PCBCart - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Strube09
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2010, 04:37:53 pm
content: Anyone in the US use PCBCart. If so how long does the shipping take after the build's lead time?Thanks,Strube

author: allanw
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2010, 08:09:35 pm
content: I was pleasantly surprised to find out they overnight shipped my PCB's. No idea if it's standard. If it is, they really should advertise it more on their site, since their ~$30 shipping charge is pretty reasonable considering it's overnight. Here's the timeline of my last 2-layer, 8 day order:Submitted boards Monday, Nov 1.Had a back-and-forth exchange about some issues with the board gerbers and they billed me for a mistake in my annular ring spec. I paid up the next day.Received notice about board shipment on Nov 5, scheduled Nov 10.Received delivery notification Nov 9.Package in my hands Nov 11.It was a good experience.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 03, 2010, 10:36:26 pm
content: Quote from: Strube09 on December 03, 2010, 04:37:53 pmThey send by DHL or Fedex courier by default, so it's very quick, only two days or so to Australia. US should be the same. That's why it costs $30.Dave.

author: Jon Chandler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2010, 11:01:52 pm
content: I ordered boards from PCBCart with an 8 day turn, and they were delivered in the US exactly 2 weeks from the day I ordered. I was impressed.The boards are high quality and were packed in heat-sealed plastic.PCBCart also includes 100% electrical testing. Some of the other services charge extra for this.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2010, 12:02:52 am
content: EDIT: Original post that this responds to was removedHow much did your boards cost all up,About a year ago i got some boards done from OurPCB.comCosts in USD were- $50 tooling- $0.89 per board- $37 shippingTotal for 25 boards was $109.25 inc shippingBoards were- 2 layer / FR4- 108 x 36mm- mask + silcscreen- 1.6mm / 1oz copperI just sent them gerbers and ncdrill for my 108x36 board and they duplicated it on whatever board size they used then cut them out nicely afterwards.Lead time i paid for was 10 days and ourpcb sent them by DHL exactly 10 working days after i paid.Boards took 5 working days to arrive (China --> NZ)Just wondering if what i paid for was.. cheap / about normal / more expensive than typical and how it stacks up to pcbcart?

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2010, 12:22:21 am
content: I've used them a lot over the last 3 or so years, mostly for production boards.Only complaint is the occasional short on large boards - I had about 3 out of of 80 boards on the last batch of 350x350mm 2-layer ones I did.One hint for large orders - always compare the shipping cost with all the courier options - to UK, DHL is usually cheapest, but for larger orders I've found Fedex can be over $100 cheaper on a $1.5K total order

author: GeoffS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 04, 2010, 02:52:46 am
content: Quote from: Psi on December 04, 2010, 12:02:52 amAccording to the pcbcart quote system, your boards would have cost $90.52 plus shipping. This comprises $34.77 one off setup with a price of $2.23 per board.They also require gerbers, ncdrill etc and will panellise as required. 12 day turn around.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2010, 09:39:16 am
content: Quote from: GeoffS on December 04, 2010, 02:52:46 amthanks, thats good to know

author: GeoffS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 04, 2010, 09:56:18 am
content: You can sign up for an obligation free account at pcbcart and that will give you access to their online quote system.Fill in the details and you get a quote in seconds.

author: nukie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2012, 09:17:59 pm
content: I have used pcbcart for 4 years, and they have been generally very good. They won't touch your drawings unless its causing problems. This is where great communication steps in. If you follow their standard rules you should be fine.Of the 7k boards or so I ordered I have notice some which are unusable. I inspect them manually before loading them. The traces were not made properly looks like someone decided to move the circuit pattern during lithography. The soldermask overlapped the tracks slightly. It's funny it only happen to a few, so its minor as they always throw in a few extra boards in my order quantity. Regarding the free electrical test, its not bullet proof, a few boards of mine had broken connection. They also don't do very accurate routing around the board edges so allow room for the final product.So other than the issues I had mention I am very happy with them and they are on my no.1 recommended PCB fab. I can't see any reason not to go with them.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 12, 2012, 12:03:57 am
content: They use either DHL or Fedex, so it's pretty darn quick, and you can track it too. It's only a few days, tops.Dave.

author: siliconmix
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2012, 02:24:31 pm
content: they sound cheap would any problems with import duty or vat for me in the uk?

