Why PCBA?

When I first built the PD power supply, it was purely a DIY build — soldering every component by hand on a bare PCB, figuring out layout issues, and debugging problems one by one. It worked, but building one just cost me a bit more than an hour, reproducing it even just 2 or 3 times felt like a huge task. That’s when I realized: if I wanted to make a few extra units to give away to friends, especially folks in the STEM education and maker communities, I needed a better solution.

That’s where PCBWay came in.

Their PCBA (Printed Circuit Board Assembly) service completely changed the game for me. Instead of manually ordering parts, placing them on PCBs, and spending hours soldering, I just uploaded my design files—Pick & Place file, BOM, and Gerber files—and they handled everything. That includes sourcing components (though, some might need to be consigned as they do not have all the parts or even if they have them, it might be out of your budget), assembly, and even testing. What’s amazing is that they really got a human in the loop to handle your order. Eventually I got 5 made and it really saved me a few weekend worth of workloads.

For small-scale makers like me, this is a huge deal. It means I can actually turn a one-off project into a small batch of useful, shareable devices. Whether I’m giving them to fellow hobbyists or educators friends, the PCBA process lets me focus on improving the design and sharing knowledge, instead of worrying about solder joints.

It’s like going from "Look what I made" to "Hey, here’s one for you too."

Cost Optimization Hack

One of the standout features I discovered during the PCBA process with PCBWay was their “source alternative parts from China” option. This turned out to be a game-changer for keeping costs low—especially for a project like mine that wasn’t meant for mass production but still needed to be affordable. Originally, I specified some relatively expensive components, like precision current sensors and brand-name ICs. But by allowing PCBWay to find compatible alternatives locally in China, the total build cost dropped significantly without compromising performance.

Disclaimer: Who Should You Pick?

While I personally chose PCBWay for this project—and they worked well for my needs—it’s important to remember that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to small-scale manufacturing. Different platforms offer different strengths: some might specialize in ultra-low-cost prototyping, others might offer better lead times, or a wider variety of parts. Pick the one best fit your project's need and you will eventually find one that best fit with your projects :)