Quality Assurance & Inspection
Ten inspection points from CAM data review to outgoing QA, each one logged. Inspected to IPC-A-600 Class 2, 100% electrical test on finished boards, and a traceable quality record for every job.
Our Quality Standards
IPC-A-600 Class 2
Our PCBs are inspected to IPC-A-600 Class 2 — the standard recommended by IPC and often specified by clients. Class 2 covers products requiring continuous performance and prolonged life.
UL796
Products serving the US market must carry UL markings. We further inspect our PCBs to UL796 to ensure compliance with North American safety requirements.
Quality Management System
We operate a quality management system compatible with IPC standards, covering design, fabrication, manufacturing and assembly to ensure consistency and reliability in volume production.
Ten In-Process Inspection Points
Most PCB defects cannot be reworked once the stack is pressed, so control has to sit inside each process step rather than resting on a final inspection. These are the checkpoints we actually run on the line.
CAM data review
Before anything is cut, we check your Gerber, stackup and drill data to confirm the manufacturing data matches design intent. Undersized openings, insufficient spacing or an unbuildable stackup get flagged back to you first.
Incoming material check
A data-matrix scan matches laminate grade, thickness and copper weight against your order line by line, and the material record goes into that job's file — so the wrong base material never enters the flow.
Inner layer imaging
Three checkpoints — after printing that the etch resist is intact, after etching that all unwanted copper is gone, and after stripping that no resist remains.
Inner layer AOI
AOI compares every inner-layer copper pattern against the design data, confirming each trace width and clearance sits within spec with no shorts or opens. Inner-layer defects cannot be reworked after lamination, so they have to be caught here.
Multilayer lamination
Prepreg and core assignments are re-verified by data-matrix before pressing; after pressing, every production panel is measured for finished thickness and logged to the job file for registration and dielectric traceability.
Drilling
Drill diameters are verified automatically by the machine, and multilayer boards carry a dedicated test coupon to check hole position relative to the inner layers, confirming registration margin.
Copper & tin plating
Non-destructive sampling at five or more points per production panel. Heavy copper builds and high-aspect-ratio holes get an additional microsection to confirm hole-wall copper uniformity.
Outer layer etching
Visual confirmation that unwanted copper is cleared, plus a test coupon on every production panel to verify trace width against tolerance. The coupon runs the same process in the same batch, so measuring it measures the board.
Solder mask, finish & routing
Solder-mask registration and thickness, surface-finish thickness (gold and nickel on ENIG, for instance), then outline tolerance and hole-position accuracy on a vision system after routing.
Final E-test & outgoing QA
100% electrical test on finished boards — flying probe for prototypes, fixtures for volume — followed by final inspection of appearance, thickness, marking and packaging against the job file before release.
Job Quality Records & Full Traceability
One record per job
Each order's inspection results are consolidated into its own job record: laminate grade and batch, measured values at each checkpoint (copper thickness, post-lamination thickness, impedance, outline tolerance) and the tests it passed. We can supply the full production record on request.
Data-matrix material control
At incoming material and again at lamination, a data-matrix scan matches the laminate, prepreg and core actually being used against your order details. Wrong base material is the most expensive class of PCB error — a finished batch with the wrong dielectric constant has to be rebuilt — so this check runs twice.
Test coupons travel with the panel
Every production panel carries its own test coupon that runs the identical process in the same batch. It does three jobs: verifying trace width after outer-layer etching, checking hole position against the inner layers on multilayer builds, and standing in for the finished board whenever a destructive microsection or thermal stress test is needed.