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2012, 04:30:39 pm
content: Quote from: siliconmix on February 12, 2012, 02:24:31 pmThey usually mark small orders 'sample NCV' so you don't get charged duty.I've only ever had VAT/duty invoices for large production orders of several kilos weight.

author: dfnr2
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2012, 09:28:38 pm
content: I haven't had a chance to send them anything; will have to wait for something that doesn't require ISO 9000.However, if you send anything other than 2 layers to them, you should clearly specifiy the layer stackup, otherwise you have no idea what you will get back. Since they have a check box for default layer stackup, I asked for information about the default, and was told there is not one, but they gave me some examples, which are pretty much the opposite of what you would expect. For example, for a 4-layer board, a 0.3mm core surrounded by two 0.7 mm prepregs. Normally you want to keep the signal layers close to the ground plane to minimize susceptibility and emissions. I had expected a 1 mm core and 0.25 mm prepregs, to minimize distance between the ground/power planes and signal planes. The better quality board houses will use something close to that as a default.Dave

author: flippersplace
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 25, 2012, 09:38:04 pm
content: I had about 10 designs with at least 100 PCB's each made through PCBCart in 2010 & quality has been a significant issue on some of these. I am just now considering a reorder as I have an investment in the setup costs.. but not so sureIssues:- Immersion silver tainted- Smudged silkscreen- PCB's varied by 2mm in dimensions due to poor vscore- variable alignment of layers- bad silkscreen causing solder shorts on assembly as well as some pitting here and thereI did send them images etc, however being told that immersion silver does tarnish over time when the order had only just arrived back from them didn't make me feel any more confidentSO, does anyone feel they have improved?

author: graynomad
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 26, 2012, 12:09:26 pm
content: I've been happy with them but haven't done 4-layer or fine geometries yet.@flippersplaceThose boards don't appear to be very fine, what was the track/space geometries?Was the lack of resist between the FTDI chip's pins deliberate or was it supposed to be there?______Rob

author: 48X24X48X
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 26, 2012, 12:44:12 pm
content: I used them a couple of times but for 2 particular orders had to be remake (totally free) for 200 boards. Drill holes are way off mark although within their specifications and another time you can't even see the silk screen!They are cheap for 8mil tracks and 0.4mm minimum hole size. And shipping is very cheap as they have very good deals with FedEx.

author: flippersplace
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 29, 2012, 01:54:16 am
content: Actually I'll have to look at the gerbers I sent to see if there was resist between the FTDI pinsNo these are not fine pitch, 99 percent of my boards are minimum 12mil trace/space with the odd trace (like these ones between RJ12 jack pins) necked down to a minimum 8mil and only if necessary.At the time I put through maybe 5 different orders across 12 or so boards and I got the feeling that was just luck as to which production line my boards went through.. as some were very good and some were, well nasty.

author: steve_w
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2012, 02:27:35 am
content: Has anyone used the NZ company that dave recommended?I am going to do some manufacture shortly and have never done this before so I am hesitant to take risks, and dont know the pitfalls. Though I have learned more here about production than anywhere else and am getting more comfortable.regardsSteve W

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 30, 2012, 03:18:30 am
content: Quote from: steve_w on April 30, 2012, 02:27:35 amWhat do you want to to do?If oyu haven't done a board before then I take it your board isn't demanding, so PCBzone/CircuitLab's will handle it with ease I'm sure.Dave.

author: steve_w
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 30, 2012, 03:23:44 am
content: Its not a complicated board, a mobile phone module to switch some relays 30 or 40 components tops. I plan all surface mount, following your advice need to get the prototype developed and tested firts though.regardsSW

author: johnnyfp
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2012, 11:00:48 pm
content: The Dilemma I face is if I get boards made up locally from CircuitLabs I would have to pay $1000 more than if I get them from PCBCart. Sure I would get the boards in 6days rather than 2-3weeks. And yes the Carbon footprint is smaller. But, $1000 is a big difference.I'm just not sure about the moral implications here.This goes also for PCB Assembly.What do you guys think at on the Moral aspect?Jfp

author: graynomad
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2012, 11:15:38 pm
content: I'm not familiar with CircuitLabs but most of those cheap prototype services are great to 1, 2 or 10 boards but way too expensive for larger runs.QuoteNo-brainer for me, save a 1000 bucks, unless you are doing averylarge run in which case $1000 is small potatoes.______Rob

author: mbwiz
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 07, 2014, 01:19:28 am
content: (I know this isa old , but this can be valuable recent info)I ordered 2 new boards last week. This is our seconds order.It looks like they seldom ask you for extra money once you have paid the initial order.This is the seconds time they do this to us.You enter the information, they give you a quote, you pay , send the files... oups here is an extra...The quotation system has no explanation when you ask for panels...When they "panelise" for you , they add extra outside pieces, and will ask you money for it.Since the extra part are to hold your board in their jig tool. it's a bit hard to figure out how much to add.$ 300 order turn up with a $45.00 extra AND it took 15 days for a delivery when we paid for 8 days...Counting the super slow shipping included (they don't seem to have upgraded shipping) this is 20 days!!!!!Not very efficient!!! Less than honest!Unless you are in a hurry, this is NOT a true 8 day service , just regular plus EXTRASIf anyone has suggestion for other services, we are looking for a more honest and reliable source.Thanks

author: graynomad
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2014, 01:25:15 am
content: Panellising always costs extra unless you do it yourself. But to do that you have to know their requirements re extra fiducials, routes, frame etc and the board does get larger because of all that.If you select panels on the quote it does adjust the price, but I've never followed through to see what happened.

author: SL4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2014, 03:37:29 am
content: Quote from: graynomad on August 07, 2014, 01:25:15 amI've sent in my own panellised boards = no strife, just works as quoted. No extras - and PCBC are fast to ask if there is something they see as a potential problem or questionable request.So far - maybe 10 orders through - perfect. (Except for one drill error of my own doing!)

