How Bittele Can Help You Maintain PCB Assembly Consistency

At Bittele Electronics, we pride ourselves on maintaining a fairly easy, comprehensive system to help keep all of our client’s projects organized and easily accessible for repeat orders. Our quotation numbers follow a specific pattern consisting of a Q followed by 7 digits; 5 numbers, 1 letter, and 1 final number. By default, all new projects will be quoted using this format. For example, a new quotation project may have the number Q65099A1. The “A” represents that this is the first iteration or version of the specified project. The “1” after the A specifies that this is the first time the project is being quoted with no previous orders having been placed. Once clients place their orders for the first time, any time a repeated order is required, with no changes to the Gerber files and no major changes to the BOM, the quotation number is changed to “A2”. The “A” still represents that we are following the first version of Gerber files that was used on the previous “A1” job. The “2” now represents that this would be the “second” time the order is to be or is being placed. This pattern continues until an order is placed with changes made to the Gerber files.

Once a project is sent to us as a reorder of a previous version, however new Gerber files are sent with any changes to the PCB fabrication, the quotation number then changes to “B1”. The “B” now represents that this is the “second version” of the previous “A#” version, with changes made to the Gerber files. Whenever a repeat order is made for the “B1” version (with no changes to the Gerber files and no significant changes to the BOM), the next version would then become “B2”. This pattern will continue as many times as the project is reordered following the rule of no changes made to the Gerber files.

The sales representatives for all clients will always keep a copy of the latest, “letter version” of all projects. For example, a client may have a project with A5, B3 and C2 versions. The latest Gerber files for the A1, B1, and C1 will be kept in our records, therefore at any given time clients may be able to continue to order whichever version of their boards without needing to resend files. Using this organization method, clients are guaranteed to always have access to ordering the correct version of their projects without having to go through the possible mix-up that can occur with files constantly being sent back and forth.

At both of our assembly facilities in China and Canada, all assembly is 100% machine placed. That way you can be sure your orders will maintain the same high-quality consistency with each order. Bittele Electronics also only purchase parts from verified, North Americans vendors such as Digi-Key, Mouser, Newark, Arrow, etc. That way your parts are guaranteed to be consistently high-quality parts. For our free passive parts, we use parts from verified manufacturers such as Vishay Dale and Murata.