the result of adding all these little parts. Let us have a look at the most important factors.

1. Layers Number
   PCB layers are the heart of any board. The most popular boards are two-layer PCBs. It is the most basic type, so it is also cheap and quick to make. At the same time, there are also PCBs with 10, 12, or more layers. However, every additional layer increases the complexity of the board.
   Why does it affect the PCB cost? Every layer requires additional materials, additional drilling, additional work. In other words, the more layers, the more expensive it is.
   When is it used? If the device is small, very fast, has a lot of connections, there is a need to use more layers. On the other hand, if the board design is simple, there is no need in this “weight,” so the company can make a board with a smaller number of layers and earn money on it.
2. PCB Size and Dimension
   PCB dimension also affect the printed circuit board price, naturally. The larger the board, the more material it requires, and more space it needs in the manufacturer’s production equipment.
   Why does it matter? This is the law of physics: a larger pizza will cost more than a smaller one. The same with a PCB: a larger board requires more copper and laminate.
   What to do? If your PCB is too large for no reason, it just pours money into the drain. A proper design and layout can shrink the PCB to the appropriate dimensions without losses of functionality.
3. Material Type and Quality
   PCBs can be made of various materials.
   FR4 is the most common choice as it is strong, cost-effective, and suitable for a large majority of applications. You will not see any difference in PCB performance if your company decides to use this material.
   Special materials like Rogers are used in the case of very high frequencies, high power, harsh environments, or unique RF signal requirements. As Rogers are difficult to work with, they cost significantly more.
   If the PCB needs to work in the harsh environment or ensure signal integrity, there is a need to use high-end materials and sub-contract specialized manufacturers, which will add up to the PCB price.
4. Copper Thickness and Surface Finish
   Copper is a shiny brown metal that conducts electricity on the PCB. There are 2 things about copper that should be defined before starting PCB production.
   Copper thickness. As mentioned above, most boards are made with 1 oz copper per square foot. However, sometimes more is needed. For example, 2 or 3 oz. The cost will grow, as more materials and hard processing are required.
   Surface finish. The PCB surface must have a proper protective coating to prevent corrosion and help components stick to the board better.
   HASL (Hot Air Solder Leveling) is the most cost-effective way to finish the PCB.
   ENIG (Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold) is more expensive as it uses gold. The latter is used in the PCBs with very small parts as it ensures high quality.
5. Production Volume and Lead Time
   How many PCBs do you order? How fast do you need them? This information also significantly affects the final PCB cost.
   Small vs. large batches. 10 boards take almost the same time and require the same setup as 1,000. That means, when you order a small number of boards, the setup cost per piece is very high. When you order 1000 PCBs, this expense becomes almost negligible.
   Lead time. “Rush order” is always extra-cost. The factory will need to invest extra resources to make it, either by working overtime or by canceling other jobs. This also adds up to the cost.
6. Special Requirements
   If your board requires special care or additional processes, it will also cost more.
   HDI PCBs. HDI boards contain very small vias and microvias, along with blind and buried vias. The design of such PCBs also may use very narrow lines and smaller spacing between them. This requires special machines and extra time at the production line, so this results in a higher PCB price.
   Blind/buried vias. Such vias do not go through the entire board. They are more challenging to drill, which makes them more expensive.
   Quality level. The boards can have different quality levels, depending on how much they have to adhere to PCB standards like IPC. There are 3 IPC classes, and the more complex the PCB, the more IPC class it should be assigned to. For example, IPC Class 3 is used in aerospace or medical devices, where quality is much more crucial, and there is a need for more testing. As one can understand, such PCBs cost more.

How to Save PCB Costs

Now when you know what affects a printed circuit board price, it is time to discuss some general tips on how to save PCB cost without quality losses. Don’t panic, all the following tips are simple but very effective.

