Setup and stencil
Programming the line and cutting the stencil is a fixed cost per design. It dominates small batches and disappears into the unit price on large ones — which is why we show it separately.
Pricing
What a Velbit quote is made of.
We publish the structure and real worked examples. The rate card stays private, because it is how we compete — but nothing on your quote will be a line you cannot explain to your finance team.
Cost drivers
Four things move the number
Components
Bought against your BOM at landed cost plus a tiered markup, with attrition for the parts that get lost in the feeder. Usually the largest line on a turnkey quote.
Placement labour
Driven by placement count, not board count: a board with 400 parts costs more to build than one with 40 at the same size. Double-sided and fine-pitch add to it.
Test and finishing
Inspection is included. Firmware flashing, depaneling and washing are quoted per unit when the build needs them.
What a quote includes
Quoted per design, not from a list
| Item | Included |
|---|---|
| Stencil | Yes, in the price |
| Electrical test on bare boards | Yes, in the price |
| Visual inspection to IPC-A-610 Class 2 | Yes, in the price |
| ESD-safe packing | Yes, in the price |
| Setup / NRE per design | Quoted with the order, waived on repeats of the same design |
| Test fixture design | Quoted separately when a functional test is wanted |
| Minimum order | 5 boards |
| Quote validity | 30 days |
Prices exclude VAT and freight. Send the design on the quote form and a real number comes back, usually within one business day.
Why there is no price list
A published price list for assembly is either wrong or so hedged it tells you nothing. The number is driven by your bill of materials — what the parts cost the week we buy them, how many are on allocation, how many placements the board needs and how many of them are difficult.
So we quote the board in front of us rather than a board that looks like it. Send Gerbers and a BOM and you get a real number, itemised, with the assumptions written down so you can see which line to argue with.
When someone else is cheaper
On a handful of simple prototype boards, the big Chinese shops will beat us on price. That is not a reason to distrust their quote or ours — it is a different economics.
The crossover for a typical industrial board is somewhere around sample 500–1,000 units, earlier if the design is still changing or the BOM needs judgement. Below it, price wins. Above it, freight time, revision cycles, communication and total landed cost start to dominate.
The full comparison, including the tariff position, is on the nearshoring page. If your job lands on the wrong side of that line, we will say so in the quote.
Pricing questions
Why don't you show an instant price?
Because for assembly it would be a fiction. Component availability moves weekly and the BOM drives most of the cost. We would rather have an engineer read your files and give you a number that holds for 30 days.
Do you mark up components?
Yes, and it appears as its own line. The markup is tiered by BOM value — smaller BOMs carry a higher percentage because the sourcing work is the same.
How long is a quote valid?
30 days. Component prices move; if a quote ages past that we requote rather than surprise you.
Do prices include shipping?
No — prices exclude VAT and freight. Default terms are FCA Veles (Incoterms 2020): we load onto your nominated truck at the plant and you carry it from there. Freight is quoted with the order once we know the destination, and we handle the export declaration either way.
Is there a discount for repeat orders?
Setup is waived on a repeat run of the same design, which is usually the biggest single saving. Tell us it is recurring on the quote form.
Can I tell you my target price?
Please do. There is a field for it on the form. If it is reachable we will hit it; if it is not, we will tell you what would have to change instead of quietly declining.
A real number beats a price list.
Send your files and get itemized pricing at every quantity, typically within one business day.