Trace is where hardware engineers design their boards. When they're ready to manufacture, orders go to our partners. This page explains the integration model and how to become one.
Trace is an AI-native PCB design tool. Our users describe circuits, we generate the schematic, select components, lay out the board, and produce manufacturing files. Every board that comes off Trace has a normalized, DFM-checked file set ready for a modern SMT line: Gerbers, drill files, pick-and-place CSVs with centroid coordinates, BOMs tagged with DigiKey / Mouser / Nexar part numbers, and manufacturer-specific DRC violations resolved at design time.
We don't own fabrication capacity. Our users do need it. That's the partnership.
Normalized inputs. Every submission is a clean file package: Gerber RS-274X, Excellon drill, standard pick-and-place CSV, BOM with real part numbers. No per-customer cleanup before the line can run.
Pre-validated designs. Trace loads your DRC preset during design, so boards that arrive have already passed your process limits - trace/space, drill sizes, annular rings, material stackup. Scrap rate at SPI and AOI drops because the upstream input is clean.
Autofilled order parameters. Our AI reads the .trace_pcb file and recommends every order field your partner portal requires: layer count, thickness, surface finish, copper weight, silkscreen sides, via process. Quote desks spend less time normalizing inputs.
Programmatic order submission. We call your partner API directly from inside our desktop app. Users don't upload files to a fab's website manually; they click Submit in Trace and the order shows up in your system with the right metadata already attached.
Routing from our user base. Customers using Trace are already in the design loop - we're the first surface they see for manufacturing. If you're a supported partner, orders flow to you.
PCBWay - fabrication and turnkey assembly, up to 14 layers, global. Integrated via the PCBWay Partner API.
Pikkolo Assembly - US-based turnkey assembly in Denver, Colorado. Integrated via Pikkolo's partner API.
Additional manufacturers are added case-by-case. We're actively looking for a US fabrication partner for users who need domestic sourcing.
A partner API. A documented endpoint for quote creation, order submission, status polling, and (ideally) freight calculation. JSON, REST or similar. We can also wrap CSV / email / PDF workflows if the API isn't there yet, but direct API integration is the fastest path to live.
Published process limits. The minimum trace/space, drill sizes, annular rings, surface finishes, and any restrictions specific to your line. We turn these into DRC presets that ship to every Trace user, so violations get caught before they hit your inbox.
A commercial agreement. Revenue share, referral structure, or partner pricing - whatever model fits. We'll sign NDAs.
A Trace user finishes their board. They ask the AI: "submit this to [Your Fab]". Trace packages Gerber + drill + BOM + PnP, runs the autofill, sends the order through your partner API, and shows the user the quote. If freight or assembly options need to be priced, we call your endpoints and surface the options. When the user confirms, we hand off payment (either through your portal or through us with a settled partner account) and the order enters your line.
Status updates flow back: in production, shipped, delivered. The user sees them in the Trace dashboard. Your support burden is lower because the user submitted clean files and already knows what they're paying for.
A modern SMT line is a chain of machines that talk to each other - stencil printer, SPI, pick-and-place, reflow oven, AOI. The board moves through without a human touching it between load and unload. The economic case for the dark-foundry model is simple: every defect caught before the line costs ~$0. Every defect caught at AOI costs a scrap board plus the line time to produce it.
That line is only as fast as its inputs. Trace's job is to make sure the files arriving at step 1 are files you can trust. Clean Gerbers. Correct PnP coordinates. A BOM that matches real parts on the shelf. A design that respects your process limits. If you're automating a line and you want your upstream inputs to stop being the bottleneck, this is what we're here for.
Email hello@buildwithtrace.com with a few lines about your facility - where you're based, what services you offer (fab, assembly, or both), layer count / board size limits, whether you have a partner API already, and any volume targets you're chasing. Put "Manufacturing Partnership" in the subject line so it gets routed correctly. We read every email and reply fast.
We're open to fab partnerships (bare-board fabrication), assembly partnerships (SMT + selective/through-hole), turnkey partners, and full-line partners building toward a dark-foundry model. If you're earlier-stage and still standing up capacity, talk to us too - we can help scope the integration surface while your line is being built.