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Forum Index : PCB Manufacturing : Small run pcb manufacturers
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| noneyabussiness Guru  Joined: 31/07/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 512 |
Hi All, long time reader, first time poster... Just curious on small run (5 - 10) pcb manufacturering and if anyone has any suggestions for the better ones (cost, quality etc.) Google search gives heaps but i was hoping for a experienced push in the right direction. Thanks in advance, Glen I think it works !! |
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| Warpspeed Guru Joined: 09/08/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 4406 |
Its pretty competitive, and the Chinese can beat anyone on price. It also depends what format your PCB design package outputs. The industry standard these days are Gerber files in RS274X (or X2) format, but a lot of free software that has been around for a while, often outputs in other less common file formats that not all the PCB manufacturers can use or be bothered with. So free PCB software may limit your choices of PCB manufacturer. Another consideration might be minimum track widths and clearances. Anything that requires extra special care in manufacture beyond the normal production standard is going to cost you extra. Cheers, Tony. |
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Grogster Admin Group  Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9303 |
Welcome to the forums.  I have used PCB GoGo for ages now, and they are quick, easy and cheap as chips. Only five bucks for ten 100x100 double-sided boards from them now! Gotta be one of the cheapest you can find. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| Warpspeed Guru Joined: 09/08/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 4406 |
If you enter ten 100 x 100 boards delivered to Australia using their quotation system it comes to $30 US which is about $40 Australian. Its a bit more than five dollars. I use PCB Way https://www.pcbway.com/orderonline.aspx Ten 100 x 100 boards delivered to Australia $28 Us or $38 Australian. Both located in China, very cheap, very competitive, there are plenty of other alternatives, but the difference between them will be very slight. Cheers, Tony. |
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| noneyabussiness Guru Joined: 31/07/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 512 |
Awesome thankyou for your responses  ... I think it works !! |
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| Warpspeed Guru Joined: 09/08/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 4406 |
The minimum order quantity is almost always five boards. The difference between ordering five or ten boards is very slight, because most of the cost is in setting up and delivery costs. Once the fully automated robot production machinery is set up to go, it hardly makes any difference to the PCB manufacturer how many you order. The only extra cost is for the extra materials and chemicals, which is not much. So making only one board is just not practical. If you place an order via the internet you should have the boards in your hand usually in about seven or eight days. The only things that have caused me trouble in the past have been the type of files my original crappy PCB software generated, and method of payment. Things have improved greatly over the last few years in both these two areas. The Chinese are pretty smart at business, and are now much more flexible with what they can do. Cheers, Tony. |
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| Alastair Senior Member  Joined: 03/04/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 161 |
I recently used Elecrow in China. Fully automated online. Board cost was A$5 for 5 boards 2 layer, 100x100mm max. Job done in 3 days. Freight is the catch. $25 for DHL 4-7 days, or $7 for registered airmail 7-25 days. I used airmail and they arrived in 10 days. Board quality was good. I will use them again. whole new world by comparison to the messy home make which I used to do years ago. cheers Cheers, Alastair |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9303 |
Well, if you include the shipping, yes. I was only talking about the cost of the PCB's, not the freight. Freight varies from place to place, but they are all quite expensive, so I never mention the freight cost - that is not what it actually costs to make the boards. If you use airmail, it is $17 bringing the total to $22 to Australia, but for the extra I always use DHL, then the boards are here very quickly. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| Warpspeed Guru Joined: 09/08/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 4406 |
My most recent purchase (last week) thirty boards 82 x 47 eight days delivery by DHL total cost $73 Australian. Excellent quality boards too. Cheers, Tony. |
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| HankR Senior Member Joined: 02/01/2015 Location: United StatesPosts: 209 |
I just tried Grog's GOGO outfit for a quote 75mm x 100mm going to US. I saw DHL and Hong Kong Post as the options. Well, there was another "talk to us." Is Hong Kong Post airmail? |
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| Warpspeed Guru Joined: 09/08/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 4406 |
Don't know about Hong Kong Post, but China Post is by container ship to Australia. Its just a cheap surface bulk mail service, delivered by your local postman. Its usually about ten dollars cheaper than DHL, but can take take about four to six weeks instead of three to four days by DHL. Cheers, Tony. |
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