What's "The Best Place" For Having PCBs Made?

[Paul Marossy]

For you people that have PCBs made in quantity, what has been your experience? I'm looking for quality at a reasonable price, and a reasonable turn around time. Are there places I should avoid, recommended?

[igor12]

futurlec.  Good price.  Tough to deal with them but my boards come back fine...eventually.  I also have a feeling using them is supporting sweat shops, though.

[Paul Marossy]

How long is "eventually"?

[Kearns892]

Haha, never had PCBs made from them but as far as other orders it depends on how long it takes for you to e-mail them. From my experience if there is a problem they wait for you to e-mail them (I've waited patiently for several months), but once you do they are quick to respond and get the order going. Now I just send an email the day after the order to ask if there were any complications.

[Paul Marossy]

Haha, never had PCBs made from them but as far as other orders it depends on how long it takes for you to e-mail them. From my experience if there is a problem they wait for you to e-mail them (I've waited patiently for several months), but once you do they are quick to respond and get the order going. Now I just send an email the day after the order to ask if there were any complications.

Thanks for the tip. 

[caress]

goldphoenixpcb.biz

really great.

[Paul Marossy]

goldphoenixpcb.biz

really great.

I haven't heard of them before. I'll check them out. Thanks! 

[skiraly017]

Express PCB. I've been using them for two years know and the only problem I ever had was due to an error on my part.

[Taylor]

Futurlec is the cheapest for small quantities (like maybe up to 5) and then they become really expensive. I've found ezpcb.com to be the cheapest for quantities above 10 or so, and had some boards made by them that came out great. Friendly CS, about 10-14 days turnaround.

Here's a cost comparison calculator. ezpcb's not on there, but in my experience they are cheaper than all the other guys.

http://www.ladyada.net/library/pcb/costcalc.html

[Paul Marossy]

I've heard of Express PCB. Are their prices reasonable?

Also, these places require a layout made by one of those PCB designing programs like Eagle, right?

[Taylor]

ExpressPCB has their own software, which is free, but only for Windows. They're sort of middle-of-the-road in pricing. Member "CGDARK" does an ExpressPCB-to-Gerber conversion for a fee, so you can use the free software but still get your boards made elsewhere.

Everybody will take Gerber files, some will take Eagle (.brd). You can't give them a JPG layout like you'd use for a printer, if that's what you're asking. The reason is that everything is done by computer controlled machines.

[~arph]

olimex.com

Had a couple made there, you pay per panel. If you have a relatively small design you can fit multiple boards on a panel.

[Paul Marossy]

ExpressPCB has their own software, which is free, but only for Windows. They're sort of middle-of-the-road in pricing. Member "CGDARK" does an ExpressPCB-to-Gerber conversion for a fee, so you can use the free software but still get your boards made elsewhere.

Everybody will take Gerber files, some will take Eagle (.brd). You can't give them a JPG layout like you'd use for a printer, if that's what you're asking. The reason is that everything is done by computer controlled machines.

Right, that's what I remembered. The computer needs all of the data in the file to make the PCB. Sounds like the pricing at ExpressPCB is reasonable.

[doitle]

Futurlec is the cheapest for small quantities (like maybe up to 5) and then they become really expensive. I've found ezpcb.com to be the cheapest for quantities above 10 or so, and had some boards made by them that came out great. Friendly CS, about 10-14 days turnaround.

Here's a cost comparison calculator. ezpcb's not on there, but in my experience they are cheaper than all the other guys.

http://www.ladyada.net/library/pcb/costcalc.html

Really? I thought Futurlec was very cheap for larger quantities... Not production quantities mind you but say 100 boards. I was quoted something insane like 34$ for 100 of my LPB-1 PCB.

[Processaurus]

PCBex.com (not PCB express) has cheap prices and the service I've had from them was excellent (answering my questions and also pointing out a problem I had made with a soldermask layer).  I believe their boards are made in the orient (as it takes 5-10 days to get them) but they have an office in houston that you can call.  They'll do $12 a PCB for 5 (10 square inches).  $20 extra for the order if you want different solder mask colors, which is cool.

Advanced circuits is good, they're one of the few large pcb houses that fabricate them in the US, and are fast.  They have all kinds of promotions too, you can use, like 1/2 off for new customers.  Also they can do the old Gerber 274 file type.

[ppatchmods]

john lyonns

[Taylor]

Really? I thought Futurlec was very cheap for larger quantities... Not production quantities mind you but say 100 boards. I was quoted something insane like 34$ for 100 of my LPB-1 PCB.

Well, it all depends on the size. If I'm getting manufactured PCBs, it's because I need big boards, double-sided, with soldermask. For small stuff anybody's cheap.

[Taylor]

john lyonns

Er, John does a great job, but not an option when you need large quantities, double-sided boards, solder mask, and you need them in 10 days.

[ppatchmods]

i wasn't sure what "large" meant but he does all of the boards for my friend's company(fairly "large" orders) and does then fast and pretty inexpensive. they keep a more handmade feel to the pedals.

you are correct. he doesn't do all the tricky stuff and i doubt he can compete with those prices.

[appliancide]

This same question was recently discussed on the sdiy list and the general consensus there is that PCBCart  is one of the best places to go.