Bare board fabrication is our core business
Rigid, flex, HDI and metal core construction, from a single quick-turn prototype to volume production. Every board is reviewed by our own engineers before it reaches the line, and every board is electrically tested before it ships.
Eight constructions, one fabrication line
Pick the construction that matches your electrical and mechanical requirement. Each card links to the full specification for that board type.
The parameters engineers check first
These are the published limits for bare board fabrication. Anything outside them is raised during DFM review before the order is accepted.
| Layer count | 1 - 40 layers (IC substrate up to 64) |
|---|---|
| Board thickness | 0.2 - 6.0 mm |
| Min trace / space | 4 / 4 mil standard, 3 / 3 mil advanced, 2 / 2 mil fine-line |
| Min mechanical hole | 0.2 mm |
| Min laser hole | 0.1 mm |
| Copper weight | 0.5 oz - 12 oz |
| Max board size | 600 × 570 mm (up to 1250 × 570 mm) |
| Min board size | 5 × 5 mm |
| Board thickness tolerance | ±10% (IPC-6012 class 2) |
| Impedance tolerance | ±10% standard, ±7% on qualified stack-up |
| Solder mask | Green, red, blue, black, white, yellow, matte |
| Silkscreen | White, black, yellow; min character 5 mil |
Laminate library and finish options
Material choice drives impedance, thermal performance and cost. Tell us the electrical requirement and we recommend the laminate and finish during engineering review.
Laminate library
- FR-4 standard and high-TgTg 130 to 180 for general and automotive boards
- Rogers / TaconicLow-loss laminates for RF and microwave circuits
- IsolaMid-loss and high-speed materials for datacom designs
- PolyimideFlex and rigid-flex construction with high temperature tolerance
- Aluminium baseMetal core for LED and power module thermal management
- Copper coreEmbedded copper coin for concentrated heat sources
- CeramicAlumina and aluminium nitride for high-power density modules
- BT resinStiff, low-CTE material for IC substrate and module boards
Surface finish
- HASLHot Air Solder LevellingLead-free tin-lead alternative, robust and reworkable, suited to through-hole and general boards.
- ENIGElectroless Nickel Immersion GoldFlat, solderable and shelf-stable. The default choice for fine-pitch SMT and BGA.
- OSPOrganic Solderability PreservativeThin, flat and low cost for boards that go straight into assembly after delivery.
- Immersion SilverImmersion SilverVery flat surface for fine-pitch assembly, with good signal performance at RF.
- Immersion TinImmersion TinFlat and lead-free, used where press-fit connectors are specified.
- Hard GoldHard Gold Edge PlatingWear-resistant gold on edge connectors and contact fingers for repeated mating cycles.
Three turnaround tiers, quoted against your data
Turnaround starts once the data package passes engineering review. Complex stack-ups and special materials are quoted individually.
24 - 72 hours
Double-sided and simple multilayer boards, data checked before release to the line.
3 - 5 working days
Multilayer, HDI and special material builds with full engineering review.
7 - 15 working days
Repeat builds with agreed stack-up, lot traceability and inspection records.
Six checks between your data and the shipped board
Each stage has a defined verification point, and records are kept per lot so a finished board can be traced back to its laminate batch.
- 01
Data review
Gerber checked against capability limits; stack-up, annular ring and drill-to-copper confirmed or raised as an EQ.
- 02
First article
Hole position and diameter verified on the first panel of each lot before the run continues.
- 03
Inner-layer AOI
Every inner layer optically inspected before lay-up, since laminated layers cannot be reworked.
- 04
Post-etch measurement
Trace width and spacing measured after etch, with impedance coupons run for controlled impedance orders.
- 05
Electrical test
Every board tested for opens, shorts and netlist correctness against your source data.
- 06
Final QC
Dimensional, cosmetic and workmanship inspection to IPC-A-600, then vacuum packed with desiccant.
Send your Gerber and get a fabrication quote
Simple boards are quoted within 1 hour, complex builds within 24 hours. Add assembly and we quote the whole build as one order.