🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <2610002@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM> reid@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (Reid Trimble) writes:
>> MEHARP01@ulkyvx.BITNET (Michael Harpe) / 11:52 am  Feb 15, 1991 /
>> Where does one go when he needs a "small" quantity of PC boards made up?  I'm
>-----------
>Did you try your local yellow pages?  My Denver phone book lists over 30
>places under "Printed & Etched Circuits" that would seem to fit your 
>requirements exactly.

I've been through this.  Usually there are only one or two shops in
an area that cater to `prototype' orders - everyone else wants volume,
and charges $$ accordingly.  Basically, you want the shop which wants
your business - not one which is `doing you a favor'.  Be prepared to
call around until you find the right place.

You want to ask about setup costs, minimum orders, turnaround time,
pickup&delivery, board outline, drill tapes, gold fingers, inspection,
and best input format.  You want to prepare your work input for the
shop so that they can process it easily and quickly.

Setup - $50-100 is good.  This depends a lot on whether they have
	to make a tool to hold your special board.
Minimum - Some shops will do `max for min' == as many boards as the 
	minimum fee will cover.  The minimum order varies a lot from shop
	to shop.
Turnaround - this varies wildly.  One (excellent) shop apologises when
	they take more than a week for a `normal' job.  Many shops consider
	one month `fast'.  Faster work always means more $$ and likelier
	mistakes.
Pickup & delivery - some shops include this in their fee.  Often good
	shops are located in very out-of-the-way places for cheap rent.
Drill tape - will the shop hand or machine drill your board?  How much
	and how long for the NC tape for the automatic drill?
Board outline - will your board size & shape be easy for the shop to
	make.  Is it a standard size & shape for which they already have
	tooling?  If so, you can save time and money.
Gold fingers - (no, not the movie (:-))  If you have a card edge connector
	on your board, gold plating on the fingers is extra.  This can
	be from $2 to $$$$.  You must prepare the traces specially
	for this (they must all be shorted together.  Usually the shorted
	section is then cut away)
Inspection - any reputable shop will inspect your boards.  Do you want
	the rejects? (You may be able to patch them)
Best input format - film? floppy for plotting?  other?  What scale (1:1,
	2:1, 4:1)?  If you supply artwork in scale other than 1:1, be
	very sure to mark it PROMINENTLY with a `this mark should be
	exactly 1 inch (3 cm, etc.) long'.  Otherwise you may get some
	very large boards back.
Tooling holes, registration marks, etc: most shops need at least one
	(typically 1/8") hole per board for their mechanical tooling.
	Registration marks on your artwork enable the shop to correctly
	superimpose your layers.

It's an industrial process.  The more professional you look coming into
the process, the more likely you'll get what you want.
	geoff steckel (gwes@wjh12.harvard.EDU)
			(...!husc6!wjh12!omnivore!gws)
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Sun Microsystems, despite the From: line.
This posting is entirely the author's responsibility.