03-21-2021, 04:56 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-21-2021, 07:27 PM by dsimic.
Edit Reason: Word choice
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(03-21-2021, 04:18 PM)barray Wrote: How many is a small batch? Also there are pick and place services for common parts, such as those offered by JLPCB. We'd likely need some way to take pre-orders though to judge quantity, and then there's the shipping... And depending on how many you are speaking about creating in a small batch, it could be quite a work-intensive undertaking.
We'd probably need pick and place down the line anyway, as those larger flash chips are quite fine pitch and even quite often have pads/balls underneath that require some oven process.
How many? A rough estimate for a manageable batch size would be anywhere between 100 and 500. Component pricing also plays an important role when planning the size of a batch, simply because buying some components in very low quantities results in absurdly high prices.
I've already planned to start making and selling another open-hardware device, but the pandemic threw a wrench into the whole thing. My intentions were/are to buy a small reflow oven, and do the component placement by hand. I know, it's far from ideal because of a lot of work involved, but it should suffice for the first few batches. If the whole thing ramps up, there are somewhat affordable small pick-and-place machines available for purchase.
Regarding the shipping costs, international shipping rates are rather low in my country, and the delivery is reliable despite the low rates. However, all that can happen only after the pandemic is over.