Inspection & Testing
| Method | Applied at | What it catches |
|---|---|---|
| AOI (Automated Optical Inspection) | Inner & outer layer imaging | Trace width, spacing, shorts, opens and nicks, compared panel-by-panel against the design data |
| Flying probe / fixture E-test | 100% of finished boards | Netlist continuity and insulation resistance — flying probe for prototypes, dedicated fixtures for volume |
| X-ray inspection | BGA & QFN on assemblies | Solder joints hidden from view: voids, bridging, collapsed balls |
| Microsection analysis | Destructive test-coupon sampling | Hole-wall copper thickness, layer registration, lamination bond line, plating structure |
| Copper thickness measurement | Post-plating, every panel | Five or more points per production panel, non-destructive; tightened further on heavy copper |
| Impedance testing | Test coupon on impedance-controlled boards | TDR measurement of single-ended and differential impedance against the stackup target and tolerance |
| Thermal stress / solderability | Test-coupon sampling | Solder float and thermal cycling, then checked for barrel separation, delamination and plating peel |
| Dimensional & profile inspection | After routing | Outline tolerance, hole-position accuracy and board thickness on a vision measuring system |
Destructive tests run on test coupons, never on your finished boards. Each coupon runs in the same batch through the same process as the production panel, so measuring the coupon measures the board. For process capability and tolerance ranges, see our manufacturing tolerance table, and the full capability overview on our capabilities page.
Certifications
Our UL file number is E326765 — ZPMV2.E326765 for the US and ZPMV8.E326765 for Canada — verifiable by file number in UL's Product iQ database. ISO and IATF certificates are downloadable as PDFs below, each showing the issuing body and certificate number.
Frequently asked questions
What does your PCB quality assurance process cover?
Our PCB quality assurance starts before production with a CAM data review and runs through ten inspection points: incoming material verification, inner-layer imaging, inner-layer AOI, multilayer lamination, drilling, plating, outer-layer etching, solder mask and surface finish, routing, then 100% electrical test and outgoing inspection. Boards are judged to IPC-A-600 Class 2, and products bound for the US and Canada are additionally inspected to UL796 under UL file E326765. Every job carries its own quality record listing materials used, measurements at each step and the tests it passed.
How is multilayer PCB quality control different from double-sided boards?
The hard part of multilayer PCB quality control is that once the stack is pressed, the interior is neither visible nor repairable — so the controls move upstream. Every inner layer gets AOI against the design data before lamination, every panel is measured for finished thickness after pressing, and at drilling a dedicated test coupon checks hole position relative to the inner layers to confirm registration margin. Microsections verify layer registration and hole-wall copper where needed. The higher the layer count and the thinner the dielectric, the tighter we sample.
How do you handle PCB lamination quality control?
PCB lamination quality control runs in three stages. Before pressing, a data-matrix check re-verifies prepreg type and core assignment so the stackup cannot be mixed up. During pressing, ramp rate, pressure and vacuum follow the cure profile for that specific material — boards with different Tg do not share a recipe. After pressing, every panel is measured for finished thickness and logged to the job file, and any abnormal batch gets a microsection through the bond line to confirm there are no voids, no delamination and full resin fill. Most delamination traces back to a parameter/material mismatch or moisture absorbed before pressing, which is why high-Tg and heavy-copper builds are baked beforehand.
What extra checks apply to heavy copper PCB quality control?
Heavy copper PCB quality control adds three things on top of the standard flow. First, copper thickness: beyond the five-point non-destructive measurement per panel, we microsection to confirm uniformity on hole walls and trace sidewalls — heavy copper etches to a trapezoidal profile, so we verify the width still meets spec at the base. Second, lamination: heavy copper stackups need a lot of resin fill, so batches get a microsection after pressing to confirm there are no voids. Third, thermal and current: test coupons go through thermal stress to confirm no barrel separation, with current-carrying temperature-rise testing added when required. Acceptance can follow IPC-6012 Class 2 or Class 3 as you specify.
Can your certifications be verified independently?
Yes. Our UL file number is E326765, listed under ZPMV2.E326765 for the US and ZPMV8.E326765 for Canada — you can look the file number up directly in UL's Product iQ database and see our name and address. Certificate PDFs for ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and IATF 16949 are downloadable from the certifications section on this page, each showing the issuing body and certificate number. We do not claim credentials we cannot show a certificate for.
Quality you can rely on
Partner with a PCB manufacturer that inspects to IPC standards.