PCB Cart - Assembly Services... - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: David
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2010, 10:18:56 am
content: Hi all,Just a quick question to see if anyone has used the assembly service offered by PCBcart.com? I have used them for several PCB's now and potentially looking for some external assembly. They don't seem to advertise the assembly on their website but I have been told they do it. Anyone got any experience with the process/costs etc?Thanks,Dave

author: monstrum
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 02, 2010, 05:06:34 pm
content: I had some e-mail correspondence with them regarding this a couple of years ago. I don't remember the prices, but they certainly do (or did then at least) assembly. Just drop them an e-mail, their support is quite good, even though their English can be a bit questionable.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 02, 2010, 07:26:36 pm
content: Their prices are very good for 10+ boards, they state copper thickness in onzes, how many um of copper is that per oz ?

author: David
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2010, 07:37:13 pm
content: Simon, have you used them for assembly in the past? Could you provide more details?Cheers,Dave

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 02, 2010, 08:03:18 pm
content: No I just did a quote with them and the prices look reasonable enough make it worth while using them for a small run over making them at home, they did ask in the quote if I wanted them to source the parts and i think they also asked if i wanted assembly, you best look round their website or email them, i'm not sure I'd trust their parts though

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 02, 2010, 10:28:45 pm
content: I haven't used them for assembly, but would also be very interested in anyone who has.This mob offer free assembly:http://www.ezpcb.com/But I have not tried them yet.Dave.

author: David
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2010, 10:30:34 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 02, 2010, 10:28:45 pmAh yes, I did look into them but it looks as if they only provide one free assembled board per order of PCB's.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 03, 2010, 06:57:16 am
content: I just did the same mock quote on them i did on PCBcart and they are much more exspensive

author: jimmc
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2010, 09:24:57 am
content: Quote from: Simon on April 02, 2010, 07:26:36 pm1oz (per square foot implied) = 35um = 1.4 thouJim

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 03, 2010, 09:30:05 am
content: Thankyou, now shipping aside (I'm still not clear if that's included or not in the quote) they can make PCB's at the same price as RS components sell the "blank" board ! thats for a quantity of 50 1.5" X 2.7" boards

author: David
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2010, 09:53:24 am
content: While were on the subject of PCBcart...does anyone know what constitutes a "Slot" in a PCB? Am I right in saying its anything that must be milled out that isn't a hole/via? I.e. a slot for the top of a switch to poke through?Cheers,Dave

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 03, 2010, 12:43:19 pm
content: Quote from: David on April 03, 2010, 09:53:24 amI've found that it doesn't doesn't really matter.I've had boards made no problems where I have ticked NO to the slots things, yet I've had both NC slots on the board and panelised routed slots.I think by slots, they mean manual routing slots they have to go to the effort to program in (i.e. ones that define boards in a panel). But if it's an NC drill slot you supply in the drill file I think that's ok.Dave.

author: David
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2010, 01:00:09 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 03, 2010, 12:43:19 pmCheers Dave, I've had an inspiration from one of your old blogs on DIY product design...going to make some "Overlay" PCB'S instead of going down the custom case route.Dave

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 09, 2010, 12:41:46 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on April 03, 2010, 12:43:19 pmI use PCBCART a lot - one thing I found a while ago is that when the number of slots exceeded a certain number (don't recall what), the quoted price suddenly shot up to a ridicaulous degree - I tend to split the difference and only state the number of different slot shapes (my orders tend to be pre-panelised by me so often have many slots altogether). Haven't had a problem til recently when they queries where my '4' slots figure came from but explained it was 4 different & was OK.Language can be amusing sometimes but generally not a problem as long as you keep replies simple. I usually put text "panel pitch = aaa x yyy"" in the border to remind myself of the step/repeat dims when panelising with an external CAM tool - I had them ask me what "Pitch" meant once...!

author: David
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2011, 09:30:22 pm
content: Sorry to bump an old thread but I was browsing the PCB Cart guestbook and came across this comment:"I´m a customer since 2008, i put some orders, the result always is perfectwhen you can offer the assembly service?Webmaster's reply : Thank you. Our assembly line is in preparation now and could start after Feb 2011."Personally I think this could be really good if their PCB fab is anything to go by. Fingers crossed!

author: abbtech
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2011, 06:10:29 am
content: Quote from: David on April 02, 2010, 10:18:56 amHi David,I used PCB Cart to make 50 PCBs up for me (600 or so through holes). The price for 100 was just a bit less but I wanted to test them with a small order first. All I gave them was a bunch of hi-res picture of a completed board, the BOM and the board Gerbers. We went back and forth about 6 or 7 times hammering out compatible parts (they sourced all parts in China). They had no issues taking pictures of the parts before assembly so I could make sure it was what I wanted.Now there were a few issues. The 2.1mm DC barrel connectors came as 2.5mm even though the ones I approved were correct. Turns out there was a last minute substitution by their supplier. I complained and they gave me a credit of 10% off the assembly fees.I have only tested about 20 of the boards and 3 of them failed my bench testing, I have looked into one of them and the issue is a backwards resistor network. Funny thing is I emailed them about it and they said they will not make that mistake next time since they did not know resistor networks were orientation specific (that is the first dumb answer I have every got form them in 5 years of doing business with them).There were only two other minor issues. The 0.1uF caps they used had wider lead spacing so they could not be fit tight against the board and the flux was not cleaned off the top of the board very well on some boards.Packaging was very good, the box is solid and the inner foam was cut specifically to hold the bundles of boards.I think the through hole boards were hand stuffed since some of the resistors were a bit crooked compared to a machine populated board.Overall I am happy with the results since I know that next time the boards will be flawless.Price wise the assembly was just a bit more than the components would have cost me.I can take some pictures of the packaging and board quality if you want.

author: allanw
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2011, 06:12:08 am
content: That sounds really interesting, especially that they source the parts themselves.How much did the assembly cost?

author: abbtech
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2011, 06:26:22 am
content: Quote from: allanw on May 08, 2011, 06:12:08 amMy cost for parts from Mouser and some Chinese companies per board was around $13. Their price per board when they did 50 was $18.91. They had a setup fee which I think was around $100 but just like their PCBs, the setup fee is a one time fee as long as there are no changes next time.This price does not include the PCB which I obviously had to have them make 50 of and the shipping was something like $90 more than what just the PCBs would cost to ship to me in Canada.

author: allanw
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2011, 06:45:36 am
content: Wow, $20 per board for 600 through-holes each? That sounds really cheap. Maybe I should re-order PCB's for my project just to get assembly service (http://electronoblog.allanw.org/rgb-stick/- pain in the ass to solder 32 RGB LED's and the SMD chip with thermal pad)

author: veryevil
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 08, 2011, 09:45:13 am
content: I've just put an order in with them for work. Just 10 assembled board about 40mm x 90mm each with about 400 holes (mainly vias / RF stuff). We are using this as our test order.Price came to about £650 for everything inc one time tooling and delivery. Once they come back I'll post up how they did.

author: abbtech
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2011, 10:50:32 pm
content: Quote from: allanw on May 08, 2011, 06:45:36 amI would think it would be worth looking into. There is no way I could hire someone to hand assemble them for anything close to that.

author: CircuitMart
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2011, 02:45:09 am
content: Quote from: Simon on April 02, 2010, 07:26:36 pm1oz, in Chinese fab house, normaly it equals to 35 um....

author: CircuitMart
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2011, 02:51:28 am
content: I also do assembly services, for simple ones, I do it myself... for complex ones, give to mysmall assembly plant.To be frankly, Buying parts and then soldering them to the boards is really a headache...I love SMT lines of the plant....Iris