Questions? We Have Answers.

FAQs
As manufacturing experts and consultants at heart, we have you covered from concept to completion. Check out our FAQs to learn more about manufacturing your product with our award-winning team.

Getting Started (5)

What is the difference between a PCB, PCA, and PCBA?
PCB is the Printed Circuit Board (also known as a bare board) and refers to the board itself without any of the installed components. PCA (or Printed Circuit Assembly) is the process of populating the bare board with electronic components and PCBA is the Printed Circuit Board Assembly.
What do I need to provide the NAS team to get started?
Would you recommend including any additional data files?
What support do you provide for new products?
How many boards should I order?
If you haven’t done a prototype run yet, we recommend a small order (e.g., the amount you would need for testing, plus two or three boards). Once the design is proven and you’ve completed testing, increase the quantity to reduce the cost per board.

For production runs, we can schedule your order so you aren't storing a years’ worth of inventory. We recommend getting a quote for your monthly, quarterly, and annual estimated usage.

Orders & Logistics (5)

Is there a minimum order quantity (MOQ)?
We don’t have a minimum order quantity but, as is customary in manufacturing, small runs are considerably more expensive.
Where does NAS ship and about how much will it cost?
We ship everywhere and, in most cases shipping, is included! We also offer will-call services to our local customers.
Does NAS manufacture in the United States?
Yes! We are proud to be one of the largest manufacturing companies in Las Vegas, Nevada and only manufacture in the United States.
Do you offer schedule or blanket orders?
We offer schedules as a standard – scheduling helps us manage your entire EAU (estimated annual usage), but you only pay for what ships. For schedules, we typically charge our standard payment terms, with no cost increase.

We also offer Kanban and blanket orders, which allows for product demand variation as demand dips and spikes. This works well if you would like us to stock and blind-ship your product to customers or when you have a seasonal product whose usage can triple monthly, then slow down.

What are the payment terms?

Turnkey (4)

Do you offer turnkey assembly or do I provide the parts?
We are proud to offer full management of all material needed for your project! We prefer to provide turnkey services so neither party is stressed regarding the delivery timeline. Simply submit a single line item on your purchase order and we’ll handle all the materials and labor. However, if you prefer to source the materials yourself, we can work with those materials too!
Where do you buy your parts?
We are proud of our decades-long relationships with all the major authorized distributors in our industry, as well as our factory-direct relationships. To keep your raw material costs as low as possible, we negotiate annual contracts with only authorized suppliers. This ensures your product's quality while offering full traceability on all components used in your assembly.
What does NAS do with my unused raw materials?
The short answer: whatever you like! For turnkey orders, you are only charged for what you use. If you wish to have a small kit created to do repairs in-house, we can provide one.

For consigned orders that you provide parts for, we can either return all unused material or hold onto stock for use on future orders.

How do you handle obsolescence?
First, we monitor your BOM and contact you prior to a part going end of life (EOL). When a part goes EOL, we offer to schedule a lifetime-buy on the product or suggest "fit, form, function" equivalents. Though we won't bother you with that when it comes to standard caps and resistors (as long as you're fine with us substituting them!).

Electronics Manufacturing (4)

Do you offer both lead-free and leaded manufacturing?
Yes, we offer RoHS compliant, lead-free alloy as a standard, but can provided leaded assembly upon request.
What alloys do you use?
We offer SN995 and similar alloys. We steer away from traditional lead-free alloy, SAC305, as SN995 offers superior joint strength, better solderability, and is “as pretty as leaded” after being flowed.
Are there any special requirements for BGA/BTC components?
We ask that footprints follow the component manufacturer’s recommendations for pad size and mask clearance. All BGA/BTC parts are required to have all vias under part tented with solder masking.
What requirements do you have if I am providing the PCB?
When you provide the PCB, we ask that you reach out to us prior to ordering to confirm the panel is manufacturable. Bad or non-existent panelization can drastically increase the cost of manufacturing or make the PCB unmanufacturable. Our general requirements for PCBs are:

  • V-Score or tab-and-route rails on the edges with a minimum thickness of 7mm
  • Fiducials located on rails at minimum. Board level fiducials are necessary for fine pitch components, especially on boards larger than 6”
  • No parts hang over the board edge onto the next board on the panel (rails can be added to allow for this overhang)
  • Parts like micro-USBs that hang over the board edge must be routed or free of material in the overhang area
  • Panel size is 2”x2” at minimum, not to exceed 14”x14”
  • Ideal panel size is not larger than 8”x8”

General Manufacturing (8)

Will I get samples (First Articles) for approval?
Yes, First Articles (FA) for approval are required on all new builds and on revisions to existing builds before moving into production.
Do you provide First Articles for every run?
If you’re building prototypes or we have built the board and revision before, First Articles are not required, so you’re not wasting time on repeat runs.
What do I have to provide for my assembly?
If you have a production-ready kit ready for assembly, our team will QC the kit upon arrival and begin the assembly process. If you have inventory you would like to use, or if you would like to maintain the vendor on a custom item, we can get these parts from you.
Can you build using our parts and PCBs (consignment)?
Yes, many of our clients provide us production-ready kits for assembly. Each kit is checked for quality and all parts validated upon receipt so any missing components or issues are identified prior to production.
What is the lead time for consignment assembly? For turnkey assembly?
For consignment assembly, we offer next-day service if all materials are provided to our team. Another option that may be more cost-effective would be consignment assembly with a three to five days lead time.

For turnkey, the clock starts when we have your files finalized and the necessary materials in-hand to assemble. On large production runs, once materials are in-hand, you will receive First Articles within three days and, after FA approval, the remaining balance within seven to ten days.

How much does assembly cost?
The cost of your build will depend on many factors such as: the number of unique components, the number of placements, the complexity of the design, desired quantity, and the delivery timeline. Our team can turn around a quote in as little as two hours after we’ve received your files, so let’s get started!
What is DFM?
DFM, or Design For Manufacturability, is an engineering methodology that promotes engineering a product in such a way that the product is easier and more cost-effective to manufacture. For example, if a process can be done via machine (e.g., SMT component placement and soldering), this process is likely to be faster and less expensive than placing components by hand.
Do you only offer electronics assembly or PCB assembly?
We offer end-to-end solutions for all manufacturing needs! We can handle: parts procurement; assembly of the PCB; programming; testing; conformal coating; incorporating additional hardware and final assembly items; box building into your enclosure; packing your product into consumer-ready packaging; and stocking it on our shelves for you to drop-ship directly to your customer. Whatever you need, no matter how big or small, we’ve got you covered.

Quality (5)

What quality certifications do you have?
We are ISO-9001:2015 certified and build to IPC-A-610 manufacturing standards. We are also members of IPC and SMTA and utilize digital MES software to track quality and takt times, and to provide digital work instructions that are updated immediately upon publishing updates.
Do you offer testing?
Absolutely! We want to ensure every board is functioning as desired before it reaches you or your end customers.
Is there an extra charge for testing?
Generally, we include up to 30 seconds per board of testing for free, but it depends on how detailed the testing procedures are. If testing surpasses 30 seconds per board, we can include it in your price per unit.
Do you have AOI and X-ray capabilities?
All surface mount (SMT) and through-hole assemblies are subject to 100% automated optical inspection (AOI) verification of each component and electrical connection. Our X-ray is used to verify BGA/BTC components for process verification and troubleshooting.
How do you protect my Intellectual Property (IP)?