PCB multi-design prototypes - recommended manufacturers?

Peter Jakacki

I have been sorting out the many little pcbs I want to get manufactured including my PUPPY modules and normally what I do with prototypes is place anything I want onto a standard sized panel which the local pcb people make up for a set fee with a 5-day turn-around. But I am not at all happy with the local manufacturer and I want to get a panel made.

I know that there are many manufacturers that don't do multi-design panels or they hit you hard for every different design on the panel, which sometimes might be just a little trinket proto. Normally production boards I will get done at Ourpcb but they are not real good with MD protos and so I have been looking at Gold Phoenix and others. It looks like I can do a panel up to 14.5"x10" which is what I would prefer and I leave a 0.1" gap between pcbs for routing and leave the pcbs on the panel.

Can anyone recommend a manufacturer for this type of prototyping? Is Gold Phoenix reliable?

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*Peter*

DavidM

Hi Pete!

have you tried ENTECH?

They have a p2 service 2 layer with silk, for $275.00 you can fit on about 6 different circuits onto one panel, you only need to supply a gerber with the panel arrangements on it separate to each gerber set for each PCB.

usable area 10.5" X 8.5" ( you get 2 boards for this )
allow about 7-8 mm between circuits.

they also have 16" x 10" but thats $450 each ( still for 2 panels )

They will make all the routing cuts and break away's for you, , you will get one panel and then just break them into smaller pcb's.
They now manufacture all their PCB's in china ( multiple suppliers) , the quality is better than they used to have.


regards

Dave M

Post Edited (DavidM) : 5/5/2010 4:48:20 AM GMT

Cluso99

OurPCB will v-groove. Not sure what they want to charge for multiple pcbs on the panel even if you panelise yourself.

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DavidM

HI Cluso,

I use OURPCB, but in order to minimise the "SETUP" costs with them, you need to provide 1 GERBER file set for the whole board with your multiple design in it, this can take a lot of work , depending on the PCB Design software you use, It also makes it difficult to update individual designs for last minute changes ( which always seems to happen!)

For small boards from our pcb, the usual charge is about $50 per design , and only a few dollars each board.

regards

Dave M.

Tubular

Yeah I also like Entech for MD proto. I once sent them a horror job with 16 designs from 2 different packages, and they did it without complaint or extra charge on their standard $275/$450 proto service. They seem to have a can-do attitude, unlike say Becman (whose refused jobs I often just forward to Entech). I thought they still manufactured the protos in adelaide but that may have changed. They are a different colour green to all the other proto houses... a really luminous grass green, instead of bottle green. The extra panel at $90ish is worth it. Their default seems to be to leave the pcbs in the panel with 10 hole tabs for you to break out.

I also regularly use Precision and PCBfast, somewhat reluctantly. I wouldn't run a MD proto through them. As I think you hinted in another thread its all about good communication regarding the layout detail (routing, v grooving, etc). Not many can get that absolutely right unless you panelise everything yourself (and even then)

Next one I want to try is Silver Circuits, who were based in Iowa USA, but mfr in KL Malaysia. BTW fill out the web form and they will mail you a free pack of 4 samples, which happen to be TQFP44 to DIP breakouts as shown on their home page. We all know what favourite micro thats useful for...

tubular

DavidM

HI,

I just looked at some previous quotes from OURPCB, and it maybe a good option for say 4 SMALL Boards each no bigger that 100mm x 100mm

the cost would be $50USD setup for each board

by the run cost to make just say 2 boards each, is only $2.50 each board so if you ordered 2 each of 4 different small PCB's ( say 100mm x 100mm) I say it would cost about.

SETUP - 4 x $50.00 ( $200.00 )
RUN - 4 x 2 each x $2.50 ( $20.00)
SHIPPING about $30.00

Total $250.00 USD

yh10646

I think I can help you in your business
Than the prices above mentioned cheaper


pcb and fpc one-stop service worker from china
---Yong
www.pacificpcb.com
sales@pacificpcb.com