JLCPCB multiple boards on one board VS separate boards - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Harjit
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2020, 03:24:35 am
content: I was looking at pricing on JLCPCB's site. I have a few small boards. I can make the separate or combine them.The complication is that if JLCPCB decides that it is multiple boards, it costs *more* than if I submitted them separately.Am I missing something?

author: Dubbie
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 21, 2020, 03:45:24 am
content: That's right.They are offering a price that low because it is a loss leader.They want you as an ongoing customer, using more expensive features that they do make money on.You piling up multiple designs as a single job isn't in the spirit of that offer, so they don't want your business.

author: greenpossum
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2020, 04:19:54 am
content: If you have cuts or slots that involve extra work = cost to process they will charge you more. If you combine your designs and do your own separation there won't be an extra charge but then FR4 isn't the easiest material to cut. You may be able to get away with a small number of cuts or slots depending on the fab. You just have to ask for a quote.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2020, 04:19:57 am
content: The whole cost structure of JLCPCB was discussed at length before -https://www.eevblog.com/forum/manufacture/different-designs/new/But yes, the small single boards $5/10pcs are made at cost or may be at slight loss. So anything that is not that gets charged the actual price.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2020, 04:22:11 am
content: Quote from: greenpossum on October 21, 2020, 04:19:54 amThere will be. if JLCPCB sees that you have multiple electrically not connected designs in the same submission, they will charge for each design separately even if you want a single square board that contains them.This only applies to the introductory cheap service. They will essentially charge you the real price on such a design, where you are free to place whatever you want on the board.

author: greenpossum
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2020, 04:31:01 am
content: So just put some traces that will get cut when you saw the board. They're not going to argue the point when it doesn't cost them any extra. Other fabs even suggest you saw it yourself using this method. But I wouldn't do it. It's hard work.The intro offer uses the margins of other higher cost boards so they are just using area that would wasted. That's why with a small fab there will be a longer wait.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2020, 04:33:19 am
content: Fore sure, this will work.But really, not having to cut FR-4 is one of the biggest advantages of ordering the boards. That stuff is nasty and savings are probably not worth it.Just submit them as different designs.

author: Harjit
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2020, 11:39:54 pm
content: I'd like to pay the right rate so that companies stay in business and I can use their services.I had a design where I had multiple isolated circuits on the same board (because they were isolated but fit in the same enclosure) and they said it was separate boards. After a couple of back and forths, I just gave up and paid them whatever they wanted. The thing that made this worse was that I had submitted two PCB gerbers and wanted them shipped together. Because of stuff on their side, they shipped separately and I got nailed with two shipping charges. Just a really poor experience.The only reason for submitting them in one board was to have them ship together.

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2020, 11:53:22 pm
content: PcbWay lets you explicitly combine the orders and only pay once for shipping.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2020, 12:49:15 am
content: The boards are so ridiculously cheap to begin with that there is no savings by trying to cheat them and pack multiple designs into a single board. Even for only one board you will spend time and significant wear on your cutting tool to separate the boards, and your end result will likely be inferior to having them make separate boards for you. I'm happy that they offer such low priced services to hobbyists and don't want people trying to cheat them to cause them to change this.

author: greenpossum
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2020, 01:07:47 am
content: Quote from: Harjit on October 23, 2020, 11:39:54 pmThat's a different situation from what you implied in your head post, that's just a matter of getting combined shipping. If their web forms won't do it (I know some that can), and you can't get them to ship together, take your business elsewhere.Also did you have an overall pattern on the silkscreen so that it's plain to see it's one board to bolster your argument?

author: Harjit
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2020, 09:08:44 pm
content: Quote from: greenpossum on October 24, 2020, 01:07:47 amThe connectors had silkscreen for polarity information and there were some lines to show centers of parts. But nothing besides that.I'll have to check out PCBWay.

author: cgroen
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 24, 2020, 09:20:52 pm
content: I don't get it. The boards from JLCPCB (and others) are so ridiculously cheap,why try and cheat your way around that to save some nickles?Eventually, companies like this need to earn some money one way or the other, if not, we are back to making stinking PCBs ourselves again like "in the old days"

author: Mangozac
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2020, 09:33:30 pm
content: Quote from: cgroen on October 24, 2020, 09:20:52 pmSo much this! There isn't one part of hand etching and drilling PCBs that I miss!

author: S. Petrukhin
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2020, 07:22:36 pm
content: Quote from: ataradov on October 23, 2020, 11:53:22 pmJLCPCB it also allows you to combine delivery.The first 5 boards will have a cost of $2, the remaining $5 (with an area of no more than 10 dm sq).

author: MarkF
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2020, 09:37:45 pm
content: Quote from: ataradov on October 23, 2020, 11:53:22 pmJLCPCB lets you do that also.Just add all you boards into their cart.Than at checkout, all the boards are shipped in one package with one shipping price.JLCPCB and ELECROW are the fab houses I use and they both allow multiple boards per order/shipping package.

author: JLCPCB Official
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2020, 09:19:12 am
content: Quote from: Harjit on October 23, 2020, 11:39:54 pmDear sir, for your concern, please take a look here. To save the shipping fee, you can combine different design PCB in one order, when you finished one PCB order, you can click "add item" to add different PCBsWe are sorry to bring you inconvenience.

author: JLCPCB Official
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 27, 2020, 09:26:22 am
content: Quote from: Harjit on October 21, 2020, 03:24:35 amDear sir, generally the cost difference between the separate or combine will not be particularly large, could you send your problem to support@jlcpcb.com,let us know your real and specific situation we will answer you clearly.