PCB low volume production

[dhouston]

I've used PCBCart and EZPCB. Quality is excellent from each. PCBCart prices are the best and they offer color options. EZPCB will also do assembly if you need it.

[falingtrea]

I've heard a lot of good things about BatchPCB. Price and turn-around time are pretty reasonable.

[duncan303]

Hi Chuck

you got me checking my boardhouse list and techbridge is not there, can't quite work out if they are just a pooling company but I guess they are. Also having difficulty getting your board spec to hit anywhere near 131 ex vat qty 100 using the online quoting facility. Probably just me though

I have used various pooling agents in the past and for some reason I like to know a little where my boards are going.

I think the only real test would be to have sample boards made up to the same spec and have them sent off to each boardhouse, but then it seems a little pedantic although it is surprising the differrence in quality that can be obtained even at the same apparent spec.

I have ended up mostly using www.eurocircuits.com based in Belgium, plant in Yugoslavia. first class quality and service I understand you can even watch your board actually being produced as a gimmick(although I havn't done). I prefer panellisation and I have found that a lot of pooling agents don't like that. I am not aware of any other major PCB boardhouse with an actual production unit in the UK other than those around Newbury in Bucks. Obvoiusly the States has a totally differrent factory base. It is difficult to answer a question on the forum sometimes, especially when somebody says "where can I get so and so cheap" but do not say that they are based in timbukto. International freight can easily outweigh any savings, consideration for import tax and local taxes sometimes get ignored as well. Shipping costs are going to go up! (my prediction)



Anyway for simple double sided small boards, these can always be made up at the kitchen sink in a couple of minutes, I always use gound planes anyway, but it also means much less to etch, also just keep the tin plating compound away from the cat; good quality drill bits I use M A Ford twisters (pays in the long run) and Harwin Track pins for the TH vias (very quick) double up as test points(on any board) and as an added bonus scope tips that do not look end up looking like a pigs tail. (or anything else for that matter).

just another useless ramble, tagged onto somebody elses thread

Duncan