Gold has been hitting record highs. 📈
If you are still specifying ENIG surface finish on every single PCB “just to be safe,” you are setting money on fire.
In 2020, gold was $1,500/oz. It was a minor line item.
Today, at over $5k, that gold layer can represent 25% of the total price of a standard 2-layer board.
The problem? Most engineers copy-paste “ENIG” onto fab drawings out of habit. It’s the “Gold Standard.” But unless you have:
– Fine pitch BGAs (<0.5mm)
– Wire bonding requirements
– A need for 12+ month shelf life
…you usually do not need gold.
The Fix:
Ask your engineering team to audit your top 5 highest-volume legacy boards.
Switch them to Lead-Free HASL or OSP.
On a $50k annual spend, this one tweak could save you $8k-$10k this year.
Don’t let “lazy specs” eat your margin.
Questions or comments? Reach out to me!