Factory Tour & Process
When you partner with Sunhope, your design does not disappear into a manufacturing “black box.” It moves through a visible sequence of engineering review, material preparation, PCB fabrication, assembly, inspection and shipment—supported by the people, equipment and process controls shown on this page. Our principle is simple: build quality into the process, not just inspect it at the end.
From 1–8 layer PCB fabrication to SMT, THT/DIP and mixed assembly, each project follows a manufacturing route shaped by its materials, construction and end-use requirements. Continue below to see the representative equipment and core process stages that turn engineering data into finished boards—and the checkpoints that keep that journey under control.
Behind every reliable electronic product is a manufacturing system capable of turning design intent into repeatable production. Founded in 1993, Sunhope has spent more than three decades strengthening its expertise in PCB fabrication and PCBA assembly.
Today, our 15,000 m² manufacturing base and a team of more than 300 professionals support projects from NPI prototyping and pilot builds to volume production. With an annual PCB production capacity of 500,000 m², Sunhope brings together experienced people, established processes and practical manufacturing resources to help customers move from design data to finished products with greater clarity and confidence.
Dimension 1
A capable factory is defined not by a list of machines, but by how effectively people, equipment and process control work together to turn engineering data into repeatable production. Across PCB fabrication and PCBA assembly, Sunhope connects these elements to support projects from NPI builds and pilot runs to volume production.
1
CNC drilling translates approved drill data into plated and non-plated holes across the production panel. Tool selection and process settings are matched to board material, thickness and hole structure, creating a controlled foundation for subsequent metallization and assembly.
2
Hole-wall preparation, electroless copper deposition and electroplating establish the conductive pathways between PCB layers. By controlling copper build and coverage through the metallization process, the line helps create dependable interconnections for downstream fabrication and assembly.
3
Imaging and registration equipment transfers circuit data onto copper surfaces and aligns the patterns required by the board construction. Controlled exposure and alignment help preserve designed features and layer relationships as the PCB moves through fabrication.
4
CNC routing, V-scoring and applicable punching methods shape finished boards and separate production panels. The route is selected according to board construction, outline geometry and order requirements, balancing dimensional control with efficient production.
5
For multilayer PCBs, controlled lay-up and pressing bring cores, prepreg and copper foils into a unified structure. Materials and press conditions follow the approved stack-up and board construction, supporting consistent bonding and dimensional stability before downstream processing.
Beyond bare PCB fabrication, Sunhope supports assembly through precision SMT placement and multi-zone reflow, together with THT, wave soldering, selective soldering and controlled hand soldering for applicable projects. These resources allow NPI prototypes, pilot builds and volume orders to follow an assembly route suited to component type, board design and production requirements. Automated conformal coating is also available when additional environmental protection is required.
Dimension 2
Quality is strongest when it is protected at the stage where variation first appears. Sunhope connects engineering review, first-article confirmation, in-process inspection and final verification, allowing potential issues to be identified before they travel farther through production.
The exact inspection route is matched to board construction, assembly type, customer requirements and the approved control plan—so every checkpoint serves a clear purpose, rather than simply adding another box to tick.
Dimension 3
Reliable electronics are not manufactured in chaos. They take shape in a disciplined environment where materials, work areas, handling practices and production records are managed with purpose. At Sunhope, this discipline connects the physical factory floor with the information needed to understand how each production lot moves through manufacturing.
Process-sensitive areas are managed through defined housekeeping, material-handling, temperature and humidity controls, while ESD protection is applied across PCBA assembly operations. Together, these measures help protect photo-sensitive materials, solder paste, components and work-in-process products at the stages where environmental conditions matter most. Batch-level records connect incoming materials, production lots and completed PCBs or assemblies, supporting faster investigation, clearer customer communication and continuous improvement when questions arise. Where project and design conditions permit, laser-marked QR codes can add unit-level identification to PCB products. The exact traceability fields follow project requirements and the production records available for the order.
The sequence below follows a representative multilayer PCB route and uses ten core stages to show how engineering data, materials and process controls come together on the factory floor. Single-sided and double-sided boards follow shorter routes, while controlled impedance, high-Tg and high-frequency PCBs require additional material-and design-specific controls at selected stages.
Customer fabrication data, drawings and order requirements are reviewed and translated into controlled CAM, panelization and manufacturing information. Materials are then issued and prepared against the approved board construction, copper weight, finished thickness, surface finish and acceptance requirements.
File completeness and revision; board outline and layer sequence; material type, manufacturer and lot; copper weight and finished thickness; drill and routing data; surface finish; impedance targets, tolerances and test-coupon requirements where specified. For high-Tg and high-frequency products, verify the specified resin or dielectric system, Dk/Df requirements, bonding material and copper-foil type before release.
