[Gta04-owner] Invitation to indicate interest in next batch of GTA04A5 boards

[Dr. H. Nikolaus Schaller]

Am 09.04.2013 um 11:37 schrieb Denis Shulyaka:

>> Mainly per design. Design meaning paperwork describing everything. This starts with gerber data for the PCBs, stencil
>> design and Pick&Place programs.
>> If you repeat a production run after let's say 3 months without any change of this basic data, only the machine setup
>> and tear down time costs additional money.
>> 
>> But as soon as we change let's say the footprint of the BMA180 to a chip we can still buy, it means updating the PCB
>> layout, making new gerber data and for the PCB company it is a new project and not a reorder of the exising project.
> 
> Sorry if this was already asked before, but is it possible to find
> another factory that would not request 3000 euro for a single sign-off
> of a changed footprint?

Almost no. All of them have setup and one-time costs [1]. And if they don't,
they add that cost to each board and it is only hidden in the total bill.

Anyways, even if we could reduce this to 0, we still can't produce let's say 10
units for a reasonable cost, because components are bought in too small
quantities and this is also more expensive than a bulk purchase.

The trick is by building bigger batches ("economies of scale"). And this
needs more demand to get enough interested parties within reasonable
waiting time...

BR,
Nikolaus

[1] Example: the stencil is a metal plate that is laser cut and used to print
the solder paste onto the PCB. At the correct positions and the correct
amount. For every contact pad of the chips or resistors etc. If we move
a single resistor by 0.1mm this printing process will fail and we need
to have a new metal plate with new laser-cutting. Since laser cutting
needs time and energy and some person operating it, we have to pay
the same amount again.