PCB series and low-volume production in Finland
Recurring batches from the line that built your prototypes, with components held for you and records kept for every board.
In short: Comtec Labs builds PCB series and low-volume production in Vaasa, Finland. There is no minimum order quantity; a typical low-volume product runs 50–500 units a year in two to four batches. Series run on the same SMT line and THT process as the prototypes, so no requalification is needed, components can be held at Comtec Labs on a call-off agreement, and every board is traceable to its component lots.
Who series production is for
Series production at Comtec Labs is built around industrial products that sell in hundreds rather than hundreds of thousands, and that must stay buildable for many years. Typical customers are:
- machine builders and automation companies with controllers, monitoring and measurement electronics
- energy, marine and medical technology companies whose products have long service lives and documented supply chains
- IoT and sensor companies moving from pilot runs to recurring batches
- companies that want to move an existing product from another manufacturer or back from Asia
How series production runs
- Quote and DFM review. Send the production files, annual volume and batch sizes. You get a quote usually the same working day, at most within 1 working day, with series prices per quantity, the NRE on separate lines and our DFM findings.
- Forecast and components. Against your 12-month forecast, reels are bought through franchised distribution and held at Comtec Labs. Alternates are proposed for approval, and nothing is substituted without your written consent.
- First article. The first batch of a new product or revision is checked and documented with a first-article inspection report.
- Batch production. You call off batches as you need them. Each batch runs SMT, through-hole soldering, AOI on every board and the agreed electrical or functional test.
- Finishing and delivery. Programming, conformal coating and box-build can follow, and boards leave ready for integration with a certificate of conformance and a yield summary.
- Lifecycle care. Component lifecycle status is tracked per BOM line. When a part goes end-of-life, an alternate or last-time buy is proposed and handled as an engineering change with your approval.
Production capabilities
| Area | What we offer |
|---|---|
| Volumes | No MOQ; typical low-volume products 50–500 units a year in 2–4 batches |
| Technologies | SMT, through-hole and mixed boards; wave and selective hand soldering; single- and double-sided reflow |
| Component supply | Franchised distribution only; reels held on call-off; buffer or consignment stock and last-time buys |
| Workmanship standard | IPC-A-610 class 2 as standard, class 3 on request |
| Inspection and test | AOI on every board, X-ray on area arrays, functional test per agreed specification |
| Follow-on steps | Programming, conformal coating and box-build, with mechanics via partners |
Bare boards come from vetted partner fabricators in Europe and Asia; Comtec Labs does not make bare boards itself.
Lead times and scheduling
In series production the lead time is set mostly by components. With a call-off agreement, reels are bought once against your forecast and stored at Comtec Labs, so a batch you call off does not wait for parts. Without stock, the delivery date follows the longest component lead time. We confirm the date with each quote and each call-off.
| Order | Typical lead time from a complete kit |
|---|---|
| Small series, up to 500 boards | 1–2 weeks |
| Series | 2–3 weeks; call-off and scheduled deliveries possible |
| Without stock | plus procurement, typically 1–2 weeks for stock parts |
Production environment and equipment
Boards are produced in an ESD-protected environment in Vaasa on one SMT line, the same line that builds the prototypes: a Yamaha YCP10 stencil printer, a Yamaha YSM10 high-speed placement machine and convection reflow. Wave soldering, AOI, X-ray, test, programming and conformal coating are all in-house, so a batch does not travel between suppliers before it reaches you.
See the full equipment list, capabilities and lead times
Quality and traceability
- Boards are built to IPC-A-610 class 2 as standard and class 3 on request, checked by IPC-trained inspectors.
- Every reel is registered at incoming inspection with manufacturer, part number and lot, and feeders are verified against the BOM.
- AOI and test results are stored per board, moisture-sensitive parts carry floor-life records and rework is logged per board to IPC-7711/7721.
- Serial-number traceability is configured per product, and production records are kept for the agreed product life and provided within one working day.
Process stability is what series customers notice. In one anonymous case, an industrial automation company moved its control electronics to Comtec Labs from a manufacturer that could not meet its schedules; after DFM reviews and standardised documentation, production yield stabilised at approximately 99 %.
Series are assembled lead-free and RoHS-compliant as standard; REACH and RoHS declarations on request.
Moving an existing product to Vaasa
Many series start as transfers. Whether the board is built by another Finnish supplier or in Asia today, the transfer begins with a DFM review of the existing files, followed by standardised production documentation, an agreed test plan and a qualification run before the first series batch. For products coming from Asia, a phased transfer can follow your inventory position, and a landed-cost worksheet is available on request so that freight, duty, buffer stock and expedites are compared honestly with the assembly price.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a minimum order quantity for series production?
No. Batches of any size are built, but the price per board drops clearly with batch size, so for a stable design we usually suggest batches of 20–100 against a 12-month forecast.
How does a call-off agreement work?
Reels are bought once against your forecast, held at Comtec Labs and assembled in batches when you call them off. You pay reel prices at low-volume batch sizes, and batches do not wait for parts.
Do we need to requalify when moving from prototype to series?
No. Prototypes and series use the same SMT line, AOI and test, so the process proven on the prototype is the one that builds the series.
What happens when a component goes end-of-life?
Lifecycle status is tracked for every active component. When a part is flagged, we propose an alternate or a last-time buy and handle the change as an engineering change order with your approval at each step.
Can you deliver complete units instead of boards?
Yes. Box-build assembly is available, with enclosures and mechanics through partners, and boards can be programmed, tested and coated before they are built into the unit.
Related reading
- Is There a Minimum Order Quantity for PCB Assembly? Low-Volume Economics Explained
- Low Volume PCB Assembly in Europe: The Critical Bridge Between Prototype and Production
- Industrial Automation PCB Assembly & Series Production in Finland
- PCB Assembly in Europe vs Asia: The Total Landed Cost Comparison
- What Traceability Should a PCB Assembly Partner Provide? Lot, Serial, Process and Test Records
Related services
- PCB assembly
- PCB prototype assembly
- Electronic component sourcing
- PCB functional testing
- Conformal coating service
Request a quote for series production
Send your production files, BOM, annual volume and preferred batch sizes. You get series prices per quantity, the NRE as separate lines and our DFM findings, usually the same working day and at most within 1 working day.
