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The comparative cost of PCB manufacture

Richard Lines

Richard Lines

pfm Member
Good Afternoon All,

I'm looking to get a PCB made, nothing particularly special, just a double sided, FR4, 35µm copper, ENIG finish (because I like the look).

I have contacted 11off UK manufacturers who have been listed in a thread on here sometime back.

One of these has openly declared it isn't worth their while and referred me to www.safe-pcb.com

Prices are ranging from:
1. an eye watering £569 for a 1off prototype from one UK firm (who will remain nameless)
2. £57 for 2off all in from www.safe-pcb.com (Chinese)
3. £91 for 5off all in from www.pcbcart.com (Chinese)
4. £128 for 4off all in but HASL finish (UK firm)
5. £156 for 4off all in (UK firm) - (edit typo correction from supplier)!!

I would like to go with the UK but................................

Regards

Richard
 
Hard to say if you're getting good or bad value as you don't state the size of the boards. Plus, will you be providing a file of the board they can print directly from?

It's been many years since I had any made but the last lot were small and in reasonable quantity for a group buy. Something that makes a big difference to the per board price. I used a Chinese company but I believe there are also some cost effective ones in the States.

If I can find any details from my last purchase I'll update you, just don't hold your breath as a good few years have passed.

I did have this lot saved on my PC, not sure if I ever tried them.

https://www.quick-teck.co.uk/online...GtNoUITSj6s_hDMD-3UTlOUBilwwgevhoCZIIQAvD_BwE


Aha! Here we go, one from this list would have been the fella...

http://users.tpg.com.au/gerskine/greg/

Go to... More Information/Using Eagle for Shematics and PCBs.
List of links under "PCB Manufacturers"
 
Good Afternoon All,

FYI the board size is 120cm2 although the size isn't really relevant as the costs are comparative. If only I needed a 100!!!!

Just looking at the link provided - Olimex (Bulgarian) - used to be brilliant for small runs but they closed down to hobbyists a few years ago now.

I've used PCBCart a lot previously, never had an issue with them.

I like EagleCad but it has a limit of 80 x 100mm so you need to go to Fusion 360 at £54 a month if you want to go larger ( or use a different programme of course). I note he has the correction file that you used to have to use shifting from EagleCad to Gerber. You could tell the people that didn't use it as the holes weren't centred on the pads in their PCB's.

Regards

Richard
 
Ive just ordered some from PCBWay. Mainly because of the easy Kicad integration.

supposedly an 11 day delivery for 5 x boards costing £30. Very helpful and happy to amend the gerbers to resolve some clearance issues.

I'll report back on the finished articles.
 
Good Evening All,

PCBWay are cheap aren't they, as I only wanted a maximum 2off boards I went with www.safe-pcb.com. The below is a precise of today's quotes:-

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Only went with 35µm copper for these but I see Doug Self advocates 2oz/ 70µm? I read recently that yes you can solder lengths of copper wire along PCB tracks but that the solder has, was it, 6 times the resistance??

Regards

Richard
 
I've used JLCPCB with no issues - and if you're not in a hurry and can wait a couple of weeks the postage is unbelievably cheap too.

This was from an order of 10 small boards for a class A amp I built earlier this year:

Merchandise Total: ￡3.82

Shipping Charge: ￡3.77

Customs duties & taxes: ￡0.77

Order Total: ￡7.59
 
USD27 for 120 sq. cm. (5no.) at Seeed. But if you can re-arrange and get it down to 10cm x 10cm that drops to USD5 for 10no.
 
Good Morning All,

The point I was making in at the above posts relates to the comparative costs. Essentially the same machines are in use around the world. Far be it from me to suggest some more flexibility might be in order here in the UK????

I'm sure there will be somebody on here with knowledge about PCB manufacture???

What is with "tooling costs"???

Why would it need to be anymore complicated than feeding the Gerber files in at one end and a PCB come out the other?

Regards

Richard
 
The reason the Chinese are so cheap is because they make so many different pcbs they can achieve much better nesting for small runs, and of course the economies of scale and labour.

It's one area where China is genuinely ahead of the rest of the world.
 
sq225917 said:
The reason the Chinese are so cheap is because they make so many different pcbs they can achieve much better nesting for small runs, and of course the economies of scale and labour.

It's one area where China is genuinely ahead of the rest of the world.
Click to expand...

So what stops us doing the same??? Olimex in Bulgaria did use to do this until they got "too big" and determined it wasn't worthwhile.

I would genuinely want to place work here rather than see funds go overseas and fund the Chinese behemoth.

I was actually referred to www.safe-pcb.com by a British firm - that's madness.

Regards

Richard
 
I guess because China makes boards for every country in the world, and we're stuck on a shitty little island with almost zero external market and no manufacturing capability.
 
Most of the UK based firms will use offshore for manufacturing low volumes as they cannot compete on price , high spec boards they cannot touch China for manufacturing technology, just getting squeezed at both ends.
 
Last uk company I used was spirit circuits and for their tooling costs, I sent gerbers at about noon and within 20 minutes had an email back saying 'I think there is an error on your design, please see attached proposed correction'. They had sorted my (not my design but my order) error on a 4 layer board and I collected the 10 pcbs the following morning.

You pay more locally but it is usually a better service. I have had boards with errors from Seeed, currently using jlcpcb for cheap stuff and quality is ok, no issues so far, even the fastest service is over a week now though.
 
DuncanF said:
According to Google, they are "permanently closed".
Click to expand...

That does explain not being able to get their web addresses to work........

I do wish that firms would take down their 'dead' Facebook pages when that happens................

Regards

Richard
 
Yeah it was a good few years ago (probably 4 or 5 since I used them). But I thought is worth pointing out where you pay more with a UK company, in my experience you can get an exceptionally good service. Newbury Electronics is another company I have used who gave a very prompt service, Cambridge Circuits too if they are still trading. I appreciate for some of this stuff it was 'I need a 4 layer pcb manufacturing for tomorrow' which is unlikely the case for people here. The focus is more cost over speed or service, For cost the smaller far east build houses are your best bet IMHO.
 
PCBWay have a very good reputation in the retro computer/maker scene. Everyone seems to use them and they sponsor a lot of YouTube content creators in that arena.
 
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