Some comments on electrodragon PCB service - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: JacquesBBB
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2015, 06:14:52 pm
content: Hi Alls,I am looking for sending my first Eagle PCB files to have the PCB made insmall quantities at low price ( I can wait for postage).I am considering Electrodragon PCB service for a run of 10cmx10cm boards,http://www.electrodragon.com/product/pcb-service-demo-ver/as I am already using their services for parts.Has anybody ever tried this PCB service ?Any comments ?Thanks As it seems that I am the only one to have some comments onElectrofragon PCB services, I changed the title of this post fromHas anybody some comments on electrodragon PCB servicetoSome comments on electrodragon PCB serviceAs it is now more an account of my experience with electrodragon PCB service.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2015, 06:31:48 pm
content: Have you checked pcbshopper.com ?

author: JacquesBBB
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2015, 06:57:07 pm
content: Yes, I have checked, thanks to a link in a post here,Its a great site, but electrodragon is not registered there.The prices would be quite similar, and I have experienced very fast mailat low priceat electrodragon using Belgium post. This is why I would like to trywith them.

author: JacquesBBB
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2015, 03:53:40 pm
content: I have send an order for a 100mmx100mm PCB to electrodragon.com2 layers, bottom and top silk.The order was submitted yesterday 2 oct 2015 06:53:32 PDTI got today the following commentQuoteI will tell on this thread the outcome of this order and when I receive it. I asked for Belgian post, which cost me 7$, but I could order at the same time forno additional cost several items from electrodragon than I wanted.The cost of the board was $19.80 for 10 boards.Edit :This is the view from ZofZ of my board. It is not with full resolution, as it is just a screen grab.

author: DerekG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2015, 03:53:38 am
content: Quote from: JacquesBBB on October 03, 2015, 03:53:40 pmWill they route out each individual board in your 100mm x 100mm panel, or will you have to do this yourself?

author: JacquesBBB
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2015, 10:00:56 am
content: Quote from: DerekG on October 04, 2015, 03:53:38 amI will have to cut them myself, if this is what you ask. There is no panelizing made by the manufacturer. It would have been more expensive.I will see how I succeed to cut the board.

author: matseng
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2015, 06:18:49 am
content: Quote from: JacquesBBB on October 04, 2015, 10:00:56 am1.6mm pcb is not fun at all to cut... But 0.8mm pcb can be easily be cut with a large box cutter-style knife that is used to make a score twice on the top and twice on the bottom. Then the board just snaps apart.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2015, 09:07:14 am
content: Quote from: matseng on October 05, 2015, 06:18:49 amOr make a "perforation" with a large number of holes in a straight line, use tinsnips along the perforation, and file off the jagged edge. OK for hobbyist stuff, not for anything else.

author: JacquesBBB
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2015, 09:57:28 am
content: Hi All,This is a follow up on my experiment with Electrodragon PCB serviceMy order consisted on the PCB and additional stuff from their store.QuoteSo I can assume that the PCB is now done. I will see now how long is the shipping.

author: JacquesBBB
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2015, 12:28:40 pm
content: I got the boards yesterday (october 21) so it is 19 days from order to delivery.$19.80 for 10 boards, 7$ for delivery, but this was combined with an order of 60 $ of material from their store with no additional postage cost.The boards are quite nice from what I can see.I have cut the first one. It took me 5 mn with a band saw and a fine metal blade. This was my first time. The cuts are very clean, cleaner than the original cuts of the boards.So I get here 90 boards for 27$ including postage. So an average of 0.3$ per board.Now I need to mount them an see how they work. I will not be surprised of some errors, but hopefully,some of the 9 boards (8 different layouts) will be OK.

author: KL27x
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2016, 06:00:28 am
content: Quote... and the cost of a new bandsaw blade. It's shocking how fast 1.6mm FR-4 can destroy a saw blade. Youmightbe able to finish your other 9 boards before it's shot. I bet you made some sparks!

