Why the price moves
Fabrication is priced as a set of process passes over a panel. Anything that adds passes, adds handling, reduces yield or wastes panel area raises the price. The nine drivers below are the ones a designer controls.
1. Board area
Material, plating and imaging are priced per unit area. A 10 % reduction in area is a 10 % reduction in material before any yield effect.
2. Outline and shape
A rectangular outline routes with fewer moves and wastes less panel than a curved one. Cut-outs, internal slots, tight radii and unusual shapes all add machining time.
3. Layer count
Each pair of layers adds laminate, an imaging step, an etch step, a lamination cycle and inspection time. It is also the driver most often set by habit rather than by routing need.
4. Copper weight
Thicker copper costs more foil, more plating time, longer etching and wider minimum spacing. Putting 10 oz on layers that carry no current is one of the most expensive habits in power-board design.
5. Line width and spacing
0.075 mm is available, but it is a capability, not a default. Features below the house standard require tighter etch control, more inspection and lower yield.
6. Holes
Hole count, small diameters and a high aspect ratio all raise cost: more drilling time, more bit wear, tighter registration and more plating risk. A 0.15 mm mechanical hole is a different process from a 0.3 mm one.
7. Surface finish
HASL is the cheapest and the least flat; ENIG and immersion silver cost more and need tighter bath control. The finish should be chosen for the assembly process — fine pitch and area-array parts need a flat pad.
8. Impedance and acceptance class
Controlled impedance needs specific materials, coupon area and measurement; a Class 3 acceptance level needs tighter inspection and produces more rejects. Both are legitimate costs — as long as they are asked for because the product needs them.
9. Panel and quantity
Price per board falls as the panel fills and as the quantity amortises setup. The board that fits a standard panel and shares it with other work is cheaper than one that demands its own tooling.
Where not to cut
Three savings that regularly cost more than they return:
- Copper weight under the current. A thinner layer that runs hot fails in the field, not on the bench.
- Class downgrade on a safety function. The acceptance level is what catches marginal plating before it ships.
- Finish substitution at the last minute. A finish change can force a new assembly profile and a new first article.
Turning it into a quote
Send the Gerber set, the stack-up with copper weight per layer, the finish, the acceptance class and the quantity. With those five, the price can be explained line by line — and the levers above can be tested before the design is frozen.
The published process limits are on the capability page, the board options on the PCB manufacturing page, and the assembly-side levers in the assembly cost note.
