PCB assembly in Finland: SMT and THT from one board to series
Surface-mount and through-hole assembly in Vaasa, with a DFM review on every quote and AOI on every board.
In short: Comtec Labs assembles printed circuit boards in Vaasa, Finland. Surface-mount (SMT) and through-hole (THT) parts are placed and soldered on the same line for prototypes and series, every board is inspected with automated optical inspection (AOI), and boards are built to IPC-A-610 class 2 as standard or class 3 on request. There is no minimum order: you can start with one board.
Who this service is for
The service suits companies that design their own electronics and want a manufacturing partner close by. Typical customers are:
- industrial and automation companies building controllers, monitoring and measurement electronics
- marine, energy and medical technology companies whose boards must survive a long, demanding service life
- IoT and product development teams that move from a handful of prototypes to recurring batches
- Swedish and other Nordic customers who want to work in Swedish, Finnish or English with a partner inside the EU
How an assembly order runs
- Files and quote. Send Gerber or ODB++, the BOM, the pick-and-place file, the assembly drawing and quantities. With a complete file set you get a quote usually the same working day, at most within 1 working day, with prototype and series prices and the one-off costs (NRE) as separate lines.
- DFM review. Every quote includes a design-for-manufacturing review. Findings such as footprint, polarity or panel issues come back with the price, before anything is built.
- Components. Parts are bought through franchised distribution, with alternates proposed for your approval.
- SMT assembly. Solder paste printing, automated placement and reflow soldering.
- THT assembly. Through-hole parts are inserted and soldered on the wave soldering machine, or selectively by hand by certified operators where that is the better choice.
- Inspection, test and delivery. AOI on every board, X-ray on area-array packages, then the electrical or functional test agreed for your product, and delivery with a certificate of conformance.
Assembly capabilities
| Area | What we offer |
|---|---|
| Technologies | SMT, THT and mixed-technology boards in one flow |
| THT soldering | Wave soldering and selective hand soldering |
| Smallest package | Passives down to 0201, 01005 on request |
| Fine pitch and BGA | QFP and QFN down to 0.4 mm pitch; BGA down to 0.5 mm pitch, 0.4 mm on request |
| Board size and thickness | 50 × 50 mm to 330 × 250 mm on the line, larger by arrangement; 0.4–3.2 mm thick |
| Sides | Single- and double-sided reflow |
| Quantities | From one board; prototypes of 1–10 pieces are routine; low-volume and recurring series |
| Workmanship standard | IPC-A-610 class 2 as standard, class 3 on request |
| Inspection | AOI on 100 % of boards, X-ray on area-array packages |
| Follow-on steps | Functional test, conformal coating, programming and box-build |
Lead times
Delivery dates depend mostly on component availability and complete files, not on assembly capacity. We confirm the date with each quote. Typical times once all parts are in house:
| Order type | Typical lead time from a complete kit |
|---|---|
| Prototype assembly | 3–5 working days; express 48 h on request |
| Small series, up to 500 boards | 1–2 weeks |
| Series | 2–3 weeks; call-off and scheduled deliveries possible |
| Sourcing or coating | sourcing adds typically 1–2 weeks for stock parts; coating adds 1 working day |
Production environment and equipment
Assembly takes place in an ESD-protected production environment in Vaasa. The line covers solder paste printing, automated SMT placement, reflow soldering, wave soldering and selective hand soldering for through-hole parts, automated optical inspection and X-ray, with test, conformal coating and programming as follow-on steps under the same roof.
The line is built around a Yamaha YCP10 stencil printer and a Yamaha YSM10 high-speed placement machine, followed by convection reflow, wave soldering, AOI and X-ray.
See the full equipment list, capabilities and lead times
Quality and standards
- IPC-A-610 class 2 as standard and class 3 on request, checked by IPC-trained inspectors.
- Every reel is registered at incoming inspection and feeders are verified against the BOM before a run starts.
- Moisture-sensitive parts carry a floor-life record, and AOI and test results are stored per board.
- Rework is done to IPC-7711/7721 and logged per board; each shipment carries a certificate of conformance.
- Serial-number traceability and per-unit test reports are configured per product when you need them.
Assembly is lead-free and RoHS-compliant as standard, leaded on request; REACH and RoHS declarations on request.
What you receive with each delivery
Depending on what we agree for your product, each delivery comes with:
- a certificate of conformance for the shipment
- a first-article inspection report for new products and new revisions
- test results per board or per serial number and a yield summary for the batch
- X-ray images of area-array parts on request
Frequently asked questions
Is there a minimum order quantity for PCB assembly?
No. Comtec Labs assembles from a single board upward, and prototypes of 1–10 pieces are routine. Small runs cost more per board because setup and stencil costs are shared by fewer boards.
Can one board combine SMT and THT components?
Yes, that is the normal case. SMT parts are printed, placed and reflowed first, then through-hole parts are soldered on the wave soldering machine or selectively by hand, and both sides of the work are checked with AOI.
Which IPC-A-610 class do you build to?
Class 2 is the standard and suits most industrial, IoT and energy electronics. Class 3 is available on request for products where failure is not acceptable; state the class on the assembly drawing or order.
What files do you need for a PCB assembly quote?
Gerber or ODB++ fabrication data, a BOM with manufacturer part numbers, the pick-and-place file, an assembly drawing with polarity marks, the quantities and your quality and test requirements. With all of these we quote usually the same working day, at most within 1 working day.
Can you take over a board that is built somewhere else today?
Yes. We review the design for manufacturability, standardise the production documentation and agree the test plan before the first series run, also for products built in Asia today.
Can you also test and coat the assembled boards?
Yes. We run functional tests against your specification, either with your own test software and fixture or with a test system we build for you, and apply conformal coating on an automated selective coating line before the boards leave the factory.
Related reading
- SMT vs THT Assembly: Which Does Your Product Need?
- IPC-A-610 Class 2 vs Class 3: Which Should You Specify for Your PCB Assembly?
- What Files Does a PCB Assembly Quote Need? The Complete Checklist
- Is There a Minimum Order Quantity for PCB Assembly? Low-Volume Economics Explained
- What Traceability Should a PCB Assembly Partner Provide? Lot, Serial, Process and Test Records
Related services
- PCB prototype assembly
- PCB series and low-volume production
- PCB functional testing
- Electronic component sourcing
- Conformal coating service
Request a quote for PCB assembly
Send your Gerber or ODB++ files, BOM, pick-and-place file and quantities. You get prototype and series prices, the NRE as separate lines and our DFM findings, usually the same working day and at most within 1 working day.
