CircuitHub assembly lines
The Grid and Conventional assembly lines, Grid suitability, and how your assembly line is selected.
CircuitHub assembles every order at our factory in Massachusetts using either the Grid or Conventional assembly. Each assembly line uses equipment and workflows suited to a different mix of project requirements. The Grid is optimized for rapid, high-mix builds, while Conventional is designed for larger-scale production and projects requiring more extensive finishing or special handling.
Grid
The Grid is our rapid, highly automated assembly system for high-mix work. It moves many different projects through short production cycles, with fast changeovers between builds.
The Grid is best suited to projects with the following characteristics:
- Board size and thickness: Maximum dimensions are 215 × 199 mm for boards at least 1.6 mm thick, or 225 × 170 mm for thinner boards.
- Order quantity: Grid suitability depends on how efficiently the order can be panelized. Smaller, less complex boards can remain suitable at higher quantities. Larger or denser designs become less suitable as quantity increases.
- Through-hole components: Designs with limited through-hole assembly are the best fit for the Grid.
- Very small components: Designs containing any 01005 components are not supported on the Grid. Designs with many very small surface-mount components, such as 0201s, are less suitable.
We’re continuing to expand the range of designs supported on the Grid, including denser, more complex, and larger boards. Your current quote shows whether the Grid is available for your project today.
Conventional
Conventional assembly supports a broad range of project sizes and assembly processes. It provides efficient, repeatable production when a project requires larger formats, greater volume, or more extensive secondary operations.
It is typically the best fit for projects involving:
- larger boards or production panels;
- higher quantities or placement workloads;
- substantial through-hole, hand-placement, or finishing work;
- dedicated tooling or special assembly processes; or
- repeatable production at supported manufacturing capacity.
Its broader format handling and process flexibility make conventional assembly well suited to production runs and finishing-heavy projects.
How your assembly line is selected
Your quote shows the assembly line, price, and ship timing for each available choice. The quoting engine selects the available lines based on your board and panel format, quantity, component mix, assembly processes, timing, and current manufacturing capacity. The line shown for your selected choice remains fixed after ordering; for manual quotes, it is specified in the reviewed offer.
