What we can design, build and test
Engineered in San Francisco. Prototype builds, DFM and mass production in our own factory in Shenzhen. This page lists the limits our engineers design to, and the processes that turn those designs into boards, parts and finished units.
Every limit below is a design input first. Our engineers apply it during the DFM review, so a demo build is already made the way production will be made.
| Figure | What it means |
|---|---|
| 8 automated SMT lines | Placement lines in the Shenzhen factory |
| 01005 (0.4 mm x 0.2 mm) | Smallest part the SMT lines place |
| ±25 µm | SMT placement accuracy |
| 40 layers | Highest layer count, through engineering review |
| 30+ injection molding presses | Presses for housings and inner parts |
| 30+ ICT/FCT test stations | In-circuit and functional test |
Which capabilities run inside the Shenzhen factory?
Nine processes run in-house: bare-board fabrication, SMT assembly, injection molding, CNC machining, sheet metal, die casting, metal stamping, box build and test. A tool room cuts the molds and dies. An ISO 7 (Class 10,000) clean room serves work that needs clean conditions, and an ISO 8 (Class 100,000) clean room serves molding. Our engineers work next to those lines. 3D printing is priced in the portal.
Design work that comes before the build
The limits matter most while the design is still open. Our engineers draw the schematic, lay out the PCB and model the enclosure with these numbers in front of them. Parts availability and alternates are checked before the schematic is drawn, and a second engineer checks every schematic and layout before delivery. You receive the design source files at each stage gate. Firmware source comes with the order when the order includes it; otherwise you receive binaries. See product design and firmware development.
PCB and PCBA
Bare boards run from simple 2-layer prototypes to HDI stack-ups with blind and buried vias. The configurator takes up to 30 layers; boards to 40 layers go through engineering review. Specialty laminates include Rogers, polyimide flex and metal core.
Which board route fits depends on the design, not on a menu. A wearable with a flex tail, a motor drive with heavy copper and a radio board with controlled impedance each set different limits, and the engineer who reviews your files says which ones apply. The test plan is written during the DFM review and grows with each build. Read how testing and inspection fits a production run, or order boards now: Standard PCB & PCBA and Advanced PCB & PCBA show a live supplier price.
| Area | Capability |
|---|---|
| Bare boards | Rigid boards in standard, high-Tg and halogen-free FR-4; HDI with blind, buried and stacked microvias; flex and rigid-flex in polyimide; metal core in aluminum or copper for LED and power work, up to 3.2 mm thick |
| Impedance and fine lines | Controlled impedance to ±5 %, verified by TDR; minimum trace and space of 3 mil standard, 2.5 mil HDI and 2 mil (0.05 mm) advanced, through review |
| Copper and size | Outer copper from 0.5 oz to 20 oz through review (the configurator covers 1 to 6 oz); board size to 610 mm x 914 mm through review |
| SMT assembly | 8 automated SMT lines with automated changeover; high-speed lines place up to 150,000 components per hour; parts from 01005 passives to large BGA and QFP packages; BGA pitch down to 0.25 mm |
| SMT process | 3D solder paste inspection before placement, nitrogen reflow, double-sided reflow and inline 3D AOI with defect classification; board-level serial tracking |
| Workmanship | IPC-A-610 Class 3 for assemblies; IPC-6012 Class 3 for rigid boards |
| Inspection | 3D AOI on every board; X-ray for BGA, QFN and other hidden joints on the advanced route |
| Electrical test | In-circuit test for part values and connectivity; flying probe where a fixture is not yet worth building; functional test on fixtures built for your product |
| Reliability | Burn-in and accelerated aging up to 168 hours; environmental chambers for thermal cycling, humidity and vibration |
Custom parts
Mechanical parts are designed with the board, not after it. Our engineers model the enclosure around the PCB, then pick the process that fits the volume and the finish. A housing that starts as a printed part for the demo build can move to a machined part for EVT and a molded part after DVT.
Injection molding. 30+ injection molding presses, from 50 to 1,000 t, run in the Shenzhen factory, with an ISO 8 (Class 100,000) molding clean room. Scientific (decoupled) molding sets fill, pack and hold separately for shot-to-shot consistency. Insert molding and overmolding cover parts such as TPU or TPE over PC/ABS. Molded walls go down to 0.8 mm in engineering nylon, features down to 0.3 mm, and tolerance holds to ±0.3 % of the nominal size. Production molds in hardened steel are rated for 500,000+ shots, and aluminum prototype molds serve early builds. The in-house tool room handles mold design, CNC, EDM and polishing, and the tooling lead time is stated in the official quote.
