First screen, captured 1 day ago. Hover to scroll the page, or open the video.

The Grid, a factory-scale robot in Massachusetts that builds PCBs on demand

What HN thinks

Everyone wants American PCBs, right up until the quote page asks for an account and the price arrives.

Cool, but China is still cheaper
Many like the idea but note JLCPCB and other Shenzhen shops remain much cheaper, with fast enough shipping, especially outside the US where there are no tariffs.
Speed justifies a premium for prototypes
Some argue that paying extra for quick domestic turnaround, no customs and phone support makes sense for prototyping companies.
Website and spec friction
Users complain about mandatory signup, upload errors, a vibe-coded feel, and restrictive specs like 1oz copper only and no buried vias.

Consensus: Commenters broadly welcome domestic PCB assembly and admire the automation, but agree that cost, design restrictions and the ordering experience need work before it can beat Shenzhen.

Recommended in the comments

OpenPnP (tool): Suggested as the basis for a small in-house assembly line if you lack commercial equipment.

Summarised by Claude from the comment thread 1 day ago.

Points: 550
Comments: 244
Best rank: #4
Posted: 2026-10-26 by seddona
Category: Hardware

circuithub pcb-assembly electronics-manufacturing factory-automation robotics reshoring

All captures:

Full page

Captured 1 day ago. Click for the whole screenshot.

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