Tin Material Cost Calculation in PCB Manufacturing

2026-01-23

2026 PCB Tin Material Cost Calculation: Exact Tin Costs for Circuit Fabrication Plating & Hot Air Solder Leveling (No Processing Fees Included)

This calculation only accounts for the pure tin material cost of two core tin-consuming processes in PCB production—tin plating for circuit fabrication and Hot Air Solder Leveling (HASL) for surface finish. All HASL calculations incorporate the full-process industrial losses (solder dross, oxidation, tin beads, etc.) that reflect actual mass production in PCB factories, with parameters aligned to universal industry standards. The data is fully applicable for PCB raw material cost accounting, quotation negotiations, and supply chain cost analysis for electronics manufacturing professionals.

Tin Material Cost Calculation in PCB Manufacturing

I. Core Calculation Assumptions (Industry Standard & Practical Production Parameters)

Basic Parameters

PCB Specification: 1 square meter double-sided PCB (total area of both sides = 2 m²), suitable for mainstream consumer electronics and industrial control PCB products

Tin Material Specs: Industrial-grade pure tin (≥99.9%) with a density of 7310 kg/m³

Current Tin Price (Jan 2026): 280 CNY/kg (industrial electrolytic tin, subject to minor fluctuations from global ore supply and electronic demand)

Exchange Rate (Jan 2026): 1 CNY ≈ 0.1427 USD

Process-Specific Parameters

Tin Plating for Circuit Fabrication: Practical industrial tin consumption = 0.05 kg/m² (includes reasonable process losses such as plating bath waste and circuit plating redundancy, reflecting real factory consumption)

HASL for Surface Finish:

HASL Billing Area: 10% of the total area of both PCB sides (actual HASL area = 0.2 m², standard for partial HASL pricing)

Average HASL Thickness: 200 microinches (200 μin) = 5.08 μm (universal industry average for HASL processes)

Process Loss Factor: 9x (industry median, includes full-process losses such as high-temperature oxidation, solder dross, tin beads, and fixture adhesion; 8x for large automated factories, 10x for small manual workshops)

II. Pure Tin Material Cost for Circuit Fabrication Plating

Tin plating in circuit fabrication serves as a temporary etch resist layer for copper circuits. The stated tin consumption is an industry-verified practical value (all inherent process losses included, no hidden costs), with calculations limited exclusively to pure tin raw material costs.

Calculation Formula & Results

Core Formula: Tin Cost for Circuit Plating = Practical Industrial Tin Consumption × Market Tin Price

CNY Cost: 0.05 kg/m² × 280 CNY/kg = 14 CNY/m²

USD Cost: 14 CNY × 0.1427 USD/CNY ≈ 2.00 USD/m² (exact value: 1.998 USD/m²)

Key Note

The above consumption applies to standard PCBs (line width/space ≥ 0.1mm). For high-precision fine circuit PCBs (line width/space ＜ 0.1mm), stricter tin layer uniformity requirements increase process losses by 8%-15%, raising the pure tin material cost by an additional 1.12-2.1 CNY/m².

III. Pure Tin Material Cost for Surface Finish HASL (Including Full-Process Industrial Losses)

HASL tin consumption is calculated as Theoretical Plating Tin Weight × Industrial Process Loss Factor—the theoretical value represents only the tin physically deposited on the PCB surface, while the loss factor is a mandatory accounting item for real-world factory production. This methodology eliminates the inaccuracy of theoretical-only calculations and fully aligns with actual factory procurement and consumption logic.

Core Calculation Logic

Actual Factory Tin Consumption (HASL) = Theoretical Plating Tin Weight × Industry Process Loss Factor

Pure Tin Cost for HASL = Actual Factory Tin Consumption × Market Tin Price

Step-by-Step Precise Calculation

Step 1: Calculate Theoretical Plating Tin Weight (No Losses, Only Surface-Deposited Tin)

Unit Conversion: 5.08 μm = 5.08×10⁻⁶ m; 7310 kg/m³ = 7310000 g/m³

HASL Volume: Actual HASL Area (0.2 m²) × HASL Thickness (5.08×10⁻⁶ m) = 1.016×10⁻⁶ m³

Theoretical Tin Weight: 1.016×10⁻⁶ m³ × 7310000 g/m³ = 7.427 g/m² (0.007427 kg/m²)

