Does anyone have experience getting plated through slots made at the low-cost China producers? I am specifically interested in JLCPCB and PCBWay requirements, but presumably experience at Seeed and others would be applicable. I have contacted both JLCPCB and PCBWay. Only one has responded, but it was vague.

I am familiar with the requirements of OSHpark, and apparently JLCPCB and PCBWay are different.

It is said that all one needs is copper on both sides of the slot. That restricts some of what you can do with the Dimension layer. One issue may be the default settings for Gerbers by Eagle pre-8 which put board outline, milling and top copper in the same Gerber ("cmp") rather than separating the board physical design into Gerber "GKO" or similar.

John

PS: I tried a couple of on-line viewers. One did not show slots and couldn't do drill or milling files. The other ( https://www.gerber-viewer.com/ )has a sign-on problem and cannot be contacted.

 

UPDATE
Just got my board from OSHPark that has PTH slots. The Gerbers were created using OSHPark's modification of the Eagle CAM and came out perfect. Here's a not very good photo:

A GLCD snaps into the two biggest , mid-line slots. A battery connector goes through the BATT_CON slot. Upper left (J3) is a micro USB used for charging. J2 is ICSP.

Everything fits. The thermocouple connector socket has small slots, and it mounts through board because of limited space above. The FPC connector (J5) is 0.5 mm on center contacts. I had intended a slightly different mounting land, but what was produced is OK. HW deboucers are IC1- IC3. IC4 is a push on/push off controller. Most important, everything dry assembles and fits. This is my first go with PTH slots, and I am quite satisfied.



Next step, use my OSHStencil and try to reflow solder everything, except TH parts.

 

Once you go purple ...

 

UPDATE

Made my stencil printer today. HF small mill/drill is a challenge. Also found out that ordinary ground shoulder screws are 0.004 to 0.005" undersize. (Precision ones are $12 each at McMaster.) I had planned on a 1/4-20 shoulder screw with 5/16 shoulder (I had a 5/16 reamer). Local hardware store let me sort though his bin, and I found some that are only 0.0025 to 0.003" undersize. The top slides nicely. If this works with Kapton tape, next version will have a clamp at the top. The pan head screws with hat washers you see will be replaced with hex head or wingnuts. I just had them on hand, and they take up too much space. The SS stencil fits well and every pad that I wanted shows.



The fixture/tooling plate is 6" x 6", which will let me print anything can I make with my version of Eagle. I bought it from a US machinist off eBay for $48 total w/tax. No way would would try that without CNC and a real mill. Everything is 6061-T6