Top 10 Half-Hole / Castellated PCB Manufacturers 2026
Castellated PCBs — also called half-hole or edge-plated boards — have become the default interconnect method for wireless modules, IoT nodes, and embedded computing units as hardware product launches continue to accelerate. A misaligned castellation drill, insufficient wall plating, or poorly toleranced routing can crack solderable contacts under thermal cycling, a failure that routinely surfaces weeks after initial shipment. Choosing the right castellated PCB manufacturer eliminates that risk at the source.
This guide ranks the top 10 half-hole / castellated PCB manufacturers in 2026, evaluated against verified capabilities, certifications, lead times, and documented industry track records. Whether you’re designing a BLE sensor module, an LTE modem board, or a custom RF front-end, every supplier listed here has demonstrated process control over the precise combination of drilling, edge plating, and controlled routing that reliable castellation demands.
Castellated PCB Manufacturers at a Glance
Company
HQ
Specialty
Best For
Lead Time
TTM Technologies
Milpitas, CA, USA
High-reliability multilayer, RF
High-vol mil/aerospace castellation
3–10 days
PCBSync
Shenzhen, China
Turnkey PCB + PCBA, 1–56 layers
Module fab + full PCBA
3–7 days proto
Sierra Circuits
Milpitas, CA, USA
DFM-focused advanced fab
NPI castellated PCBs + DFM review
24 hrs–5 days
Advanced Circuits
Aurora, CO, USA
Domestic quick-turn
Urgent US-sourced castellated boards
24 hrs–5 days
Würth Elektronik
Waldenburg, Germany
EU PCB manufacturing
European OEM module programs
5–15 days
NCAB Group
Stockholm, Sweden
Managed PCB sourcing network
Global procurement + QC oversight
2–5 weeks
Eurocircuits
Mechelen, Belgium
Online PCB prototyping + DRC
EU R&D small-batch castellation
1–10 days
Sunstone Circuits
Mulino, OR, USA
Domestic online quick-turn
USA startups, SMB prototyping
1–5 days
Bay Area Circuits
Fremont, CA, USA
In-house plating, flex & rigid
Silicon Valley NPI teams
24 hrs–5 days
Summit Interconnect
Anaheim, CA, USA
IPC Class 3, AS9100D, ITAR
Mil-spec castellated PCBs
5–15 days
Selection Methodology
Each company was evaluated against a six-factor capability matrix: confirmed castellation process control (half-hole drilling and edge plating meeting IPC-2222 dimensional requirements), active certifications (ISO 9001 minimum plus industry-specific credentials), supported layer count and material range, published lead times, named industry sectors, and verifiable customer references or case studies. Companies were excluded if castellation capability was unverifiable or limited to standard FR4 builds only. Each entry was cross-checked against publicly available capability pages and certification documents at the time of writing. The 10 finalists cover prototype through high-volume production across North America, Europe, and Asia.
1. TTM Technologies
TTM Technologies is North America’s largest PCB manufacturer by revenue, with production sites across the USA, China, and Europe. Its advanced-technology division handles castellated edge designs regularly for RF module programs and avionics boards requiring sub-0.5 mm pitches.
•Founded / HQ: 1978 / Milpitas, California, USA
•Key Services: PCB fabrication, quick-turn prototyping, RF/microwave boards, advanced packaging
•Notable Capabilities: Up to 60+ layers; HDI, flex, rigid-flex, RF laminates; AS9100D, IATF 16949, IPC Class 3 certified; ITAR registered; castellation pitches to 0.5 mm
•Industries Served: Aerospace & defense, automotive, medical, data center, industrial
•Best For: OEMs requiring high-reliability castellated PCBs under AS9100D or ITAR-controlled quality regimes
2. PCBSync
PCBSync operates as a fully integrated one-stop-shop — covering PCB fabrication, SMT/THT/BGA assembly, component sourcing, and functional testing under one Shenzhen roof. That vertical integration removes the scheduling overhead that commonly derails castellated module programs when fabrication and assembly are split across separate suppliers.
