I have been getting my PCB s from JLCPCB (China). The shipping is running approx three times the cost of the boards. Are you experiencing something similar? I usually select DSL for shipping.
Thx for any feedback and suggestions....

 

I have been getting my PCB s from JLCPCB (China). The shipping is running approx three times the cost of the boards. Are you experiencing something similar? I usually select DSL for shipping.
Thx for any feedback and suggestions....

It's still pretty cheap, just not dirt cheap.

 

I use the lowest price shipping and just wait longer.
JLCPCB is so much better that what we had to use years ago. There was an extra $200 setup fee on top of the board and shipping charges.
I am very pleased with JLCCPCB and have used them for some years.
One thing I have not tried is to make use of their assemble service.
Some friends of mine do that and the results and prices are very good.

.

 

I used JLCPCB for the first time a couple of weeks ago because PCBWay were having payment system issues. As a new customer, and using the cheapest shipping method, this is how much it cost me for 5 double sided PCBs about 4 inches x 3 inches in size.

Ordered 15th Jan, arrived in UK 26th Jan. Quality seems very good. Built one with no problems.

 

I think there is a baked in assumption that somehow the shipping should cost less than what you are buying. That's unwarranted, it depends on several factors. Fast shipping from China will be by air while slower options can use the much less expensive container ships.

Simple observation of weight of a parcel is not a reliable way to decide how much you should reasonably pay. If you need to save money, pay with the waiting time instead. On the other hand, make sure you properly account for the cost of the wait—if there is one for you.

 

I use PCBway, just as cheap, but more shipping options, typically $6-$10 and 6-10 days.

 

PCBway or JLCPCB which one you recommend ? considering shipment to Europe. Practically how many days should it take to get PCB in North European country.

Can we check the price of manufacturing by uploading the Gerber files to their websites before we place an order ?

 

I use PCBway because of the lower shipping cost to Canada, I have found no difference in board quality.
Yes you can post the design to get the cost.

 

PCBway or JLCPCB which one you recommend ? considering shipment to Europe. Practically how many days should it take to get PCB in North European country.

Can we check the price of manufacturing by uploading the Gerber files to their websites before we place an order ?

Yes. They will provide a quote before you move forward.

 

I really like the service and quality I get from JLCPCB. I don't plan on changing. Maybe I have been selecting the wrong shipping method...
I think I may have been selecting the expedited DHL service.

 

By the way, I have used their assembly service (pick and place) and have had excellent results.

 

colleague says he was also choosing postal service which was much cheaper and would take about as long or at most 2-3 days longer. i always use couriers - DHL, FedEx, UPS and these options cost about the same.

 

There are two DHL options. One is just DHL and the other is DHL with a an acronym after it. Maybe "DPP"? I have chosen that one. Maybe that is the issue. I'll have to investigate.

 

no, that only determines if you are paying brokerage/import fees up front or later, while the parcel is in transfer.

 

We have once paid some time ago 600 USD for 5 pcs PCB. The PCB size was 160 mm x 100 mm. Eight layers. All the internal layers were planes. The routing was only on top and bottom. I guess we have paid much. Never tried JLCPCB or PCBWay before.

 

We have once paid some time ago 600 USD for 5 pcs PCB. The PCB size was 160 mm x 100 mm. Eight layers. All the internal layers were planes.

I have had 4 layer PCBs from JLCPCB and been very happy with them. The price was WAY less than I used to get here in Australia. My friends have dome more layers.
Just out of interest, send you 8 layer PCB to them for a quote.
It will be quite interesting to see the result.

 

I found that PCBway had the most options for shipping and the cheapest was alittle longer delivery, but not alot,!

 

I think I may have been selecting the expedited DHL service.

expedted => ~cheap

 

decades ago, 20pcs of 8"x6" two layer 2oz copper boards, made in Canada in about two weeks and costed me about $1k.
on top of that i still had to buy all parts, and then solder them all (a mix of THT and SMD). parts alone costed more than boards and it would take days to populate all boards.

today i get same size boards in about a week from China, that is half the time. PCB cost together with expedited shipping is still only about 10% of what i used to pay. but... nowadays i rarely order just blank PCBs. most of my orders include PCBA. this gives me turnaround of about two weeks but - advantages are that all parts are purchased for fraction of what they cost me here, and the boards are not only fully populated (time saver..!). but also clean (in absolutely pristine condition). so now, even with cost of parts, setup costs, PCB assembly and expedited shipping this still comes to about 30-35% of what once used to cost me to get just the bare bone PCBs.

in light of that, i really cannot complain about shipping costs.

the best of all is the quoting system. i really like possibility to instantly see in 3D boards fully populated - before placing order. no waiting a day or two for an email. on average in 15min after submission, design is checked, approved and in production.

 

btw i was using economy and standard assembly and designs created for economic assembly (parts only on one side of the board, higher temperature for faster soldering) ended up costing about the same with standard assembly. one of used parts was tiny relay signal which would get slightly deformed during soldering. not one relay failed but... if one knows how to look, it could be observed that originally flat surfaces are not perfectly flat. i had no time to redesign for alternative part (which was a bit larger) so i simply accepted it as is. run bunch of tests and was happy to see that they are all ok. on repeat orders i simply accepted to use standard assembly (parts can be on both sides of the board, soldering temperature is lower).

i try to use basic parts as much as possible. this speeds up assembly since no reloading of the machine is needed and $3 per part type goes away. i also prefer to use same parts if possible, even on passives. result is that some resistors or capacitors are actually 2 or even 3 parts.

if ordering bunch of small boards, quoted price is quite a bit cheaper if you do panelizing yourself. but JLC does not like it when multiple designs are on same panel, so expect follow up call and paying small surcharge. some of the boards were too small too handle and had to be panelized in order to use PCBA.

i use KiCad and there are no out of box mouse bites in the library. i remember doing it first time and finding some online. it looked good but it did not go well - while the idea was fine, result was something that was very hard to use (to panelize). and finished boards were waaay too hard to separate. this was causing stress on the PCB and components. one of the boards did not work and it turned out that one of 0603 resistor near mouse bite was broken in half. that was easily found and repaired but made me create own versions of mouse bites which work way better.