PCB Contruction and Assembly Services: Who's your favourite?

[deef]

Hello,

As the topic describes, basically I'm looking for a company that can manufacture PCB boards for me. We're talking from the ground up. In a perfect world, I'd like to supply them with Gerber files for the PCB, and Digikey part numbers cross-referenced to component numbers in the Gerber files. I pay, and they send me my boards etched and cut with the parts soldered on

Am I dreaming? I've never done this kind of this before so I'm a little naive of the process. It'd be most convenient if I could find a company that operated as I described above. Does anyone have a favorite company they've worked with in the past that they'd be willing to tell me about?

Here's a little bit of background about my design:
- total PCB area of 3in^2
- production quantity ~25pcs, depending on price. 200pcs maximum.
- 6mil trace spacing
- two copper layer with silkscreen/soldermask
- double sided SMD
- approx 70 vias
- approx qty 50 0603 SMD parts (therefor, approx qty 100 0603 SMD pins). Nothing smaller than 0603.
- approx 5 other SMD parts, SOT-23-5/3 package, for example.
- two TQFP parts, fine leaded, approx 80pins
- NO through hole, or BGA parts.

Like I said, it'd be easiest if the company took care of ordering the parts (I'd be more than happy to supply Digikey/Mouser part numbers).

Does anybody have a general idea of the cost, from past experiences?

Thanks a bunch, people!
deef

 

[itsmoked]

Oh yeah there are a lot of fruits and nuts here 4shore some even grow in orchards(almond capital of the world).
Cost of living is well um ah.. stunning.

But dang! I like looking out at the BigPond and those evening sea breezes...

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[davesaudio]

Interesting to hear others rates
The guy we are happy with would probably charge about $65 per board up to 10 or so. figure a buck a part.
seems like 'yall think thats 'spensive.
course I can get him to crank em out over a weekend if necessary.
All by hand , but consistant, faults are usually us, not him.

No way I could order/kit more than 100 parts a day , at least with the BOMs I receive.

If deef is interested and appends the ontario cable company to my screen name I will tell all...
Dave

 

[OperaHouse]

I hope deef posts back with a real quote. Everyone has posted with bits of truth that don't match the posters situation. If he has parts in plastic baggies this may have to be a hand lay up. I remember when we got our first thru hole pick and place machine. Management refused to have any input from the engineering department in the purchase. Once it came in they found out none of our boards could run through it since they had non standard lead lengths and positions and not enough free space on the board edges. About 70 products had to be re engineered and brought through UL again. It was 7 months before the machine was used. They were the kings of low production and would make runs of less than 20 boards. This was less than the PC board sheet the machine used and they would do the run by hand. The devil is in the details.

 

[zappedagain]

In the past I've used AP Circuits in Alberta, CA for PCB fabrication (

http://www.apcircuits.com).

I'm not sure they have assembly capability though.

Lately, due to RoHS compliant PCBs and a few less design restrictions than AP, I've been using Sunstone Circuits in Oregon, USA (

http://www.sunstone.com)

with good results. The quote form references an assembly house that they will send the boards to directly.

http://www.sunstone.com/pcb-resources/assembly-services.aspx

I'm curious to try them out but haven't yet. I'm still favoring my local assembly houses.