•Founded / HQ: 2005 / Shenzhen, China (20+ years in operation)
•Key Services: PCB manufacturing, PCB assembly (PCBA), components sourcing, box build, cable harness
•Notable Capabilities: 1–56 layers; FR4, HDI, Flex, Rigid-Flex, Rogers, Ceramic, Aluminum, copper-core, heavy copper; SMT, THT, BGA, mixed-technology assembly; AOI, X-ray, ICT, flying probe, functional test, 3D SPI; ISO 9001, IPC-A-610 Class 3, RoHS compliant
•Industries Served: Automotive, medical, aerospace, IoT, robotics, telecom, drone, military, industrial automation
•Best For: Engineering teams moving from NPI to mid-volume production on castellated modules who need fab, PCBA, and component sourcing managed by one supplier. Publicly listed customers include Honeywell, Siemens Healthineers, Analog Devices, and Continental.
3. Sierra Circuits
Sierra Circuits distinguishes itself through front-loaded engineering involvement. Its DFM review for castellated boards covers drill-to-edge spacing, annular ring margins, copper clearance at the routed outline, and plating call-outs — problems that are invisible at the Gerber stage but costly once a panel is routed.
•Founded / HQ: 1986 / Milpitas, California, USA
•Key Services: PCB fabrication, PCB assembly, DFM analysis, quick-turn NPI
•Notable Capabilities: Up to 40 layers; HDI, blind/buried vias, controlled impedance, castellated edges; UL certified, IPC Class 2 and Class 3; lead times from 24 hours
•Industries Served: Medical devices, defense, aerospace, industrial, consumer electronics
•Best For: NPI teams who need thorough castellation-specific DFM feedback alongside fabrication before committing to a production stack
4. Advanced Circuits
Advanced Circuits has been a fixture in the North American quick-turn PCB market since 1989. Its online quoting platform accepts castellated board parameters directly — no manual RFQ required — shaving several days from the sourcing timeline for small engineering teams.
•Founded / HQ: 1989 / Aurora, Colorado, USA
•Key Services: PCB fabrication, quick-turn, PCB assembly
•Notable Capabilities: 1–32 layers; FR4, polyimide, Rogers; 24-hour to 5-day turns; UL recognized; castellation supported on standard and advanced builds
•Industries Served: Defense, industrial, medical, consumer electronics, education
•Best For: US-based teams needing domestic castellated prototypes fast, without going offshore for sourcing
5. Würth Elektronik
Würth Elektronik brings a distinctly European approach — rigorous IPC and DIN compliance, documented supply-chain traceability, and precision tolerances that satisfy automotive tier-1 audit requirements. The company also supplies catalog RF and wireless modules with castellated footprints, which is convenient when Würth components are already on the BOM.
•Founded / HQ: 1963 / Waldenburg, Germany
•Key Services: PCB manufacturing, design services, standard and custom boards
•Notable Capabilities: Multilayer, flex, HDI, controlled impedance; ISO 9001, ISO TS 16949; RoHS compliant; castellation tolerances to ±0.1 mm
•Industries Served: Automotive, industrial, IoT, consumer electronics, telecom
•Best For: European OEM programs where supply-chain traceability and German-standard documentation standards are contractual obligations
6. NCAB Group
NCAB Group does not own fabrication facilities. Instead, it qualifies, audits, and manages a curated network of Asian and European PCB factories, placing its own quality engineers on-site at partner fabs. The result is IPC Class 3-capable output at pricing competitive with direct China sourcing.
