PCB manufacture to UK

[danrogers]

Hi all. I'm looking to get some boards made up on a budget.

I'm after the following:

1.6mm FR4, approx 100mm x 15mm, single sided, no resist, no silkscreen, no holes or vias.

Price dependant I would like to get about 50-100 made up.

No rush so cheapest turn around.

Where would you guys recommend?

Thanks

 

[Blueteeth]

I've used PCBtrain (https://www.pcbtrain.co.uk/quote-and-order-pcb/) - part of Newbury electronics, and they seem pretty damn good qality. 5-15 day lead time. They do a 'PCBexpress' with a 1 day turn around for designs without soldermask or silk screen.

However, for volume, and if time is not of the essence, then nothing really beats foreign companies like Golden Pheonix (never used em), or Olimex (used em once). I havent' seen he prices for bare single sided boards - as most manufactureres process for at the very least, double sided, PTH, solder mask and silkscreen on one side. Another option would be 'batchPCB' from sparkfun. These again would most likely have soldermask and sikscreen as standard ad I doubt it would be any cheaper to not have these options.

With no holes or via's either, sounds like a really basic board... something one could do at home perhaps? For 100mm x 15mm dimensions, 10 of these boards would fit on eurocard (160mm x 100mm). So you're looking at only *really* etching 5-10 boards, and then cutting them up. Worst part abou DIY boards is drilling, and the lack of plated through-holes/via's for double sided designs - your requirements completely negate both of these.

That said, even with basic designs, after 10 boards+ it quickly becomes far more economical to use a fabhouse.

Aside from the four companies I've mentioned (PCBtrain, Olimex, GoldenPheonix, BatcPCB) thats all I got :/

Update: Just did a quick quote on PCBtrain. For 50 boards, 15-day lead time, single sided, immersion silver - £143.33 ex VAT. Sounds like thats around £3 per board. £231 for 100. Thats actually cheaper than a recent order I did for 6 (!!!) boards with smaller dimensions, with a 5 day lead time.

 

[danrogers]

Thanks Blueteeth. I really did not think it would be as expensive as it seems. I guess I will carry on etching them at home lol

They are boards for SMD RGB LEDs so pretty nice and simple, but very time consuming I find... Marking & cutting, filing rough edges, ironing on press n peel, etching, cleaning....

I think I will make a new etching tank and also maybe try out the idea of etching as many as I can then cutting up last thing? Have not thought of that before

 

[Blueteeth]

Most of my boards are small, so I try to etch at the very minimum, a half eurocard sized panel (100mmx80mm) and just fill it with as many designs as I can, like adapters, connector mountings etc.. Cutting is the very last process I do.

If you can find someone with a milling machine, that should make the cut lines smooth and crisp, as well as take the sting out of it. With 100mmx15mm boards, the straight line would be easy using a guide for the piece.

As for press'n'peel. I recently purchased a laminator, because I was fed up with the 'tricky' part of ironing. Consistent results just by running it through 8-10 times I'll admit, I am right at the end of 'making my own boards', because I've done quite a few and its getting to me. Doesn't cost much, but too much effort and 'fiddly/finickity' bits - altohugh it works out fine for one-off boards that are pretty big.

I'll assume much of your design is heatsinking copper pours for the LED's, otherwise I would suggest just using stripboard - I've used that for those SMT DIP RGB LED's because its standard pitch, and puts all the same colours in series. Good luck!