Cheapest for small qty panelised (panelized) PCBs? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: 741
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 17, 2019, 05:20:35 pm
content: Which supplier is cheapest for "small qty" panelised PCBs? I would supply the pre-panelised design, say 40 pcs "sub-boards" on an (under 10x10cm if it helps) "mother pcb" and the supplier would Vee-Cut accordingly.Question: Suppose I find a supplier I like, are they likely to accept "sub-boards" of a common 'width', but different lengths? So all might be 0.3" wide, but there might be say 2 designs. That is maybe 5 of each per row, the 1st 5 colums would be all the same length, and the next 5 all of another length.(For larger qty I use ITEAD).

author: JPlocher
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 17, 2019, 11:31:24 pm
content: I've used both Seeed and JCB to do this. Both have cheap 10x10cm boards (1x design, qty 10 for less than $5.00), and bothsupport multi-design panels, at an increased cost. In Seeed Fusion's case, the cost goes from $US4.90 to $US16.90 (2x designs on one panel) or $US28.90 (3x)The requirement for V-score is that the scoring lines go all the way across your panel - they can't/won't do halfway across scores.(in Eagle, simply put your desired V-Score lines with the text "V-Score" next to each on the milling layer and include it in the .GML board outline/milling gerber file)In your example, this translates to "all the horizontal scores are the same height, but the vertical scores can be different widths" - or vice-versa...I gotta ask, "why bother?" Simply submitting 2x designs with 2x different panelized boards will cost you MUCH less - in this case, 2x submissions for <$10 and 3x for < $15

author: 741
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 18, 2019, 09:03:45 am
content: There are 2 different aspects to this.Cost per N panels of max size (whatever) = $PAdditional cost to Vee-Cut those N panels = $VFor instance suppose I have one (1) design, but I'd like 30 of those on every panel: I need Vee-Cuts. If the Vee-Cut service costs $V then my cost is $(P+V).Can I still pay just $(P+V), but get a result with say 20 of 1 design and 10 of another?

author: SMTech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 18, 2019, 11:28:34 am
content: I think you're making assumptions about these cheapy sites pricing models, V-scoring & routing are not significant cost factors but they certainly charge a premium for multiple designs in a panel.There are limited reason to justify multiple designs in a panel such as they all belong to the same master product and you want them to go through the production line all at once or perhaps one of the sub-designs is there for the end user to snap off and then use as part of a kit perhaps.There are also downsides - it costs more being one. But the big one is crossouts, if you are relying on a certain ratio of one design to another or that snap-off sub-assembly, crossouts will crap on that. Frankly in most circumstances its just simpler for every process if a panel is a single design.

author: 741
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2019, 09:16:45 am
content: QuoteThanks for the information (is that from experience of past orders?). I wonder why one aspect is charged so much more then the other, and why it is that way around? It must incur no extra cost to to produce a pcb with multiple designs on it (if there is no extra associated routing or Vee-Cuts).I find data on "cost of Vee-Cut" hard to find. From memory, the cost was fairly significant, but my recollection could be in error. It tends to be something I have to specifically request rather than something which pops up on an on-line calculator.Are there any sites out there where I can look at Vee-Cut prices automatically? For example where I can load up a design with a grid of "Edge Cuts" which will be interpreted as Vee-Cuts?

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 19, 2019, 11:49:02 am
content: As a data point, I've had a few V-cut panels done with JLCPCB where I've had to pay an extra fee (US$10-20) for V-cut process because the PCBs are small and thus there is more effort involved during V-cut.In one case this was a panel of 8x30mm PCBs in a 10x3 array, US$20 extra. In the latest case it was 12x88mm in a 6x1 array US$10 extra. This one surprised me. In both cases I was ordering 10 panels, so the extra cost per PCB was reasonably small.Edit to add: normally they don't charge anything extra for V-cut, only in these cases of small PCB and lots of cuts.

author: 741
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2019, 09:15:19 am
content: Thank you for the JLPCB information, often seen as the cheapest option - that is more than I'd expect/hope for Vee-Cut. I think JLPCB might not be cheapest for panelised boards.I'd be wanting have panels of (typically) 10x10mm PCBS (chip adapters). If I wanted say 500 'PCBs' (that might be 5 panels, each holding 100 pcs), I wonder if the Vee-Cut is a flat extra rate (regardless of PCB qty).I also wonder whether Vee-Cut prices vary a lot amongst manufacturers... Another cost issue is what shipping options are offered.