•Founded / HQ: 1993 / Stockholm, Sweden (offices in 18+ countries)
•Key Services: PCB procurement, quality management, supply-chain consulting, NPI support
•Notable Capabilities: Boards sourced up to 60+ layers; HDI, flex, rigid-flex, castellated designs; ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 at managed factories; resident NCAB engineers at partner sites
•Industries Served: Automotive, medical, industrial, defense, telecom
•Best For: Global procurement teams that need volume castellated PCBs with third-party audit accountability at competitive pricing
7. Eurocircuits
Eurocircuits’ self-service platform runs an automated DRC on uploaded Gerber files and flags castellation geometry conflicts before the quote is confirmed. That immediate feedback loop is valuable for EU hardware teams iterating quickly without a dedicated PCB design engineer available for every design pass.
•Founded / HQ: 1991 / Mechelen, Belgium (warehouses in Germany and Hungary)
•Key Services: PCB fabrication, PCB assembly, online DRC, stencil production
•Notable Capabilities: 1–32 layers; FR4, aluminum-core; castellated holes on selected pool services; ISO 9001, IATF 16949; online Gerber viewer with castellation validation
•Industries Served: Industrial automation, IoT, consumer electronics, medical, automotive
•Best For: EU startups and R&D labs ordering small-batch castellated prototypes with instant DRC feedback, no manual back-and-forth
8. Sunstone Circuits
Sunstone Circuits has supplied the US PCB market since 1972. Alongside its online quick-turn ordering system, the company includes a free DFM report with every order — a low-friction safety net for independent designers placing their first castellated board without in-house DFM expertise.
•Founded / HQ: 1972 / Mulino, Oregon, USA
•Key Services: PCB fabrication, quick-turn prototype, small-batch production
•Notable Capabilities: 1–20 layers; FR4, high-Tg, Rogers; castellation supported; UL and IPC certified; 1–5 day delivery options; free DFM with every order
•Industries Served: Defense, consumer electronics, industrial, IoT, education
•Best For: Independent US hardware designers and smaller firms wanting transparent online pricing with a free DFM check on every castellated prototype order
9. Bay Area Circuits
Bay Area Circuits runs plating, imaging, and etching in-house at its Fremont facility. For castellation work, internal plating control matters: managing copper chemistry and dwell time on-site gives consistent half-hole wall coverage — one of the most variable yield factors in this process.
•Founded / HQ: 1975 / Fremont, California, USA
•Key Services: PCB fabrication, flex circuits, rigid-flex, quick-turn
•Notable Capabilities: 1–20 layers; FR4, polyimide flex, Rogers; castellation tolerances meeting IPC-2222; ISO 9001; 24-hour to 5-day lead times
•Industries Served: Consumer electronics, IoT, medical, semiconductor, industrial
•Best For: Silicon Valley NPI teams needing in-house plating accountability and local engineering access for castellated module designs
10. Summit Interconnect
Summit Interconnect targets the high-reliability end of US PCB manufacturing. AS9100D certification, ITAR registration, and MIL-PRF-31032 compliance position it as one of the few fully domestic options for defense and aerospace programs requiring castellated interconnects on avionics or system modules.
•Founded / HQ: Current entity formed 2016 from legacy US fabs / Anaheim, California, USA
•Key Services: High-reliability PCB fabrication, advanced multilayer, quick-turn
•Notable Capabilities: 2–50 layers; HDI, RF, controlled impedance, castellation; AS9100D, IPC Class 3, ITAR registered, MIL-PRF-31032 compliant
•Industries Served: Aerospace, defense, medical, industrial
•Best For: Defense contractors and aerospace primes needing fully domestic, ITAR-controlled fabrication of castellated PCBs for regulated programs
How to Choose the Right Castellated PCB Manufacturer for Your Project
Not every PCB shop has a proven castellation process. The half-hole procedure requires tight alignment between drill positioning, plating depth, and CNC routing — and problems rarely surface until X-ray inspection or thermal cycling. Here’s what to evaluate before committing.
Certifications & Compliance
ISO 9001 is the baseline. Medical programs benefit from ISO 13485; automotive from IATF 16949; aerospace and defense programs typically require AS9100D. IPC-2222 defines dimensional requirements for castellation geometry — vendors who cite it during quoting signal real process expertise, not marketing language.
