Great PCB House for Prototyping

Community Products and Services
21

I,ve used itead a number of times now since Crossroads introduced them to me a year or so ago. I,ve not had them deliver to the UK in under 3 weeks, but thats my choice - the price and quality are good for me.
However I have a design where I need 25mm x 50mm. I already ordered the same design and doubled them up on a 50 x 50mm pcb, but I,m struggling to cut them in half with the tools (or lack of) I have at home - 1.6mm is surprisingly thick when you try and cut it! So if I ordered from itead a 25mm x 50mm design, but under the 50mm x 50mm ordering code, would I received just 10 pcb's and effectively waste half the order, or would they supply twice as much, ie 20 pcbs?

Thanks,
Texy

22

Texy:
I,ve used itead a number of times now since Crossroads introduced them to me a year or so ago. I,ve not had them deliver to the UK in under 3 weeks, but thats my choice - the price and quality are good for me.
However I have a design where I need 25mm x 50mm. I already ordered the same design and doubled them up on a 50 x 50mm pcb, but I,m struggling to cut them in half with the tools (or lack of) I have at home - 1.6mm is surprisingly thick when you try and cut it! So if I ordered from itead a 25mm x 50mm design, but under the 50mm x 50mm ordering code, would I received just 10 pcb's and effectively waste half the order, or would they supply twice as much, ie 20 pcbs?

Thanks,
Texy

Yes to itead or seeed. They don't charge per area but charge per predefined area. It is wasting money and material but that is the only way they can offer low price. If you make more than 100 boards, you should email them to see if they are open to negotiate price down. Everyone fits within a predefind box so they can easily and quickly fill up a large board for printing. Hope if you do come to negotiating, your experince is better than mine.

23

Texy:
So if I ordered from itead a 25mm x 50mm design, but under the 50mm x 50mm ordering code, would I received just 10 pcb's and effectively waste half the order, or would they supply twice as much, ie 20 pcbs?

No, you would get 10 PCBs. If you want to get 20, you would either double-up or add another 10 PCBs to your order. If you want to cut them, invest in a scroll saw or a dremel. I just cut some of mine this past weekend and had no problem with the scroll saw.

24

Visit your local hardware store and pick up a hacksaw, works great for cutting in half also.
They might inquire with you about the duplicate design on the board, but as along as you're not adding a row of holes or similar down the middle they'll likely make it for you.

25

I,m struggling to cut them in half with the tools (or lack of) I have at home - 1.6mm is surprisingly thick when you try and cut it! So if I ordered from itead a 25mm x 50mm design, but under the 50mm x 50mm ordering code, would I received just 10 pcb's and effectively waste half the order, or would they supply twice as much, ie 20 pcbs?

Yes, you would "waste" that area.

A hacksaw actually cuts PCBs just fine, if you cut along the flat area. If you try to cut on the edge, it doesn't work very well.
Just put the PCB on a corner of a workbench, lay the hacksaw flat across the line you want to cut, and saw; takes only a minute!

26

Thanks guys. I will give that a go :wink:
Texy

27

The fiber dust from rapidly rotating tools is bad to your lungs. Hack saw is probably safer.

28

update for me:

iTeadStudio = F

(I am completely, 100%, PISSED OFF right now too!)

my last order had some problems with them.. (shipping slow.. but not even emailing me telling me anything, accepted? completed? shipped?.... apologized..moved on)..

now I have placed another order.. (over chinese new year).. so I new it wouldnt start until 17th of Feb....

Since then.. I ordered, paid.. and there is no entry/order history in my account on the website..?? (no order history)
although they have taken the money from PayPal account?

No emails...

I emailed asking about the order? why not showing up? status?..etc.. got 1 reply saying (quoted) "Sorry about this condition. We've checked with the transation ID and it's received. And we've fabricated all the files. Sorry for the long delay and we will ship your order today or tomorrow."

