4-Layer HASL PCB Cost Hike: 1㎡ Rises 63 CNY (8.7 USD)! Post-Sept 2025 Price Surge Breakdown

Home >Blog

2026-01-31

Accurate Calculation of Raw Material Cost Increase for 4-Layer HASL PCBs – Empower PCB Procurement Teams with Negotiation & Cost Control Tools

Since September 2025, suppliers of 4-layer HASL (Hot Air Solder Leveling) PCBs have been raising prices continuously. As a mainstream PCB product widely used in industrial control, automotive electronics, and consumer electronics, is the price hike reasonable? How much have the actual raw material costs increased?

Based on industry-tested consumption data, 4-layer PCB lamination standards, and user-specified raw material prices (copper, tin, PP), this article accurately calculates the pure raw material cost increase for 1㎡ 1.6mm-thick 4-layer HASL PCBs (excluding processing fees). No redundant content, just data-driven insights to help you avoid premium charges and negotiate with confidence.

PCB Printed Circuit Board

4-Layer HASL PCB

I. Core Basic Data: Material Consumption for 1㎡ 4-Layer HASL PCBs (Mass Production Tested)

This calculation focuses on 1.6mm-thick 4-layer HASL PCBs (FR-4 substrate, 0.5OZ base copper for outer layers, 1OZ copper for inner layers, standard HASL process) – the most commonly used specification in the industry. All consumption data includes full-process losses (etching, electroplating, lamination) and can be directly used for cost verification. The 4-layer PCB adopts a standard lamination structure: 0.2mm PP + 1.2mm core board + 0.2mm PP, ensuring thickness uniformity and structural stability.

Material Category	Consumption Composition/Process Standard	Actual Consumption per 1㎡	Key Notes
Copper	1. Substrate copper foil (4 layers: 2 outer layers + 2 inner layers; outer layers 0.5OZ≈18μm, inner layers 1OZ≈35μm); 2. Electroplated copper balls (supplement for conductive circuits and via filling)	1.132kg/m²	Including 25% etching loss and electroplating bath loss; outer layer copper thickness is the same as that of double-sided PCBs (0.5OZ), and inner layer 1OZ copper thickness increases consumption, about 1.7 times the copper consumption of double-sided PCBs.
Tin	HASL process (surface solderability treatment, full-board tin spraying coverage)	0.116843kg/m²	Including 8% tin spraying loss, bath waste, and edge redundancy; using lead-free SAC305 alloy (density≈7.4g/cm³) compliant with RoHS standards, with an average tin layer thickness of 15μm.
PP (Prepreg/Glass Cloth)	Routine ratio for 1.6mm 4-layer PCBs (for lamination and interlayer bonding)	7 sheets/m²	Suitable for 4-layer lamination structure, 1 sheet of PP is used for each lamination interface, the same as the PP consumption of double-sided PCBs, meeting the requirements of interlayer bonding strength.

II. Raw Material Price Comparison: Pre vs. Post-Sept 2025 (User-Specified + Industry-Verified)

Exchange Rate: 1 CNY ≈ 0.138 USD (January 2026 mid-market rate). 4-layer HASL PCBs do not require gold plating, so gold price is not included; copper, tin, and PP prices are consistent with previous industry data to ensure comparability.

Material Category	Pre-Sept 2025 Price	Post-Sept 2025 Price	Price Increase (CNY)	Price Increase (USD)	Increase Rate
Copper	78 CNY/kg (78,000 CNY/ton)	102 CNY/kg (102,000 CNY/ton)	24 CNY/kg	3.31 USD/kg	30.77%
Tin	270 CNY/kg (270,000 CNY/ton)	460 CNY/kg (460,000 CNY/ton)	190 CNY/kg	26.22 USD/kg	70.37%
PP (Prepreg)	13 CNY/sheet	15 CNY/sheet	2 CNY/sheet	0.28 USD/sheet	15.38%

III. Accurate Cost Increase Calculation for 1㎡ 4-Layer HASL PCBs (Excluding Processing Fees)

Calculation Formulas: – Single Material Increase = Actual Consumption per 1㎡ × Unit Price Increase – Total Increase = Copper Increase + Tin Increase + PP Increase

1. Material-Specific Cost Increase Details (Accurate to Two Decimal Places)

Material Category	Consumption per 1㎡	Unit Price Increase (CNY)	Cost Increase per 1㎡ (CNY)	Cost Increase per 1㎡ (USD)	Calculation Process (CNY)
Copper	1.132kg	24 CNY/kg	27.17	3.75	1.132 × 24 = 27.168 ≈ 27.17
Tin	0.116843kg	190 CNY/kg	22.20	3.06	0.116843 × 190 = 22.19997 ≈ 22.20
PP	7 sheets	2 CNY/sheet	14.00	1.93	7 × 2 = 14.00
Total	–	–	63.37 (≈63 CNY/m²)	8.74 (≈8.7 USD/m²)	–

2. Total Increase Summary & Key Insights

Calculation Dimension	Cost Increase per 1㎡ (CNY)	Contribution Ratio	Key Impact Description
Copper Price Hike Contribution	27.17	42.88%	The largest consumption (1.132kg/m²) with a moderate unit price increase; due to the 1OZ inner layer copper thickness, it becomes the core driver of cost increase.
Tin Price Hike Contribution	22.20	35.03%	The highest unit price increase (70.37%); the HASL process requires full-board coverage, making it the second largest factor driving cost increase.
PP Price Hike Contribution	14.00	22.09%	Maintaining a consumption of 7 sheets/m² with a small single-sheet price increase, the cumulative increase is stable and the impact on total cost is controllable.
Total Raw Material Increase	63.37	100%	Pure raw material cost only; due to the 1OZ inner layer copper thickness and 7 sheets of PP, the total increase is about 10 CNY/m² lower than the original specification with 10 sheets of PP.