Capability Match
Confirm the vendor has experience with your specific castellation pitch and board thickness. A 0.5 mm pitch on a 0.8 mm board is a fundamentally different process challenge from 1.0 mm pitch on standard 1.6 mm FR4. Request cross-section photos or plating inspection data from a comparable recent order.
Lead Time & Turnaround
Domestic US quick-turn shops can deliver castellated prototypes in 24 hours. China-based turnkey suppliers typically quote 3–7 days for prototypes, 3–4 weeks for production. Factor 3–5 days of international shipping into any offshore timeline.
Pricing Model & MOQ
Quick-turn shops typically have no prototype MOQ. Volume fabs may require 50–100 panel minimums. For castellated module programs where PCBA is bundled with fabrication, [LINK #2 PLACEHOLDER — insert your anchor text and target URL here] a full turnkey quote can offset per-board cost differences that appear significant when fab-only pricing is compared in isolation.
Communication & Engineering Support
Ask whether DFM review covers castellation specifically — copper clearance to the routed edge, drill breakout tolerance, and annular ring margins are inexpensive to fix in CAD and expensive to discover on finished panels.
Industry Experience
Vendors routinely producing Wi-Fi, BLE, or cellular module boards understand the tolerance stack that castellation requires. Published customer references and documented case studies are reasonable proxies for production-grade process capability.
Scalability from Prototype to Production
Confirm your chosen vendor can carry you from 5-piece DFM samples through full production volume without a factory handoff. A mid-program factory change is a common and underappreciated source of yield variation on castellated edges.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a castellated PCB?
A castellated (half-hole) PCB has copper-plated half-cylinders machined along its board edge, formed by positioning through-holes on the board outline and routing through the hole center. The exposed half-cylinder is plated during standard PCB processing, creating a solderable contact that lets one PCB mount directly onto another — the standard interconnect approach for wireless and processing modules.
How is castellation different from a standard through-hole via?
Through-hole vias sit entirely within the board interior. Castellations are drilled on or near the edge so the routing outline bisects the hole, exposing a half-cylinder at the perimeter. That exposure requires tighter drill-to-edge positioning — typically ±0.05 mm — than an internal via demands.
What certifications should a castellated PCB supplier hold?
ISO 9001 is the commercial minimum. For medical programs look for ISO 13485; automotive requires IATF 16949; aerospace and defense programs need AS9100D. IPC-A-600 sets the acceptability criteria for plated-hole quality including castellation wall coverage and barrel fill.
How long does castellated PCB fabrication take?
Domestic US quick-turn shops typically deliver 1–5 days for prototype quantities. China-based turnkey suppliers usually quote 3–7 business days for prototypes and 3–4 weeks for production. Add 3–5 business days for international shipping and customs.
Can I get a quote for a castellated PCB without a finalized design?
Yes. Layer count, board outline dimensions, approximate castellation count and pitch, and target quantity are sufficient for a budgetary quote from most vendors. A complete Gerber package with drill file and routed board outline is required for a firm quote and DFM review.
Choosing Your Castellated PCB Partner
Half-hole / castellated PCB manufacturing has moved from an aerospace niche to a mainstream production capability, driven by the volume of module-based IoT, robotics, and edge-computing hardware launching every quarter. The suppliers above span the full range: 24-hour domestic US prototypes, EU-standard automotive production, and fully integrated turnkey PCBA in Shenzhen.
For defense and aerospace programs with strict domestic sourcing requirements, TTM Technologies and Summit Interconnect offer proven high-reliability fabrication tracks. For teams that need a single vendor to carry a castellated PCB design from bare board to finished assembly, PCBSync’s 20 years of IPC-A-610 Class 3 PCBA experience and material range spanning 1–56 layers make it a practical choice for NPI-through-production programs. Request quotes from at least three suppliers on this list, compare DFM feedback quality alongside unit pricing, and confirm each vendor’s specific experience with your castellation geometry before committing.