I have emailed using their contact forms, help forms, on-line emails.. and Sunny, John & Wendy directly..

all emails have gone without any responses......(zero)

NO emails to say designs were accepted, designs were done.. designs were shipped.. and no tracking number!!
To top it all off.. I paid for the fast $29.00 FEDEX shipping too!.. but since the order was lost, not done in time and no communication was given.. that was a complete waste too!

Just an FYI people.. iTeadStudio custom server/quality has left the building!

I hate feeling 'burned' liek this.. (espeically when I have posted good reviews about them in the past, and have sent many customers/friends there to get pcbs done too)

well all thats stops now.. no more support form me until they can fix this:

I suggest using:

SeeedStudio -
(very similar to iTeadStudio)
http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/fusion-pcb-service-p-835.html

Sitopway (Technology Limited) -
(new, but has bigger pcb size for their smallest package/cost compared to the two above)

again iTeadStudio = terrible service lately!!

(seems like every since iMall took over.. things have been crap)

Wendy, Sunny, John & Sales @iteadstudio.com can all be fired as far as Im concerned...

Not one of them can or have done their job.

Completely, un-professional...

go somewhere else, that will actually email you back or delivery your product to you.

iteadStudio (as of now) = thieves & liars..

29

People seem to have more problems with Seeed. I've been very happy with ITead, I've used them three times and haven't had any problems.

30

I havent had any problems with iTead in the past either.. except for minor communication problem last order (their fault).. and now this order which is a HUGE problem..(again their fault)

Usually Im ok with problems as long as communication is great... (shit happens ya know) :wink:

but this is terrible, complete lack of customer service!...

no email saying the boards were accepted?
no email saying they were done?
no email for the shipping/tracking number?

No entry fr it in my order history on THEIR website?

I had initial contact the first day or two things went wrong...

getting ANY reply after that to see if things have been fixed? a status update? anything... has resulted in ZERO response.

31

I'll have to say I've had very good luck with Sitopway. Especially on large orders. Their prices for 10 5cm x 5cm boards may not be as sweet as some of the other shops (who farm it out to folks like Sitopway anyway). The only complaint that I have ever had about them is that when you get them to do assembly, they don't always clean the boards properly. But this I can live with as I just pop them in the ultra-sonic cleaner here an in a few minutes they are sparkling.

32

Getting back to the original house - OSH Park. I've used them three times now and I have to say their quality is top notch and I really like the way their online system works with showing you previews of the boards. The previews are spot on. I've been designing the boards with DipTrace and it works great with OSH Park. This tutorial has been my guide: DipTrace layout and ordering boards from Dorkbot aka OSH Park | KuzyaTech

33

OSH Park is great, the only thing I don't like is the lead time. I usually need boards faster. I have used

Prices are higher than OSH Park, but I get them in the time I need to meet deadlines for the people I work for, and quality in all of them has been great. The best customer services probably from Pentalogix.

Regards

34

Just used SEED studios as well as Elecrow for the first time for both..

was trying to compare to iTead/iMall... when I need an odd size they didnt offer in a small batch pcb (5cm x 10cm)

SEED had that size in small batches of 10.. cheaper than i could get from iTead for only 5 pcbs..

I had some other pcbs I needed to order.. in my usually 5cm x 5cm sizes..... so i decided to use Elecrow, because of their posting here.... and because they give you FREE color pcb's..

I can say that all 3 are more or less the same as far as board quality goes.. Im not sure if it OSH Park quality..but I think they are good... GREAT even for the price.

iTead told me they would have met the SEEED price if I was a better customer (which up until now, i had only ever used itead before.. so go figure?)

SEEED had decent shipping..

Elecrow has free color, good communication on the status of your order (and send pics of your pcb's when done/shipping)

I will probably stick with Elecrow for now, as its more or less the same as iTead, they seem to want your business, and color is free.. (which i really enjoy)..

35

Has anybody used Ragworm? I think they are quite new but hope someone UK/EU based has used them.