CNC machining. 3, 4 and 5-axis milling, turning and Swiss-type lathe work in aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, brass, PEEK, Ultem, Delrin and Inconel. Tolerance is ±0.01 mm on controlled features and ±0.005 mm on critical features. Surface finish reaches Ra 0.4 µm, with mirror polish on request, and parts are checked by CMM and optical measurement.
Sheet metal, die casting and stamping. Sheet metal runs on fiber laser cutting, CNC press brakes and TIG or MIG welding, in sheet from 0.3 to 25 mm in steel, aluminum and stainless. Die casting covers aluminum, zinc and magnesium, with CNC finishing on critical faces. Progressive-die and deep-draw stamping work in copper, steel and aluminum. Finishes include anodize, powder coat, plating and paint.
Prototype parts are in the portal: CNC machining, sheet metal and 3D printing get a price from a specialist within 24 hours on business days.
How do capabilities connect to the NPI stages?
Each stage uses more of the factory. The demo build runs on the prototype line. EVT and DVT add test fixtures and production-intent parts. Production molds are cut after DVT closes the design, and production test fixtures are built before PVT. At PVT the ICT/FCT stations run the production test firmware.
The stage path is design → DFM review → demo build → EVT → DVT → PVT → golden sample → production. Each stage gate ends with a written report. Our engineers attend the EVT, DVT and PVT builds in person, and the DFM review is repeated before DVT and before tooling. See EVT, DVT and PVT on the NPI page and transfer to production.
Contract manufacturing. Turnkey builds, where we source, build, test and ship, or consigned builds with your parts. Production planning with Kanban and JIT delivery. Engineering change orders are measured against the signed golden sample and re-signed. Pilot runs and 10,000+ production runs are quoted the same way.
Box build, supply chain and fulfillment. System assembly of PCBA, mechanical parts, cables and firmware, with functional test at board level and at system level. Serialization, MAC address programming, labels and retail packaging with inserts and manuals. Parts come from a network of 350 audited suppliers, with multi-sourcing and buffer stock. Shipping terms are DDP, DAP or FOB, with customs paperwork.
Certificates and standards
The Shenzhen factory holds five certificates, each audited by a third party: ISO 9001 for quality management across the factory, ISO 13485 for medical devices and for exoskeletons and rehab devices, IATF 16949 for automotive and EV parts, AS9100 for aerospace and drone parts, and ISO 14001 for environmental management. A certificate tells you how the factory runs. It does not certify your product, so the certification path for your product is planned with you during DVT. We build to three standards on request: IPC-A-610 Class 3 workmanship for assemblies, IPC-6012 Class 3 for rigid boards, and RoHS and REACH for substances. See the full quality system.
Equipment
SMT: Fuji, Panasonic, Siemens and Yamaha placement, and a Mycronic prototype line. Paste and reflow: DEK printers, Heller and BTU reflow ovens, selective soldering. Inspection: Koh Young 3D AOI and 3D SPI, Nordson DAGE X-ray, Keyence microscopes. Test: Keysight flying probe, custom ICT fixtures, National Instruments PXI. Molding and tooling: Haitian and Fanuc electric presses, Sodick wire EDM, Makino milling. CNC and metal: DMG Mori 5-axis centers, Haas mills, fiber lasers and press brakes. Software: Valor NPI and Aegis FactoryLogix.
Questions about process limits
Can you build a board above the configurator limits?
Yes, through engineering review. The configurator covers up to 30 layers, 600 mm per side and 1 to 6 oz copper. Our engineers review boards to 40 layers, 610 mm x 914 mm and 0.5 to 20 oz copper. The official quote then states the price and the lead time.
Do you design the parts, or only make them?
Both. Our engineers design the schematic, the PCB layout and the enclosure, then build them in the Shenzhen factory. You can start small: project initiation checks feasibility, picks the major parts and estimates the BOM cost before any design work is ordered.
Is the free engineering review the same as a DFM review?
No. The free engineering review checks one order's files before you pay. A DFM review checks the whole product against how the factory will build, test and source it. It is design work quoted by an engineer, and it sorts each finding by when it must be fixed.
Who owns the molds and fixtures?
You do, when you pay for them. Molds, fixtures and test stations bought for your product belong to you, and you may move them to another factory. Design files and IP are assigned to you at hand-off on engineering projects.
Send a design to check against these limits
Upload Gerbers, a BOM or CAD, and an engineer tells you which limits apply and which need review. A free engineering review comes before any payment.