backdrill said:
For those who have tried getting online quotes from PCB vendors (i.e. for design or fabrication),
may I know your feedback from doing this?
I personally have not tried sending a request for quote on the PCB vendor's website but I am interested though quite hesistant in this process. I usually send a request for quotation directly to the vendor thru email. I'm just curious on getting quotes online.
What are the pro's and con's of this process?
It seems like your question is a bit contradicting when you say that you haven't not tried sending a quote request to a PCB vendor and then the next sentence, you say that you usually send a request directly to the vendor..
Anyways, there are a few things that I always consider before sending my Gerber files to any company. Make sure that the company isn't a broker and is an actual PCB house. I have found that I can get the best price when I am dealing directly with the manufacturer (no matter what the PCB Broker tries to tell me).
The second thing I consider is if I should have them sign a NDA or Non-compete clause. On this rare occasion, the PCB company shouldn't have any problem with this.
The last thing I consider is if the company has knowledgeable sales reps that can answer my questions without sounding like an idiot. I understand that it is tough to find companies like this, but lately, I have been using a company called
Custom Circuit Boards. They have been great so far, but I know that sh*t happens and things could always go south
. (hopefully, it doesn't though)
There are some companies out there that provide automatic quoting forms on their site, but I haven't been a fan because I don't like how they can't quote complex boards accurately. In my opinion, they are a big waste of time for the majority of my PCBs. It really pisses me off when I use those forms and it says one price, but then I get a call from the sales rep saying that it has to be a higher price because of X, X, and X.
I usually stick to USA manufacturing companies (like the one I mentioned above) because the lead times I need are impossible for China.
I would suggest contacting a PCB Manufacturer and seeing what their capabilities and go from there. Build a relationship so you have someone that you can rely on in the future. Don't just go for the cheapest price out there (especially for more complex boards) because we all know that you do what you pay for.
