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Your circuit design becomes real boards. First, PCB fabrication makes the bare board (the flat board with copper tracks). Then PCB assembly (also called PCBA or SMT) places the electronic components on it. Along the way you buy components, often through the assembler ("turnkey") or yourself, sometimes from Huaqiangbei.
Electronics are where most first products hit surprises: parts go out of stock, a board needs a fix, firmware behaves differently on real hardware. Shenzhen makes it possible to fix and rebuild in days.
Simple prototype boards can be very cheap and arrive in days. Assembly adds setup costs (a stencil for solder paste and machine programming) plus a per-board cost and the components. Small batches often take 1–3 weeks, including parts.
PCB fabricators, PCBA shops and online platforms (instant quotes, fast delivery). See our Huaqiangbei guide for buying components in person.
Fast-turn SMT: rush from 6 hours, samples in 3–4 days
Dongguan · Dongguan (other town)Started in 2006 at a one-metre counter in Huaqiangbei; listed on the Shenzhen main board in 2026 (001232)
Shenzhen · FutianSMT plus chip-on-board (COB) wire bonding under one roof
Dongguan · Dongguan (other town)Open Parts Library of 150,000+ in-stock components for turnkey PCBA
Shenzhen · NanshanSamples and small orders with fast quotes
Shenzhen · Bao'anConformal coating with HumiSeal, MG Chemicals and Electrolube, close to 1 million pieces a day
Shenzhen · Bao'anNorth American EMS with a Dongguan plant opened in 2025
Dongguan · Dongguan (other town)Swiss-listed Cicor Group's EMS plant in Dongguan
Dongguan · Dongguan (other town)AI instant quote for PCB, PCBA, BOM and box build
Shenzhen · Bao'anNo-MOQ turnkey PCBA with a startup program
Shenzhen · Bao'anAdvanced boards: up to 64 layers, HDI, rigid-flex, RF and ceramic
Shenzhen · Bao'anSister PCB and PCBA factories in the same Fuyong industrial park
Shenzhen · Bao'an
01Basics · 10 minThe difference between a bare circuit board (PCB) and an assembled one (PCBA), how boards are made and assembled in Shenzhen, and what first-timers need to know before ordering.
02Design · 9 minHow to design a product that's quick to put together and easy to test on a production line. The core design-for-assembly rules, what design for test means for circuit boards and finished products, and how Shenzhen factories use test fixtures.
03Design · 9 minThe three files every PCB assembly order needs, how to prepare them so your quote is fast and your boards come back right, and the questions factories will ask.
04Working in China · 12 minA first-timer's guide to Shenzhen's famous electronics market district. What it is, what it's good for, how to get there, how to buy, and what to watch out for.
05Cost · 7 minWhat makes up a PCBA quote (setup, boards, components, assembly and testing), why prototypes cost more per board, and how to bring the price down.
06Basics · 11 minThe stages of making a physical product, from first sketch to boxes on a ship, explained for first-timers. What happens at each stage, why it matters, what you get out of it, and who in Shenzhen helps.
07Choosing · 6 minShould the factory buy your components, or should you? The pros and cons of turnkey, consigned and partial-turnkey PCB assembly for first-time hardware teams.
08Design · 9 minWhat a BOM is, why factories in China build and quote from it, the columns a good BOM needs, how to structure one for a hardware product, and the mistakes that cause wrong parts and delays.