1. Optimize the PCB Design
   The most effortless and efficient way to decrease a PCB cost is to adjust the design.
   Add only the layers you need. The more layers a PCB has, the more expensive it is. If the design requires only 2 layers, there is no need to add 4 or even 6, “just for beauty.”
   Make the size compact but functional. Bigger is more expensive, that’s why you have to make the board just large enough to contain all the parts but no larger.
   Avoid adding extra holes or complex shapes. Every hole in a PCB should be drilled. Every complex shape needs additional work. The less complex the PCB is, the cheaper it is to make.
2. Select Cost-effective Materials
   You don’t always need to use high-end materials.
   Try to use standard FR4 if possible. It is enough for most applications, and at the same time, it is much less expensive than high-end materials, such as Rogers.
   Select high-end materials only when necessary. If you are sure that your PCB will not face high temperatures or high-frequency signals, there is no need to use Rogers or other expensive materials. A smart choice of PCB materials can allow you to save money.
3. Order in Large Batches
   The more PCBs you order at once, the less you will pay for each.
   Why? The factory will need some time to set up the machines before starting any PCB production. This setup time and cost will be the same for 10 boards and for 1,000. That means, when you increase the PCB number, the setup cost per item will be decreased.
   Contact your manufacturer. If you know in advance that you will need more PCBs in the future, tell your PCB manufacturer that you are going to have a long-term cooperation with them. They will likely provide you a more beneficial cost.
4. Do Not Order a Rush PCB
   Speed is costly.
   Why is a rush PCB more expensive? A PCB, which is needed very fast, will be produced at the expenses of the factory working overtime or interrupting other jobs. This incurs extra fees.
   How to avoid it? Plan your projects early and allow enough time for standard delivery. Rush is not always avoidable, but you should plan your projects smartly in order not to pay for urgent delivery.

Conclusion

We have discussed the top 6 printed circuit board price related factors. There are many others, and the final price is a result of the summation of all cost drivers. In general, it is hard to give any exact number. The only thing one can say is that the larger the board is, the more layers it has, the more challenging materials are required for production, and the faster it is needed, the more expensive PCB is. The more special features the board requires, the higher the price. Examples of such features include HDI or ultra-high quality.
On the other hand, it is also quite possible to decrease the PCB price without a loss in quality. The key is to keep a PCB design simple, smartly select materials, order in large batches, and plan projects so that you do not need to order rush PCBs. These simple steps will enable you to receive a PCB of excellent quality for a reasonable price.
However, sometimes it is still hard to decide what PCB is the most appropriate for a given purpose and what is the best cost. If so, just contact us at Well Circuits. We are PCB producers and serve many companies around the world. Whatever you need, we can find an appropriate PCB solution for you at a fair price.
FAQs

1. Why PCBs require different surface finishes?
   Surface finish can be compared with protective coat that PCB gets. If the PCB surface is not finished properly, copper on it will get rusty or contaminated, and parts will not stick to the PCB well while soldering. Different finishes provide different protection and performance: HASL is the most cost-effective for general-purpose PCBs, while ENIG is better for PCBs with very small parts as it ensures higher quality. As ENIG uses gold, it costs more.
2. Why do some devices require very thick copper on PCBs?
   Copper on PCBs are tracks which transport electricity. Copper is, in a way, a highway for electrons. The narrower the highway is, the more congestions will appear. In case of PCBs, if copper is too thin, and you try to transport a lot of current through it, it will overheat and even may be damaged. For this reason, power devices, such as devices used in large machines or electric cars, use thicker copper to help to transport more current safely. On the other hand, more copper means more material and more complex processing, so it costs more.
3. What is HDI in PCBs and why does it cost more?
   HDI means High-Density Interconnect. It is a type of PCB in which there are a lot of connections inside a small area. In order to achieve this, HDI PCBs require microvias and very thin tracks. This is similar to building a large city with a lot of roads but on a tiny piece of land! This requires special machines and additional production steps, making the process more challenging and, as a result, more expensive. HDI boards are typical for smartphones and other small and smart devices.
4. Why PCB prototypes cost more than mass production boards?
   Prototypes are the first samples of a new design. When a PCB factory makes a prototype, they usually make only one or a few PCBs. That means that the setup cost, machine time, and testing time are all divided on just a few pieces. In the case of mass production, all these costs are divided by hundreds or thousands of PCBs, making each board cheaper. In addition, prototypes often require special attention and testing in order to be sure the design is 100% correct. All this attention also adds to the price, even for a small board.