SMT Assembly Prototype service

[josheeg]

Hi i like others looked at open pnp and used machines and found the quote from aapcb to be 400$+ :'( =-O x-(
So i tried to find some service like sparkfuns batch pcb or dorkbotpdx oshpark for printed circuit boards.

Smt assembly
smd assembly
were good searches and got back over 20 results.
Smt assembly prototipe service
might be a better search.
Every place offers quotes so there is no mentioned deals like dorkbot or batch pcb.
Smd assembly prototipe quote
or
smd assembly protoripe service review
might be good has anyone receved good quotes?

might be good.

[josheeg]

I found 2 places under 200$USD for my small board. Now I emailed many more for better quotes I have the pnp xyrs file.
I think it is logical assembling the circuit to test is a thing many designers would need. But they don't need many and SMT assembly is difficult and time consuming.

Says 80$ on its site.
http://www.ourpcb.com/pcba-product.htm
calculated for 160
http://www.pcbtrain.co.uk/

This one is usa but no quote price yet.
http://www.americanproductsinc.com/smt-assembly.php
It would be realy great if dorkbotpdx's service offered something or batchpcb just a assembled pannel...
dorkbotpdx's new board site is oshpool

[lyndon]

Honestly, $400 for any quantity seems like a really good price. Is that just the setup price or is that setup + assembly of a certain quantity?

Not so long ago, $400 was the price you'd pay to get 3 prototype bare PC boards done.

[josheeg]

Honestly, $400 for any quantity seems like a really good price. Is that just the setup price or is that setup + assembly of a certain quantity?

Not so long ago, $400 was the price you'd pay to get 3 prototype bare PC boards done.

really ? Well with automation and sending the boards and partd and xy rotation and side spread sheet csv txt file for pick and place on quantity of
1 is high becausse why would someobe want three coasters.
but 100 could be more fair i dont know never bought or ran a machine like that.

[lyndon]

"Fair" has nothing to do with pricing. Businesses price what they need to in order to make a profit and stay in business. If you can't afford it, then you're just not a potential customer.

There was someone on here (and SparkFun) a few weeks ago asking about starting up a low cost assembly service and the consensus was that they would lose their shirts doing it how they proposed.

Look, the way an entrepreneur would approach this is "I just tried to get some boards assembled and the price is too high. Maybe there's a market need for a low cost assembly service?"
If you want to be an entrepreneur maybe you've found a market niche. Now the question is can you fill it while still making money?

[vincentp]

seconded. That's more or less (a part of) the foreword of the upcoming MDC 7722 handbook. Not that you can't start an assembly service business but the cost involved will make your time and equipment way more expensive than "low cost" allows.
Now I know exactly what it takes me to assemble my own boards, I know what I would have to charge to customers if I was proposing such a service. And it kills the wishing well

have you checked screaming circuits ?

[josheeg]

521$ for one http://www.screamingcircuits.com 40 smd parts

[Alphatronique]

Hi

just curious for 1 or 2 board wly not just ask for hand assembly ?

whit stencil and past hand assembly was cost effective

~75$ for a stencil + 35$/ hour rate you may got small board for bit under 100$

some very simple board may even not need stencil

but put it on pick place need to load feeder and program machine so this require lot of time
it may take me 2 or 3 hour only for unlaod and relaod all feeder on my machine
and more if need to program part into machine .....

but past hand assembly was solution for small batch ...

you may try my online qoute tool price was very aggressive
http://www.alphatronique.com/?page_id=150

Best regard

[vincentp]

That's what we had going for a small batch of prototypes 2 years ago. The company had a small placement machine but it's actually easier for them to do hand placement especially when you have a very few components per board (like 30).

IMO The niche market of PnP for prototypes sounds interesting when :
- you need to validate an industrial assembly before going with high numbers. Sometimes even if the board is "simple", you don't know what sort of problems you can get into when going full auto
- placing complex parts like BGA and low pitch parts with a huge number of leads.

but most of the time, for a single board (to validate hardware at dev stage #0 or start firmware programming) hand assembly plus an eventual semi auto placement by a PnP for difficult parts make it cheaper than a fully automatic process. Programming and loading the machine takes indeed a lot of time (not talking of part definition if they aren't in the data base)

[josheeg]

Here are some place I got quotes:
http://www.ourpcb.com
http://www.nelson-specialties.com
Minisota USA
GOOD PRICE FOR 1

[tinkerbee]

Hi Folks;

I run a mod shop, we ended up purchasing a pick and place. We would offer these kinds of services. However I did not want to go advertising here as I am brand spanking new to the forums - is posting an ad for PCB services in this thread appropriate?

[adafruit_support_mike]

I run a mod shop, we ended up purchasing a pick and place. We would offer these kinds of services. However I did not want to go advertising here as I am brand spanking new to the forums - is posting an ad for PCB services in this thread appropriate?

Your best bet is to head over to the Jobs board (http://adafruit.com/jobs/) and post under "Skills Offered".

BTW - thanks for having the courtesy to ask about it!