I have been searching for a PCB supply company that can make a PCB as small as 2.54mm wide. PCBWay has a limit of 3mm wide. Is there any PCB suppliers out there that can handle a board that size? Has anyone ever made a board that size?

 

If a place like PCBWay offers 3 mm wide, I would imagine that the actual capabilities are quite a bit smaller for people willing to pay.

A quick Google search for "smallest PCB" turned up this link:

https://www.ipcb.com/spcb/376.html

They say their smallest finished board size is 0.5 mm x 1.0 mm.

 

If a place like PCBWay offers 3 mm wide, I would imagine that the actual capabilities are quite a bit smaller for people willing to pay.

A quick Google search for "smallest PCB" turned up this link:

https://www.ipcb.com/spcb/376.html

They say their smallest finished board size is 0.5 mm x 1.0 mm.

Nice! Thanks! I will get a quote from them.

 

Once I needed a batch of small PCB, perhaps 5x10mm, about what would fit in the metal part of a #2 yellow pencil. Plus a round to fit inside. Double sided. Thin too, like .8mm or half normal.

Our house handled this with ease. Board was normally used in a multi-layer stack up, so no abnormal stuff needed.

For the size? Just buy a pallet of them, and segment them on arrival.

 

I also have this problem.
I get charged some amount per board + amount/area^2.
At first, I had a large board made with 100s of little boards and scribe lines in between the little boards. Then I snap off the little boards. Watch out no one want to put parts on a very little board.

I would make a big (100x) board and have the parts put on it before it is broken apart. My problem is that my board house will not put parts on a scribed board. So I get the big board without the break_apart lines and do that here using a low-cost mill and special bit.

 

make a PCB as small as 2.54mm wide. PCBWay has a limit of 3mm

Make the board 3mm and then sand off 0.46mm. I have a nice disk sander.

 

Make the board 3mm and then sand off 0.46mm. I have a nice disk sander.
View attachment 277692

Nice idea, I also have a sander like that. I have ordered protoboards in the past from Osh Park PCB services, to keep the cost down they ship with 'small triangular protrusions on the edge of the PCB, I was filing them down with just a small fine hand file. For a larger amount, the sander you mentioned would be faster. Thanks!

 

I also have this problem.
I get charged some amount per board + amount/area^2.
At first, I had a large board made with 100s of little boards and scribe lines in between the little boards. Then I snap off the little boards. Watch out no one want to put parts on a very little board.

I would make a big (100x) board and have the parts put on it before it is broken apart. My problem is that my board house will not put parts on a scribed board. So I get the big board without the break_apart lines and do that here using a low-cost mill and special bit.

Interesting, could you share the info on the low-cost mill and special bit you are using? Thanks!

 

Mill, looks like this but 10 years old. link
2 Speed Benchtop Mill/Drill Machine (harborfreight.com)
bits. bits
I started out with 1mm bits but they broke. I asked the board house what bits. 3mm does not break. Get the gold bits with this design.

The PCB looks like this. Note I put dead areas around the outside. There are 3mm holes at each corner to help align the mill. I rout down the white lines.

If you do this, you will need a picture of the fixture I made to hold the PCB in place on the bead of the mill.

 

Mill, looks like this but 10 years old. link
2 Speed Benchtop Mill/Drill Machine (harborfreight.com)
bits. bits
I started out with 1mm bits but they broke. I asked the board house what bits. 3mm does not break. Get the gold bits with this design.
View attachment 277867
The PCB looks like this. Note I put dead areas around the outside. There are 3mm holes at each corner to help align the mill. I rout down the white lines.
View attachment 277868
If you do this, you will need a picture of the fixture I made to hold the PCB in place on the bead of the mill.

Nice! Thanks. I looked at that machine some time in the past but had some reservations, not knowing how well it actually works. Harbor Freight has some nice stuff. Thanks for the info!

 

If you go down this road, I need to send you pictures of the fixture that holds the PCB in place. It is made by the mill.

The reasons for doing this:
--Each little board has two different value resistors. (22&47, 33&51, 10&22....... for 50 little boards) If each board was made independently there is a $10 setup fee X 50 times. As a large board there is only one $10 setup.
--The copper pads are too close to the edge of the board.
--No room for two tooling holes.
--The boards are too small. (the resistors are 0402)
--The assembly house will not work with breakout scribe lines because the PCB bends too much.

 

If you go down this road, I need to send you pictures of the fixture that holds the PCB in place. It is made by the mill.

The reasons for doing this:
--Each little board has two different value resistors. (22&47, 33&51, 10&22....... for 50 little boards) If each board was made independently there is a $10 setup fee X 50 times. As a large board there is only one $10 setup.
--The copper pads are too close to the edge of the board.
--No room for two tooling holes.
--The boards are too small. (the resistors are 0402)
--The assembly house will not work with breakout scribe lines because the PCB bends too much.

At this point, I am still in the prototype phase. Still debating how to proceed. Thanks.