For multilayer boards, approved inner-layer circuit patterns are transferred to the copper surface, developed, etched and stripped. The completed inner-layer circuitry is inspected before bond-preparation treatment, lay-up and lamination enclose the layers within the board structure.
Surface preparation; image scale and alignment; trace/space reproduction; etch factor and compensation; residual copper, opens and shorts; 100% pre-lamination AOI of multilayer inner-layer circuitry. For impedance-controlled and high-frequency designs, conductor geometry and material-specific dimensional compensation are controlled from inner-layer production onward.
Inner-layer cores, prepreg or approved bonding materials, and copper foil are arranged according to the stack-up and bonded through a controlled lamination cycle. Registration and overall construction are then reviewed before drilling.
Material identity and layer sequence; lay-up orientation; copper distribution; lamination recipe matched to the resin and bonding system; dielectric and finished thickness; layer-to-layer registration using the approved verification route, including X-Ray where applicable. High-Tg and high-frequency constructions require material-specific storage, handling and bonding cycles; impedance structures depend on controlled dielectric spacing.
Mechanical holes and slots are produced from the approved drill data. Hole walls are then cleaned, desmeared or otherwise conditioned as required by the board and material system, preparing plated holes for reliable metallization.
Hole type, diameter and position; tool geometry and selection; stack height and hit count; spindle, infeed and retract settings; entry/back-up material; hole-wall quality and debris removal; separation of plated and non-plated features. High-Tg and high-frequency laminates may require material-specific drilling and hole-preparation parameters to manage smear, debris, glass/resin behavior and tool wear.
A conductive seed layer is deposited on prepared hole walls, followed by copper plating to build the required coverage and establish electrical interconnection between applicable layers. The exact activation and metallization route is matched to the laminate system.
Pre-treatment and activation; bath condition and process parameters; copper coverage, adhesion and build; hole-wall continuity; void and nodulation risk; backlight, coupon or microsection verification according to the control plan. Where approved PTFE-based or other specialty high-frequency laminates are used, material-specific hole-wall activation is applied before conductive deposition.
For double-sided and multilayer panels, the outer-layer pattern is imaged and developed, copper and protective metal are plated where required, and unwanted copper is etched away to form the external circuitry. Single-sided boards follow a simplified imaging and etching route without multilayer lamination or PTH interconnection. The completed circuitry is inspected according to the approved product route.
Image alignment; trace/space and annular-ring reproduction; plating build; etch factor, compensation and uniformity; residual copper, opens and shorts; AOI coverage defined by board construction and the inspection plan. For controlled impedance PCBs and high-frequency PCBs, conductor width, spacing, copper thickness/profile and material-specific dimensional allowances are controlled against the approved CAM and stack-up.
Liquid photoimageable solder mask is applied, imaged, developed and cured to protect the circuitry while exposing the required pads and openings. Legend and product-identification information are then added through the approved printing or marking route.
Mask alignment, thickness, adhesion and cure; pad openings and solder-mask dams; via plugging or tenting requirements; legend legibility and offset; approved color and ink system; QR or other marking requirements where specified. Mask-defined or mask-restricted areas on controlled-impedance and RF designs follow the approved fabrication data.
The specified finish is applied to exposed copper features to protect solderable surfaces and support the intended assembly or end-use requirement. Published options include leaded or lead-free HASL, ENIG, OSP and selected carbon-ink applications.
Finish type and specification; coating thickness where applicable; coverage and appearance; surface flatness for fine-pitch assembly; solderability; handling and storage requirements. High-frequency, controlled-impedance and fine-pitch areas follow the finish and surface requirements defined in the approved drawing.
Boards are profiled through the approved CNC routing, V-scoring or punching route. Electrical testing and final visual and dimensional verification are completed in the sequence defined by the product traveler and order requirements.
Board outline and feature dimensions; routed-edge quality; V-score position and residual web; continuity and isolation against the approved netlist; final appearance, marking and order conformity. Double-sided and multilayer boards receive 100% netlist-based electrical testing; single-sided coverage is project-defined. Where impedance is specified, approved coupons or test structures are measured against the agreed target and tolerance.
Finished boards are cleaned and dried according to the applicable process, identified with the approved product, revision and lot information, and packed for storage and transportation using a configuration suited to the board, surface finish and order requirements.
Board cleanliness and dryness; product, revision, quantity and lot identification; packaging integrity; moisture, abrasion and surface-finish protection; shipment documentation and quantity verification. Vacuum packaging, desiccants, humidity indicators and other protective measures are selected according to the agreed packaging route rather than presented as universal defaults.
