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Capabilities

Prepare a specification that can be checked against the complete production process.

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ENGINEERING → PROCUREMENT → PRODUCTION

THE PRACTICAL ANSWER

What a capability review should establish

A capability review should answer a concrete question: can the proposed build meet the specified requirements, and what evidence will confirm the result? Separate bare-board geometry, advanced features and assembly operations so each reaches the right reviewer. This hub helps organize that conversation. It does not present unverified factory limits, certification or equipment claims; project-specific capability and acceptance need written confirmation against a controlled design package.

01 / DECISION GUIDE

Prepare the right review

Route the question to the correct scope

Use fabrication review for board construction and dimensions, advanced review for special interconnect or mechanical processes, and assembly review for components and operations. A project may need all three. Separating questions avoids a blanket yes that leaves one difficult operation unaddressed. Give each review a clear owner, required response and relationship to the released revision.

Define the delivered result

Describe finished dimensions, construction, population and test state rather than only process names. State tolerances and evidence where they matter. For example, a board with a specified hole size and an assembled connector needs both fabrication and mechanical-fit review. A quotation should make clear what will be delivered and what remains a customer responsibility.

Request exceptions before comparing price

Ask each proposal to identify substitutions, omitted operations and unconfirmed requirements. Compare only after those differences are visible. A cheaper offer may assume a different finish, component supply model or test scope. Keep decisions with the package so procurement can distinguish approved alternatives from open questions that still block production release.

Carry the review into repeat orders

Retain the accepted construction, BOM, process scope and test requirements. When a repeat request changes quantity or timing, confirm that the underlying assumptions remain valid. Material availability or component substitutions can introduce a new technical decision. Use the same review route for consequential changes instead of treating an existing part number as automatic approval.

02 / SIDE BY SIDE

Choose a capability route

PCB fabrication assembly capability review — planning considerations
Choice or scope	Useful when	Review before release
PCB fabrication	Board dimensions and construction	Combined features and acceptance
Advanced processes	Special interconnects or geometry	Sequence, tolerances and evidence
Assembly	Component mix and operations	BOM, handling and test scope
Supplier transfer	Equivalent delivered result	Differences from the approved baseline
Repeat production	Reproducible configuration	Changes and records

03 / REVIEW BEFORE RELEASE

Make assumptions visible

One capability answer covers everything

Separate fabrication, assembly and product-validation questions.

Typical values become requirements

Ask for confirmation of the required delivered tolerance.

A quote hides unresolved assumptions

Request a deviation list and close release blockers.

04 / COMMON QUESTIONS

Capability review questions

Why does the site not list universal minimums?

Limits depend on combined material, copper, geometry and process choices. A universal figure can imply a capability that has not been verified for your board. A construction-specific review is more useful for a release decision.

What is the minimum useful inquiry package?

Provide the board revision, intended construction, quantities, critical features and requested operations. Include a BOM for assembly and identify acceptance evidence. Clearly mark missing information so the response does not rely on accidental assumptions.

Can procurement use this before engineering is finished?

Yes. Use it to identify needed information and compare provisional assumptions. Label the request as preliminary and identify flexible choices. Obtain a final review against the released files before turning an early estimate into a production instruction.

Manufacturing references

Check each source’s scope and revision against your project requirements. Confirm the proposed construction with your manufacturing partner.

YOUR PROJECT / YOUR NEXT STEP

Build a review request

Route your capability questions and create a reviewer brief. The output is not confirmation of manufacturing availability.

Use this planning aid to prepare a review. It does not approve a design or estimate a price. Selections are processed locally and are not submitted by this tool.

CONTINUE YOUR REVIEW

Useful next steps

01 / Capabilities