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2014, 09:52:49 am
content: Quote from: mbwiz on August 07, 2014, 01:19:28 amIf you check the website you will see the 8 or 10 day thing is thelead time.No where does it say that it's a 8 / 10 day PCB service.It's 8 or 10 working days from when they accept your files until they ship your PCBs.It doesn't include their time asking questions about bad gerbers or other issues, nor does it include shipping time which is out of their control.All they can control is the time from them saying "yes we will make that" until they ship it.And its been my experience that they always ship within the 8/10 day window that i've paid for.

author: nukie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2014, 10:35:41 am
content: I am happy customer with PCBcart for many years. They always have been upfront and honest with the prices. They have superb communication and won't alter your design without permission and confirmation. I find the staff to be helpful and technical. The website quotation can be a little off but every design and job is different.If you are not happy with the additional charges why not just cancel and go with another PCB shop, there are plenty of choices out there.

author: graynomad
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2014, 10:37:09 am
content: QuoteI had a cock up in a ground pour once, they spotted it and because I supply the Altium design file they were able to fix it (after checking with me of course) and carry on.I've never counted the days but don't ever remember thinking "that's taking too long".

author: marshallh
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 07, 2014, 08:11:11 pm
content: My first and only order with them was a trainwreck. Tons of copper pinholes, traces separating from vias after thermal cycle, missing drills etc

author: David_AVD
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2014, 09:11:35 pm
content: I've used PCB Cart for runs of boards in the 10 to 500 quantity range. Overall the quality has been good. I don't recall any "show stopper" events with them.They have emailed on occasion to confirm that I don't need the bottom overlay, etc. The only time the lead time has blown out is around CNY.I'm fairly confident that if there was a real issue with a run they would redo them.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2014, 09:39:43 pm
content: Quote from: Strube09 on December 03, 2010, 04:37:53 pmWhat size? How many layers and how many boards?Tryhttp://pcbshopper.comto find good pricing.DHL from China to the US is very efficient, 48 hours from pickup to delivery and the online status is updated frequently. I had good experience with PCB orders from electrow, they charge ~$20 for DHL and you an also order metal stencil for $20. Check pcbshopper, it's a very good site for comparing PCB prices.

author: mgbolts
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2016, 04:30:26 am
content: I have used three suppliers in China for pcbs.Pcbway which is rebadged as multiple sites have dine 1000+ boards and 10+ jobs. I have found their quality is poor but price and turn around is great. For simple stuff and nothing fine pitched, no issues. Big improvement in quality with green soldermask and silver pads. As soon as you go non standard, quality falls off a cliff.Enlightpcb - good quality production house. Not really a proto shop. Accuracy was good but was dissapointed with quality of routing, matt black finish and silk screen. My stencil file was basic, they came back with best practice suggestions. Only one of the three to do this.. Technically i cant fault the boards but finish did not blow me awayPcbcart is my favorite. Cheaper than enlight. Cant fault the quality. And the black matt finish is exceptional, only seen this quality on Japanese boards before which i was trying to replicate at a lower price. The silk screen resolution and density is also amazing. Highly recommended.Cheers

author: graynomad
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 07, 2016, 05:47:13 am
content: An old thread but as it happens quite topical for me.Just 2 days ago I was browsing their site (which is much improved BTW) with a view to using them again for PCB but also PCBA as they now do that as well.Good to see a recommendation, I used PCBcart a few years ago and was quite happy with them but I wasn't sure what they are like these days.

author: eecook
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2017, 07:53:01 pm
content: This is absolutely mind bogglin. I go tohttp://pcbshopper.com/put in the specs for an assy and, on the one hand I have PCBCart (China) quoting $5.93 per board and PCB Assembly Express (USA) at $243.42 (10-day option). How is this even possible? This a 41x difference. Is it a bug on pcbshopper?

author: marshallh
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 07, 2017, 03:19:50 pm
content: Quote from: eecook on April 06, 2017, 07:53:01 pmWelcome to US fabs. The only ones left handle ITAR that do military stuff that can't be offshored.For example, a blank high-spec pcb: $4k from USA, $600 from S. Korea.If you are doing under 10-20 units, check out Macrofab. Above that quantity it's not feasible.

author: eecook
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 07, 2017, 05:21:59 pm
content: Quote from: marshallh on April 07, 2017, 03:19:50 pmHow so? Advanced Circuits can do 1000+ PCBs non ITAR (at least per their qouting system).Bare in mind however that I am talking about assembly.Interesting...Could it be that they have such demand for high end PCBs & PCBAs that they have to give you a high qoute not to lose money?