Frequently Asked Question's

Company Questions
Quote & Order Questions
Manufacturing, Production and Technical Questions

How long has Axon Circuit been in business?
Axon Circuit, an ISO 9001:2000 Certified PCB Manufacturer began fabricating printed circuit boards in 1990 with only $500,000 of investment capital. The company was founded to provide PCB solutions to surrounding high-tech industries in the Tampa Bay and Orlando areas. Subsequently, over the past 15 years, the Axon Circuit management team has increased revenue to over $10 million annually with worldwide customers.

What are your hours for doing business?
Our normal business hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm EST. Our business and sales offices are closed on weekends and on all major U.S. holidays, but our manufacturing facility operates 24 hours a day.

Where is Axon Circuit located?
Our headquarters is located in Tampa, Florida just west of I-75 and south of SR60 near Brandon, FL. Our sister facility in Orlando is located in Longwood (between Orlando and Lake Mary eastbound on I-4).

Are you a public or private company?
Axon Circuit is a privately held company. We have produced over 20 million PCBs with annual revenue exceeding $10 million. We have a long-term dedicated staff of over 80 employees committed to your success.

How do you meet quality requirements, delivery dates and still keep your prices low?
At Axon Circuit, our number one goal is to provide our customers high-quality printed circuit boards on time at a low price, every time. We are able to meet this goal through strategic planning and our commitment to continuous quality and process improvements. We’ve implemented an efficient quoting and ordering process that allows us to provide quotes within 2 hours, maximize panel utilization, and schedule orders into production immediately. Our Supplier Performance Guarantee and 98% success rate of on-time deliveries illustrates our commitment to these critical requirements.

What happens if I have a problem?
We’ll immediately fix it at our expense. It’s as simple as that. Our Supplier Performance Guarantee insures that you will be taken care of at our expense, assuming the problem is related to our processes of course.

How large is your facility?
We have two facilities totaling over 50,000 square feet.

Quote & Order Questions?

What if I need to cancel my order?
Where should I send my files to get a printed circuit board quoted?
Can you customize panels, and put 2 or more board types on a panel?

What if I need to cancel my order?
Call your account rep or inside sales rep immediately if you need to cancel an order and follow up with a fax or email to confirm. Orders already in process are subject to a cancellation fee.

Where should I send my files to get a printed circuit board quoted?
Go to our Request Quote page for more info. Essentially, you have 4 options:
a. Via Email
b. Via FTP for larger files (must inform sales rep)
c. Via Account Rep
d. Via Website

Can you customize panels, and put 2 or more board types on a panel? We can custom design panels for you, no matter the complexity, including putting 2 or more board types on the same panel to lower your NRE and maximize panel utilization.

Does Axon Circuit bevel gold fingers?
Yes. We bevel gold fingers unless otherwise specified. We do NOT bevel solder fingers unless specified by customer.

What is your standard bevel on a printed circuit board?
Our standard bevel is 30 degrees leaving a .030" edge (+/-.005") on a .062" board.
Optional bevels are as follows:
45 degrees leaving .025" edge (+/-.005")
20 degrees leaving .071" edge (+/-.005")

Does Axon Circuit ever have any leftover stock from previous orders?
Since boards are panelized for maximum usage, the counts are usually not equal to the order quantity, not to mention material scrap and x-outs, so there are often extra boards after a run. We’ll ship you the extras if you need them, but we’ll charge you for them too. If it is a prototype, we’ll often quote a minimum lot, so if there are extra in the lot, then we’ll ship those to you at no extra charge.

What is tab route?
A tab route is used for arrays. Since PCB panels are often larger sizes (e.g. 18” x 24”), the customer can place more than one part in a smaller array for a panelized configuration. This is typically for assemblers that utilize pick and place or waveflow machines to load or solder components, so these smaller panelized boards will fit into their machines. The stuffed PCBs are then snapped or cut apart. Tabs are usually 0.05" wide. Arrays often use scored boards too for maximum efficiency.

What does scoring mean?
This is a v-notch on the top and bottom of an array configuration of multiple PCBs of the same design. The cut is usually 1/3 top, 1/3 bottom, leaving 1/3 uncut in the middle. This process is used when the PCBs are set up next to each other without spacing. After assembly the boards are broken or snapped apart.

Can you handle Controlled Impedance requirements?
Yes. Call your salesperson for more info.

Can you process my dielectric requirements?
Yes. Send us your core and stackup details.

What is the difference between prototype and production?
Our classification of prototype & production is based on your needs. We’ll panelize your boards, so for prototypes, we usually charge a minimum lot with NRE. For production jobs, we’ll still panelize your boards, but give you volume discount pricing and possibly waive the NRE if you switch your volume jobs to us. Ask your account rep for more details.

What files do you need to manufacture my printed circuit board?
We require gerber files (274X, or 274D with an aperture list), an excellon drill file, and a drill tool list.

When do I pay a tooling NRE fee for my printed circuit board?
For new designs not in our system, we charge a tooling and setup fee for the engineering setup, artwork and film.

If I only have a minor change in my design, do you charge Tooling NRE?
Some charges may apply, but we’ll definitely work with our customers to help them out.

What is Testing NRE?
Testing NRE is a one-time charge for electrical test to check continuity or high voltage up to 250V. All multilayer boards require this charge, unless otherwise specified by the customer. Testing is often not required for simple D/S or S/S boards. IMPORTANT NOTE: If electrical testing is not requested by the customer and/or not paid by the customer, then Axon Circuit is not liable for defective boards that are subsequently found to have opens and/or shorts.

What core thicknesses does Axon Circuit use for multi-layer circuit boards?
.005, .008, .010, .014, .020, .040, .059, .093 cores

What is the difference between Class I, Class II and Class III circuit board inspection?
The specifications for Class III boards are much tighter in tolerances than the Class II board, and similarly, Class II vs. Class I. The Class levels are defined in IPC-6012 and carry over to the upgraded document known as IPC-A-600. We build to Class II standards normally, and Class III as requested.

What is the thickest printed circuit board you can process?
.125"

What is the thinnest printed circuit board you can process?
.005" with HASL or Immersion Silver or Tin.

What is the largest PCB Axon Circuit can fabricate?
21” x 27”

What do you need if I want my PCB panelized in array format?
We recommend you send us your complete array pre-panelized. This allows you to set up the array exactly the way you want it. If you need us to set up your array, we can certainly do it for you.

What file generating software would you recommend?
We require gerber-formatted files. See our Request Quote page.

Can I order a different copper weight when I go to production from prototype?
Yes, but additional charges may apply.

Are your prototypes built differently than production?
No. Our prototypes use the same advanced production processes.

Are you UL "Underwriters Laboratory" approved?
Yes, 94V-0.

Are you MIL-PRF-55110 approved?
Our D/S FR-4 boards have met DESI testing requirements for this specification. We’re awaiting certification documentation.

To what acceptability standards do you build to?
IPC-A-600 Class II for all boards, and Class III as requested.

What CAM software do you use?
Infinite Graphics

Can you build RF applications?
Yes. We stock several RF materials such as Rogers 4003/4350, Taconic TLC/TLX, and Arlon 522/527