IV. Common FAQs for PCB Procurement Teams

Q1: Why is the cost increase of 4-layer HASL PCBs higher than that of double-sided PCBs? What is the core reason?

A1: The core reason is higher copper consumption: 4-layer HASL PCBs have 4 copper layers (2 outer layers of 0.5OZ + 2 inner layers of 1OZ), with a copper consumption of 1.132kg per 1㎡; while double-sided PCBs only have 2 layers of 0.5OZ copper, with a consumption of about 0.6514kg. The copper consumption of 4-layer PCBs is about 1.7 times that of double-sided PCBs, combined with the full-board tin spraying consumption of tin, resulting in a higher total increase.

Q2: Does the 63 CNY/m² increase include processing fees and auxiliary material costs?

A2: No. The 63 CNY/m² only includes the price increase of three core raw materials: copper, tin, and PP. For finished 4-layer HASL PCBs, additional costs need to be added: ① Processing fees (lamination, drilling, tin spraying, environmental protection treatment, etc., about 120 CNY/m²); ② Auxiliary material costs (FR-4 core board, solder mask ink, packaging, etc., about 30 CNY/m²). The actual total cost increase of finished products is about 213 CNY/m².

Q3: How to calculate the cost increase for customized 4-layer HASL PCBs (e.g., 1OZ inner layer, 1OZ outer layer, or thickened tin layer)?

A3: It can be adjusted proportionally based on material consumption, with the core formula unchanged: ① 1OZ outer layer copper thickness: The outer layer copper consumption doubles, the total copper consumption per 1㎡ increases to 1.482kg, and the copper price increase rises to 35.57 CNY/m²; ② Thickened tin layer (30μm): The tin consumption doubles, and the tin price increase surges to 44.40 CNY/m²; Contact us to get a free customized cost calculation sheet based on your specific parameters.

Q4: How to control the procurement cost of 4-layer HASL PCBs amid raw material price hikes?

A4: Three actionable tips: 1. Lock in core material prices: Sign 1-3 year long-term fixed-price agreements with reliable suppliers, focusing on locking in copper and tin prices to avoid volatility risks; 2. Optimize copper thickness specifications: For non-high-current circuits, maintain the conventional specification of 0.5OZ outer layer and 1OZ inner layer without blind thickening; 3. Control PP consumption: Maintain the conventional ratio of 7 sheets, without additional increase in the number of PP sheets to avoid redundant consumption.

Q5: Will the raw material cost of 4-layer HASL PCBs continue to rise in 2026?

A5: Short-term fluctuations are expected to continue upward. Copper demand will remain high driven by AI servers and new energy vehicles; tin supply will remain tight due to Indonesian export restrictions; PP prices will rise slightly with the recovery of the glass fiber industry. It is recommended to moderately stock up on core materials or sign fixed-price agreements to lock in costs.

V. Industry Practical Suggestions (Empower Negotiation & Cost Control)

Judge the Reasonableness of Supplier Price Hikes: If the total price increase of the supplier’s finished product quotation exceeds 73 CNY/m² (including raw materials, processing fees, and auxiliary materials), there is a high probability of premium. Use the copper, tin, and PP price increase data in this article to negotiate and refute unreasonable premiums.

Optimize Lamination Design: On the premise of meeting product performance, maintain the conventional ratio of 7 sheets of PP to avoid blind increase in the number of PP sheets; implement the 1OZ standard for inner layer copper thickness without excessive thickening, balancing cost and performance.

Verify Material Consumption Data: Request suppliers to provide copper, tin, and PP consumption reports for each batch, and compare them with the tested data in this article to avoid overcharging caused by “false consumption”.

Explore Alternative Processes: For non-high-temperature and non-high-reliability application scenarios, replace the HASL process with OSP (Organic Solderability Preservative) to reduce tin consumption by 80% and lower raw material costs by 15-20%.

VI. Call to Action

Want to get your exclusive 4-layer HASL PCB cost calculation Excel template? Or need to verify the reasonableness of your PCB supplier‘s quotation? Leave a comment with “4-Layer Calculation” below to get the template for free!

Core SEO Keywords

#4LayerHASLPCB #4LayerPCBCostHike #PCBPriceSurge2025 #CopperTinPPPriceIncrease #PCBProcurementTips #4LayerPCBcopperThickness #HASLPCBCostCalculation #PCBIndustryInsights

Back to previous page

NEWS LIST

Product Center