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

	The Grid, a factory-scale robot in Massachusetts that builds PCBs on demand(circuithub.com)
	511 points by seddona 2 days ago \| 231 comments
	tl;dr: CircuitHub has revealed The Grid, a Massachusetts factory where levitating movers shuttle individual PCBs between solder, pick-and-place, reflow, and inspection stations, with AI scheduling eliminating per-design changeovers so mixed low-volume runs are as efficient as high-volume ones. A sample 5-board order runs $630 delivered in 4 days versus ~$465 in 9 days from a Shenzhen quick-turn shop. The system has operated for five years, shipped 2.2M+ boards, and is scaling 5x this year to meet demand from startups and major tech companies.
	HN Discussion: ↑Founder offering to answer questions and framing hardware as undergoing an AI revolution ~Signup and quoting UX is broken, making it hard to actually use despite wanting domestic manufacturing ↓Skeptical of the setup-time breakthrough and speed claims based on Shenzhen sourcing experience ↓Board spec restrictions (1oz copper, no buried vias) limit applicability beyond simple prototypes ↓Concept isn't novel; similar quick-turn PCB services already exist in UK/Europe and can't beat China on price