PCB Delivery Lead Times

Lead time is rarely a single number. It is the sum of material availability, process complexity, data quality, factory load, and the risk the build introduces. Understanding these drivers allows us to provide our customers with faster, more predictable delivery

Standard Lead Time - 20 working days

This is measured Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Offshore holiday impacts are identified at the time of quote for non-domestic production.

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Quick Turn Printed Circuit Boards

What is a Quick-Turn PCB Delivery?

A quick-turn is any PCB order committed to ship in fewer working days than the supplier’s standard lead time. Many circuit board shops define standard as 20 working days for rigid PCBs, so anything under that is a quick-turn. Typical quick-turn tiers include 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, or 15 working days, depending on layer count and complexity.

How Delivery Time Is Calculated

1. Working days only: Monday through Friday. Do not count weekends or company holidays.
2. Ship date, not arrival: The quoted “5-day” or “10-day” is the day the board ships from the factory; transit time is separate.
3. Day zero vs day one: The clock starts when all the following are true: clean, manufacturable data package received, PO accepted, materials confirmed, and any questions resolved. Orders received after the shop’s daily cutoff roll to the next working day, starting from day one.

Simple Counting Examples

• 5-day example: PO and data accepted on Monday before the cutoff at 1 p.m. EST. Working days are Mon= 1, Tue=2, Wed=3, Thu=4, Fri=5. Ships Friday.
• Same case, order received Monday after cutoff at 3 p.m.: Day 1 is Tuesday, so it ships the following Monday.
• Holiday in the period: if Thursday is a holiday, a 5-day order accepted Monday ships the following Monday.

Technology	1 Day	2 Day	3 Day	4 Day	5 Day	6 Day
1-4 Layers	X	X	X	X	X	X
6-10 Layers		X	X	X	X	X
> 10 Layers			X	X	X	X

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Most Common Attributes That Extend Lead Time

Lead time stretches when designs introduce added risk, extra process steps, or missing information. The items below are the most common drivers, and where small choices up front can remove days from your schedule.

1. Data package readiness:

• Send a complete set: DB++ or IPC 2581, Gerbers, netlist, fabrication drawing, stack-up, impedance targets, and drill files
• Include clear notes: IPC class, solder mask, finish, bow and twist limits, X out policy, coupon requirements, acceptance criteria
• Keep one source of truth: drawing, stack-up, and Gerbers must match, or the job will be put on hold

2. Material selection and availability:

• Standard materials move fastest: FR4, high temp FR4, and common low loss grades that are typically in stock
• Specialty materials extend lead time: Specialty materials extend lead time:
• Preapprove alternates: listing drop-in options at quote time prevents delays when primary material is short

3. Stack-up, layer count, and lamination cycles:

• Fewer laminations are faster: simple builds of 1 to 8 layers with a single press cycle
• HDI with blind or buried vias adds sequential laminations plus extra drill and plate steps
• Mixed dielectrics or heavy copper increase press time and plating time

4. Via strategy and drilling:

• Via in pad with fill and cap adds fill cure and planarization steps
• Microvias and stacked microvias demand tighter registration and more lamination cycles
• Very small mechanical drills slow feed rates, raise tool wear, and increase inspection time

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Does Order Quantity Affect Lead Time?

Yes and no. Epec can ship anywhere from one PCB to ten thousand circuit boards quickly, with timing driven mainly by design complexity, material availability, and test strategy rather than the raw count. For smaller orders, it is common to run full panel lots of a few hundred pieces in one to three working days when the stack-up and materials are standard.

As quantities rise and panel counts grow, machine hours and throughput become the pacing items. We plan the build with you, so the release cadence matches your actual consumption. For contract manufacturers, we usually set a delivery schedule in usable drops rather than a single large shipment. There is no benefit to paying for ten thousand boards to arrive in ten days if your line can process five hundred per day. In those cases, we stage production and ship in waves that keep your line fed without tying up cash or storage.

How We Make Quantity Work For You

• Split releases that match daily or weekly throughput
• Blanket purchase orders with scheduled pulls from our warehouse
• Kanban options to keep a steady buffer without overbuilding
• Early lots for first article approval followed by continuous flow

Share your target quantities and desired cadence, and we will propose a build and delivery plan that meets your dates without overloading your floor.

Production Volume PCB Orders Lead Time

Epec scales from small lots to sustained production with the same quality standard, stable lead times, and predictable costs. Our global supply chain supports modern PCB technologies while maintaining on-time delivery.

Global Manufacturing Footprint and Production Scale Capabilities:

• Production facilities in the USA, China, Taiwan, and Malaysia
• Parallel capacity planning to hold dates during demand spikes and holiday periods
• Smooth transfer between sites using common processes, tooling data, and quality plans

Quality and Documentation:

• U.S.-based engineering oversight, incoming data verification, and final release checks
• Lot level traceability, first article or FAIR on request, PPAP support when required
• Process capability reporting and reference coupons for controlled impedance

Scheduling and Logistics:

• Firm ship commitments aligned to working days
• Split shipments that match your line capacity to avoid floor congestion and excess inventory
• Coordinated test and inspection plans to keep throughput consistent as quantities rise

Delivery Options and Stocking:

• Kanban and blanket stocking programs with scheduled pulls
• Warehouse programs that position inventory closer to your build site to compress release to dock time
• One-time tooling that carries from the first release through the life of the part

Speak with your customer success manager to set up a stocking or scheduled release program that fits your forecast, lot size, and required cadence.

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Domestic PCB Capabilities

Learn More About Our Domestic PCB Capabilities

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Ready To Accelerate Your Rigid PCB Project?

Choose from our quick turn options for delivery in as little as 1-day or go with our standard 20-day lead time. Seamlessly transition from prototype to production with no extra tooling costs.

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