PCB In-house Fabrication

[abhiarora]

Hello everyone,

I am looking for in-house fabrication (milling and drilling). My budget is $300.

I found one cheap Chinese machine over Ali express https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/2016-New-GRBL-CNC-machine-3-Axis-Pcb-Milling-cnc-Machine-2418-Diy-Wood-Carving-Mini/2345078_32699633258.html

I am willing to buy it. Before placing the order, i want suggestions from the community. If someone knows better, efficient, more accurate and robust solution for in-house fabrication (milling and drilling) of the PCB, please do comment.

Below are some details of my design:
Layer: Max 2
Track Min Width: 10 mil
PCB Max Dimension: 10cm X 10cm
Components Type: SMD and Through Hole

My design doesn't involve high currents, voltages or frequency. It has one PIC24EP and few other on-board components.

[DerekG]

What PCB design software do you use & will it provide a satisfactory output to drive this milling machine?

If it doesn't, is there some 3rd party software that will do the conversion for you?

[thm_w]

My design doesn't involve high currents, voltages or frequency. It has one PIC24EP and few other on-board components.

Order the board for $10 from a vendor on pcbshopper.com, as you don't appear to have any special need for this tool.

[ar__systems]

Don't make PCBs in-house. Spend the money to order the boards. Looks like you considering doing for more than one prototype board.

[rea5245]

I occasionally dream about getting a PCB mill. But then I think about how much it would cost and I realize, I can buy a lot of PCB fabrication services from China, with short lead times and fast shipping, for that money. And there are bonuses: I don't have to clean up metal shavings, I don't have to replace dull milling bits, I don't have to master the software or fiddle with balky hardware, plus I get factory-quality results, a solder mask and silkscreen.

I've come to the same realization with 3D printing. I've sent things out to be 3D printed on 3dhubs.com and heard back about how the guy doing it had to do multiple prints until it came out right. I'm quite happy letting someone else have those headaches.

Getting these machines to work right can be a job in itself. Unless you're willing to invest the time to become an expert in running the machine, and unless you really need a turn-around time in hours, let someone else do the manufacturing.

- Bob

[ludzinc]

I have access to an LPKF protomat here at work.

Back in the day I used it extensively to make my hobby boards.  But assembling those with all the exposed copper is a pain in the ass.

I now order PCBs in preference to milling.  Only if ti's drop dead simple, through hole and needed *right now* do I bother with the mill.

[DerekG]

I don't have to clean up metal shavings, I don't have to replace dull milling bits, I don't have to master the software or fiddle with balky hardware

Bob, you forgot about the pain of soldering wires through every via to make the circuit work 

[tra]

I run a PCB prototyping lab. $300 just isn't going to do it if you want to make anything but the most basic of boards. You are better off ordering from Seeed or any of the other China based operations that do 10 boards for $10.

[ansonbao]

I think you want to save cost when you have so many pcb to make,but you didn't consider the the time you will spend,and the process is not good.You can try some Chinese manufacturer,including us,now as low as 5 dollars for 10 pieces.

[mikeselectricstuff]

The ONLY reason to do any sort of PCBs in-house is if you really NEED very fast turnaround.

And if you really do that turnround, you will be able to spend more than $300.

For that budget, forget anything CNC - the only option is chemical etching and a manual drill.

From what I've seen, Othermill is the cheapest viable PCB milling option, at 10x your budget. Bear in mind that the cost of cutting tools will probably be similar to ordering Chinese PCBs, and that's before you factor in the labour.

[tra]

100% agree. In the lab that I operate I crank out multi-layer boards same day. The cost of the lab equipment is close to $500k, however, the number of boards that I fabricate every year shaves months off of RND time and has saved well into seven figures in prototyping costs (if paying for comparable turnaround times). 

A used LPKF S62 will run somewhere between$5-10k, but it's a real workhorse. We've put 11,000 hours on the one that I have sitting next to me.

[mikeselectricstuff]

I am looking for in-house fabrication (milling and drilling). My budget is $300.

My design doesn't involve high currents, voltages or frequency. It has one PIC24EP and few other on-board components.

That implies you're wanting something for production, not prototyping.
That would be just ridicuklous