PCB panelization is a crucial aspect of PCB design and mass production, impacting not only PCB quality standards but also production costs. How to achieve efficient panelization while ensuring PCB quality, thereby saving raw materials, is a key challenge for manufacturing companies.
1. Panel connection method
There are two types of PCB panel connection methods: V-cut (as shown in Figure 1-1) and stamp hole connection (as shown in Figure 1-2).
Figure 1-1 V-cut design of PCB
Figure 1-2 Design of stamp hole in PCB
V-cut is generally suitable for PCBs with rectangular shapes. Its advantages are neat edges after separation and low processing cost. It is recommended to use it first, as shown in Figure 1-3.
Figure 1-3 V-cut layout
Stamp holes are generally suitable for irregular plate layouts. For example, the "L" shaped frame structure of MID often uses the stamp hole connection method for layout, as shown in Figure 1-4.
Figure 1-4 shows the "L"-shaped layout of MID.
2. Number of pages to be assembled:
The size of the entire panel must be calculated based on the dimensions of each individual PCB board, and it cannot exceed the maximum size range of the PCB (PCB panel length must not exceed 250mm). Excessive panel size will affect the accuracy of panel placement and surface mount precision. Generally, motherboards for MID (Multi-Instrument) devices use 2 panels, while secondary boards for button boards and LCD boards should not exceed 6 panels. For secondary boards of special sizes, the specific dimensions will be determined based on the specific circumstances.
3. Requirements for the perforated strip of the stamp
In a PCB panel, the number of connecting strips should be appropriate, generally 2-3, to ensure that the PCB's strength meets the requirements of the manufacturing process and prevents it from breaking easily.
As shown in Figure 1-5, the connecting strip is generally designed to be 4-5mm long, with non-metallic holes, typically 0.3mm-0.5mm in size, and the spacing between holes is 0.8-1.2mm.
Figure 1-5 Design of the Link Strip
4. Process edge
When the components on the board are densely packed and the space around the edges is limited, a process edge is needed to transport the PCB board during SMT (Surface Mount Technology). This edge is typically 3-5mm thick. A positioning hole is usually added to each of the four corners of the process edge, and optical positioning points are added to three of the corners to enhance machine positioning, as shown in Figure 1-6.
Figure 1-6 Design of the process edge
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