The 7 Most Important Things to Include in a PCB Pick-Up Bill of Materials (BOM)

When you plan to build a printed circuit board (PCB) from a manufacturer, one of the things you will come across is a bill of materials. This is also known as the BOM. Now, what exactly is this bill of materials? What factors does it include? Did you have any of these questions while reading this? Well, it's not rocket science at all, but it's easy to understand. The following post explains the BOM concept and also explains important things to consider when preparing a Bill of Materials file. Read on to learn more.

What is a bill of materials?

A bill of materials is basically a file that includes all the information needed for printed circuit board assembly. It is one of the most important things you need when manufacturing a PCB. Failure to provide a bill of materials can lead to a lot of confusion. This can further lead to problems and unnecessary modifications during assembly, leading to delays. To avoid all this, it is always the best idea to provide a proper BOM. You might ask what all is included in the bill of materials. This brings us to the next section.

What does the bill of materials include?

Now that you understand what a bill of materials is, the following information will help you understand what you need to include:

Manufacturer Name: It is best to mention the name of the manufacturer whose parts and components you prefer to use in the assembly. You should also mention the name of the alternative manufacturer. This saves a lot of time if components from major manufacturers are not available.

Manufacturer's Part Number: Component distributors provide each part with a unique identification number. Providing the manufacturer with these exact part numbers helps to get the exact part needed.

Part Description: After completing the manufacturer name and part number, you need to provide the specification

. This will help manufacturers understand your exact application requirements and identify the correct components for your PCB design and manufacturing.

Values of components: When you provide the values of components to be used in an assembly (such as resistors and capacitors), it will help the people who provide your assembly services to obtain components with the correct desired values.

Product Quantity: You don't want to end up buying extra products, or products with missing components. This will increase your costs or cause delays. Therefore, it is very important to provide product listings with accurate quantities.

Reference number: A reference number is the information needed to know the exact location of a component on a printed circuit board.

Placement method: Placement method is a technique used to mount parts and components on a PCB. It can be through hole method or surface mount technology (SMT). This information will help manufacturers continue with the chosen method.

These are things you shouldn't miss when it comes to supplying bills of materials for your PCB design, fabrication, and placement. Providing this information to professional manufacturers, such as Hengtian Weiye, will help you build a perfect, high-quality PCB patch manufacturer that meets your requirements.