author: JacquesBBB
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2016, 09:19:37 am
content: Unfortunately, I must confess that you are right !I was very happy with the way the bandsaw was cutting the boards at the beginning, but I realised that the blade was off after just 3 or 4 boards.At 50 cm cut per board. It means after just 2 m of FR-4 cutting.I will have to find another way to cut the boards. Probably borrowing some heavy PCB blade cutter if I manage to find a place where one is available.

author: KL27x
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2016, 11:48:01 am
content: A guillotine rigid enough to cut 1.5mm FR4 is fairly expensive, making it one of the few methods I have not tried.Aside from the 400.00+ guillotines, you are pretty much looking at abrasives, diamond, or carbide. My favorite method is a carbide end mill turned 45 degrees to score a 90 degree V groove. I still haven't worn out my first bit. But this takes some tooling. I use a tilting router table to make this convenient.A fairly cheap method is to use a tile cutting saw with a diamond blade. You can buy them for 60.00. The downside is the noise and mess.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2016, 12:09:39 pm
content: Quote from: JacquesBBB on January 11, 2016, 09:19:37 amDepending on what's acceptable, you can consider making it easier to split boards by designing the boards with cutouts or many strategically placed holes.

author: matseng
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2016, 01:26:59 pm
content: And the safety nannies complains loudly about the horrible dangers of the FR4 dust in the air while sawing/grinding the boards. I usually don't care much about safety and toxicity - I've been soldering with leaded solder for the last 40 years and never used any ventilations and fans, sometimes holding a piece of in my mouth when I don't have a 3'rd hand and I need to hold down the pcb while soldering. But even I think that inhaling asbestos-like fibres sounds like a very bad idea...

author: dmg
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2016, 11:58:37 pm
content: Quote from: matseng on January 11, 2016, 01:26:59 pmFR4 dust is problematic more because of the brominated fire retardant fumes than because of the dust itself. Those vapors are supposed to be toxic or something. Fiberglass breaks in relatively blunt fragments which get expelled off your lungs over time. It's bad, but not as bad as carbon fiber stuff which is nasty as hell and you can't expell it.

author: KL27x
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2016, 12:07:53 am
content: FWIW, using a tile saw, the water collects the dust and the board stays cool. And when scoring with a router table with a carbide bit, the dust is trapped beneath the board and collects on the tool/table. No big deal. Carbide also CUTS rather than abrades, and fumes should be minimal.Tin snips work pretty well, for smaller cuts. The cheapest/easiest for the average hobbyist is to just manually score or use a Dremel tool and a cutoff disc to make a quick and dirty score line by hand. And sand the edges, after. I find it works pretty good if you hold the dremel still and slide the board past the cutting disc while sighting down the line. Safety goggles are a must.

author: JacquesBBB
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2016, 09:15:22 am
content: Hi All,This is an update on my experience with electrodragon PCB service.I made a revision of my boards.I send the order on january 16, with an order of various goodies (for 80$).The PCB was done rapidly and everything was send on january 20 (16-17 were saturday/sunday).I received the parcel on january 29 (by Belgium post), so a total of only 13 days, including two week ends.The total cost of shipping was only 4$. PCB (10 times 10cmx10cm were 19.80$).Boards are nice.

author: Belgarion
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 03, 2016, 08:33:18 am
content: PCBs can very easily be cut using bench shears, and you avoid getting lots of fiberglass dust.

author: matseng
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2016, 12:53:50 pm
content: Quote from: Belgarion on March 03, 2016, 08:33:18 amDoesn't the PCB bend and warp during the cutting? If so it sounds bad for PCBs with small vias and narrow tracks....

author: Belgarion
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 03, 2016, 05:11:56 pm
content: I have not thought about that, I usually cut small boards (5x5cm) and I have not noticed any warping but it's not really something I've been looking for either.So far all boards have worked at least.

author: Belgarion
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 07, 2016, 05:06:26 am
content: I took a video of cutting a small board (approximately 4.5cm) with the bench shear.There looks to be a little bit of bending.