Small job PCB manufacture in the USA - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: raptor1956
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2017, 08:50:10 pm
content: I'm looking at having a sample run of a PCB made and was looking for some advise on who to use in the USA. The two options are unpopulated and populated and although I'd prefer populated I'm not sure what the price delta would be. As a heads up the PCB would be mostly a single part LED SMT module with SMT resistors for a couple lighting projects I'm working on. So, each PCB, if fully populated, would have 768 LED's of 3mm x 3mm as well as 92 resistors -- so just two part number in total. I could have the PCB made by itself then populate it and put it in a solder oven but I don't have one and my skill at SMT soldering is not world class to say the least.So, can I get some ideas on vendors to use and a ballpark cost for a single PCB of about 390mm x 384mm that would be ready to be populated? What about a solder stencil -- how much for that? And finally, if I wanted the whole thing done so the board is ready to use what cost for that -- again. as a single test?Brian

author: lgbeno
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2017, 09:04:07 pm
content: Check out pcb.ng depending on the size of your leds and resistors, it is either $6 per square inch or $8 per sq in. This will be about the cheapest option that you will find for PCB fab and assemblySent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

author: chicken
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2017, 09:12:15 pm
content: CircuitHub and MacroFab are two other options. MacroFab is usually cheaper for very low volumes, whereas CircuitHub has the advantage at 50 or more units.

author: raptor1956
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2017, 10:22:56 pm
content: Quote from: lgbeno on November 23, 2017, 09:04:07 pmIs that price for the bare board or for the populated board?Brian

author: lgbeno
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2017, 11:27:43 pm
content: That is the price for PCB and soldering on the components. Then you pay the digikey price for the componentsSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

author: raptor1956
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2017, 11:37:06 pm
content: Quote from: lgbeno on November 23, 2017, 11:27:43 pmThanks a bunch, that is very helpful.Brian

author: zeqing
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2017, 02:45:26 am
content: Quote from: raptor1956 on November 23, 2017, 08:50:10 pmas my experence , the PCB cost would be about 100$ , and the soldering will be at least 100$,exclude the LED fee(depends on what kind of LED you use) ,for 1 pcs production, you can not evaluate the price as squares, and the soldering will be also placed by hand, lead to the unit price even 10 times than mass production .

author: IDEngineer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2017, 04:27:19 am
content: Try Tate Technology (tatetech.com) in Spokane WA. USA vendor, full range of pick and place equipment, great to work with. We run all of our prototypes through them. Highly recommended!

author: raptor1956
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2017, 05:27:35 am
content: Quote from: IDEngineer on November 24, 2017, 04:27:19 amAgain, thanks for the feedback...Brian