Panelizing & Sub Panels - PCB Fabs Question

[benjones]

Hi friends,

I have been prototyping my PCB's with OSH Park for a while and I'm getting ready to put in my first large order and I wasn't 100% sure what other PCB fabs meant by panelized. Do they mean having different designs on a panel or multiple of the same design? I can fit 15 copies of my PCB on a 10x10cm panel. Would I select 1 for panelized?

Here are a few screenshots of the pages for Seeed and Elecrow:
http://imgur.com/a/ke5EA

Thanks for help!
-Ben

[Galaxyrise]

Have you watched ?

[benjones]

Hi Galaxyrise (Hail Sagan!), Yep! they are great videos. I've actually watched them twice

I'm just curious if I send a fab a panelized PCB with 15 copies of my board do I have to pay for panelizing my design for them to manufacture it? Is the PCB fab's panelizing cost only for unpanelized designs that the fab will panelize for you?

Thanks!
-Ben

[marshallh]

Some fabs charge a fee for the privilege of letting them make your already-panelized panel.

Some accept single files and will be happy to panelize them for you according to their own requirements (usually around $50-100)

The batch services like you mentioned tend the fall in the former category.
Larger one-shot fabs are like the second.

[benjones]

That's no fun 

So you're saying Seeed and Elecrow will charge me for panelizing my already panelized board?

Does iTead studio do that too?

[sca]

In my (very recent) experience, Elecrow are fine with multiple boards in their 5 x 10cm etc deals, as long as you only separate the boards on the ident, and don't expect them to rout them or otherwise separate them. I've always done this bit myself and sent them a single 'unified' gerber set. I tend to leave 2.5mm or 100th between designs.

This is fine for prototypes - no problem to separate with a hacksaw and file / router / big Aussie knife - but obviously no good for production.

sca