Futurlec PCB manufacturing service

[slateraptor]

http://www.futurlec.com/PCBService.shtml

Previously unbeknownst, I've recently discovered that Futurlec offers 2-layer PCB manufacturing services at reasonable cost. Their tolerances are a bit on the meh side, but 1-week turn sounds like a winner for those projects that don't warrant the massive overhead of an expedited turn, and you just don't want to wait 2+ weeks with ultra-budget services either. Also, there doesn't appear to be any explicitly prohibition of slots, v-grooving, and/or panelization. Anyone have experience with these guys?

[pauln]

http://www.futurlec.com/PCBService.shtml

Previously unbeknownst, I've recently discovered that Futurlec offers 2-layer PCB manufacturing services at reasonable cost. Their tolerances are a bit on the meh side, but 1-week turn sounds like a winner for those projects that don't warrant the massive overhead of an expedited turn, and you just don't want to wait 2+ weeks with ultra-budget services either. Also, there doesn't appear to be any explicitly prohibition of slots, v-grooving, and/or panelization. Anyone have experience with these guys?

I have had experience with their PCB making service.

I would rather have all my teeth extracted without any form of anesthesia than ever go through the process again.

It took 1 month not 1 week (even with DHL shipping), email queries from them required interpretation and were all superfluous.  The boards themselves were just OK.  Based on other PCBs I have had produced since, they are also expensive.

Good Luck
Paul

[russdx]

there prices are crazy, i would not use them for prototyping!!!

[poodyp]

I'm trying oshpark. $5 a square inch. It's gotten really popular now, they say they do 2-3 boards a week, so turn around time shouldn't be too bad. I submitted a board monday so I'll see how it goes.

[slateraptor]

I'm trying oshpark. $5 a square inch. It's gotten really popular now, they say they do 2-3 boards a week, so turn around time shouldn't be too bad. I submitted a board monday so I'll see how it goes.

First I've heard of them. Please let us know how it goes; turnaround time is a bit long, but their capabilities and tolerances sound good to me.

I would rather have all my teeth extracted without any form of anesthesia than ever go through the process again.

It took 1 month not 1 week (even with DHL shipping), email queries from them required interpretation and were all superfluous.  The boards themselves were just OK.  Based on other PCBs I have had produced since, they are also expensive.

Bummer. Might just have to go with my normal board house on this prototype. I'll have to give them shot on something less important...that 1-week turn is tempting enough to give them a chance. Thanks for the heads up.

there prices are crazy, i would not use them for prototyping!!!

If you're making 1 board for a personal project, I agree...but I need 5 boards--which comes out to roughly US$29 per board before shipping--for a professional prototype which will come under visual scrutiny by customers with a lot of power and a lot of money, but don't necessarily understand the concept of "proof of concept". At this point, time is slightly more valuable since the price of a single board is significantly less than the hourly equivalent of my salary, but I have other things to preoccupy myself for a short while, so the advertised 1-week turnaround service at reasonable cost was considered. However, if I fail to productively move forward as a consequence of waiting on a service that doesn't even remotely adhere to what they advertise (as pauln has suggested) just so I can save the company a bit here and there, then my employer won't be very happy. Indeed, saving is great when you can successfully resolve your way around the caveats, but good intentions can bite you the wrong way at the worst time if you're a hasty, uncalculated young professional.

[Game-Tech.US]

I'm trying oshpark. $5 a square inch. It's gotten really popular now, they say they do 2-3 boards a week, so turn around time shouldn't be too bad. I submitted a board monday so I'll see how it goes.

I've been using them for 2 years and its been great!
The new online board submission is super easy and intuitive with excellent gerb view feedback.
It used to be known as the Dorkbot group/batch pcb fab service but recently changed names.
The only gripe is because of it popularity I can no longer get a hold of the guy in charge. He used to take time to answer any ?s I had. And emailing him is the only way to put in a medium run order, but since he doesn't respond my order from two weeks ago has went as yet un-submitted.
Very frustrating...

[slateraptor]

It used to be known as the Dorkbot group/batch pcb fab service but recently changed names.

I was wondering why Laen's name was on the page...makes sense now. Somehow, I missed the Dorkbot part.

[48X24X48X]

You can't go wrong with Oshpark/Laen/Dorkbot.
Used them in the past, always good quality board but some minor silkscreen issues.
And remember, they are offering TG170 boards which is only available upon request with other fab!
If you are in the US, it's definitely worth your bucks as it's pretty fast. 

[ToBeFrank]

You can't go wrong with Oshpark/Laen/Dorkbot.
Used them in the past, always good quality board but some minor silkscreen issues.

I've used them numerous times and agree with this. The silkscreen is not that great but otherwise the board quality is very good.

[poorchava]

Price-wise still thousand miles behind iTead Studio and Seeed Studio.
5x5cm board (4 sq.in.) would cost $20 for 3 pieces + shipping.
50x50mm board from iTead is $9.90+$4 shpiining to anywhere for 10 pieces (+1 or 2 randomly).

Plus for the Oshpark is that they do enig finish without additional fee whereas in iTead enig costs extra $20. On the other hand itead plates slots (as long as they are not perceived as 'long slot' used for parting the pcb, which is not allowed). Itead also does 100% electrical test, and seeed studio do 50%. Dunno how about oshpark.

Of course in my case oshpark service gets a bit more expensive because of shipping. If they are based in US, i believe expedited shipping to central Europe is around $30 and regular mail is something like $10-15.

[slateraptor]

Price-wise still thousand miles behind iTead Studio and Seeed Studio.
5x5cm board (4 sq.in.) would cost $20 for 3 pieces + shipping.
50x50mm board from iTead is $9.90+$4 shpiining to anywhere for 10 pieces (+1 or 2 randomly).

Plus for the Oshpark is that they do enig finish without additional fee whereas in iTead enig costs extra $20. On the other hand itead plates slots (as long as they are not perceived as 'long slot' used for parting the pcb, which is not allowed). Itead also does 100% electrical test, and seeed studio do 50%. Dunno how about oshpark.

Of course in my case oshpark service gets a bit more expensive because of shipping. If they are based in US, i believe expedited shipping to central Europe is around $30 and regular mail is something like $10-15.

Last time I used iTead, they only tested half the order and prohibited slots altogether...seems they've changed things a bit since, including price, but turnaround is nevertheless still painfully slow. I only use them for stuff that isn't time-sensitive, which is less and less these days.

If Futurlec held true to their 1-week turnaround, then it's really not a bad deal, especially for 1-sided designs, but evidently it doesn't appear this way. Obviously, I'm taking time into serious consideration; overall cost isn't always determined from a strict monetary perspective.

[David Aurora]

Based on experience just buying parts from Futurlec, I can imagine how the PCB's could go... 

[Emil]

Anyone have experience with these guys?

I used them 2 or 3 times a about 5 years ago. No problems.

One one of the boards I combined 3 different designs, they didn't appear to have any problems with that.