Step 2: Calculate Actual Factory Tin Consumption (Including Full-Process Losses)

Using the industry median loss factor (9x):

Actual Tin Consumption = 7.427 g/m² × 9 = 66.843 g/m² (0.066843 kg/m²)

Step 3: Calculate Pure Tin Material Cost for HASL (CNY & USD)

CNY Cost: 0.066843 kg/m² × 280 CNY/kg ≈ 18.72 CNY/m²

USD Cost: 18.72 CNY × 0.1427 USD/CNY ≈ 2.67 USD/m²

HASL Tin Cost for Different Factory Process Levels

Easily adaptable for your production capabilities—no recalculation required:

Factory Process Level	Loss Factor	Actual Tin Consumption (g/m²)	Pure Tin Cost (CNY/m²)	Pure Tin Cost (USD/m²)
Large Automated Factories	8x	59.416	16.64	2.37
Standard Mass-Production (Recommended)	9x	66.843	18.72	2.67
Small Manual Workshops	10x	74.270	20.80	2.97

IV. Total Pure Tin Material Cost for 1 m² Double-Sided PCB

Total tin cost = Pure tin cost for circuit fabrication plating + Pure tin cost for HASL (surface finish)

Standard Mass-Production Factory (9x Loss Factor, Industry Median)

Total CNY Cost: 14 CNY/m² (circuit plating) + 18.72 CNY/m² (HASL) = 32.72 CNY/m²

Total USD Cost: 2.00 USD/m² (circuit plating) + 2.67 USD/m² (HASL) = 4.67 USD/m²

Total Tin Cost for All Factory Process Levels

Factory Process Level	Total Pure Tin Cost (CNY/m²)	Total Pure Tin Cost (USD/m²)
Large Automated Factories	30.64	4.37
Standard Mass-Production (Recommended)	32.72	4.67
Small Manual Workshops	34.80	4.97

V. Critical Industry Practical Notes

HASL Losses Are the Core Cost Variable: Only 10%-12% of the tin consumed in HASL is actually deposited on the PCB surface; 88%-90% is lost as solder dross, tin beads, and high-temperature oxidation. This is the primary reason HASL tin costs far exceed theoretical plating values and is a non-negotiable accounting item for factories.

Full-Panel HASL Cost Adjustment: For full-panel HASL (100% of both PCB sides = 2 m²), the pure tin cost for standard mass-production factories rises to 187.2 CNY/m², with a total tin material cost of 201.2 CNY/m² (circuit plating + full-panel HASL). Calculate proportionally for custom HASL areas.

Tin Price Volatility Impact: For every 10 CNY/kg fluctuation in the industrial tin price, the total pure tin material cost for standard mass-production factories changes by approximately 0.618 CNY/m²—a far smaller impact than precious metals like gold or nickel, with no need for complex hedging strategies.

Lead-Free HASL Cost Adjustment: Lead-free HASL uses tin-copper/tin-silver-copper alloys (10%-15% more expensive than pure tin). Apply this percentage increase directly to the pure tin material cost; HASL consumption and loss factors remain unchanged for lead-free processes.

VI. Core Keywords

PCB Tin Material Cost

Circuit Fabrication Tin Plating Cost

PCB HASL Tin Consumption

Double-Sided PCB Tin Cost

HASL Process Loss Factor

Conclusion

For a 1 m² double-sided PCB with 10% partial HASL (200 μin thickness) and standard mass-production processes (9x HASL loss factor), the total pure tin material cost (circuit fabrication plating + surface finish HASL) is 32.72 CNY/m² (≈4.67 USD/m²) in January 2026.

HASL accounts for approximately 57.2% of the total tin material cost—making it the single largest tin expense in PCB production. Factories can optimize raw material costs by upgrading to automated production (reducing the HASL loss factor to 8x), which lowers the total pure tin cost to 30.64 CNY/m² (≈4.37 USD/m²). For high-precision fine circuit PCBs or full-panel HASL requirements, adjust the calculation parameters per the industry notes above for accurate, scenario-specific cost accounting.

This data is a universal reference for the PCB manufacturing industry—all parameters and calculations align with global PCB production standards and can be directly applied to cost modeling, supplier negotiations, and product pricing strategies.

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