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Are none cheap china PCB manufactures worth it?
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Jackster:
Hi all

I am doing another batch of my PCBs and I am looking at doing a decent amount (for me that is around 100).
Looking to move away from China and to European PCB manufactures.

They are around 2-3 times the price though (with standard green silk screen, add another 50 cents per board for other colours).

Is it worth it?

I have only had one bad experience with a China manufacturer and recently they said they can't do my boards in black silk screen but they can do them in green.
Apparently their black silk screen cant go between pads <0.35mm

Sure this has been asked before, I do apologise in advance.

Thanks!
Jack
Jwillis:
Are we talking silk screen or mask . In the case of mask black colour has carbon and/or cobalt to make it black. Both are conductive hence any spacing between traces less than a certain amount can't reliably be masked black without the possibility of conduction between the traces.
Yansi:

--- Quote from: Jwillis on November 20, 2019, 09:58:04 pm ---Are we talking silk screen or mask . In the case of mask black colour has carbon and/or cobalt to make it black. Both are conductive hence any spacing between traces less than a certain amount can't reliably be masked black without the possibility of conduction between the traces.

--- End quote ---

I find that very very implausible. Let alone any content of conductive dye. No way.  More likely about its physical properties like viscosity.

https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/388715/what-impact-if-any-does-the-solder-mask-color-have-on-the-electrical-and-mecha
floobydust:
You have "one bad experience" and write off the entire nation? How cheap did you go?Did you follow DFM on your pcb design.
There are many pcb houses in Asia that are excellent.

Local pcb houses are more expensive and I find they are always terrible at one thing. Either they can't get drill sizes right, or the silkscreen is smeared or dust in the process causes shorts between traces, or they use the cheapest laminate. It's just as much of a gamble if you bring it home.

Compare solder mask datasheets, no significant differences between green and all the other colours, in all properties.
rstofer:

--- Quote from: Yansi on November 20, 2019, 10:19:47 pm ---
--- Quote from: Jwillis on November 20, 2019, 09:58:04 pm ---Are we talking silk screen or mask . In the case of mask black colour has carbon and/or cobalt to make it black. Both are conductive hence any spacing between traces less than a certain amount can't reliably be masked black without the possibility of conduction between the traces.

--- End quote ---

I find that very very implausible. Let alone any content of conductive dye. No way.  More likely about its physical properties like viscosity.

https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/388715/what-impact-if-any-does-the-solder-mask-color-have-on-the-electrical-and-mecha

--- End quote ---

You may find in implausible but it appears to be true:

https://smtnet.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=search_submit&searchstring=black%20solder%20mask&collection=

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