PCB Panel am I doing it right?

[xuio]

Hi all,

for an upcoming project I need to make multiple PCBs. To get the PCB cost down, I want to place multiple boards on a panel.
This is my first shot at designing a panel. Am I doing it right? (the crossed out part is not ready yet)

thanks for your help!

Moritz

PS: before someone asks: yes I am using Altium Designer, and yes, this is a legal copy! (student-license)

[Precipice]

I hate to say it, but PCBs tend to cost more on a panel, not less. If the PCB manufacturer gets to choose how to set up a panel to fit his process, then that's easier (and cheaper) for him. There's also the extra area for the panel features, and maybe some extra effort to make sure the routing and breakouts are right.
_Assembling_ PCBs - that's definitely cheaper and easier on a panel of boards.

[Richard Head]

The panelisation process depends to a large degree on your particular board (assembler) manufacturer. Most require a fiducial at each diagonal corner and a V-scored robber strip (+/ 10mm wide)on each side of the panel. This is so they can grip the board.
I normally panelise per PCB design and don't mix designs on a panel. You also seem to have a lot of wasted space between boards. That wasted board real estate costs money.
Also, rectangular V-scored boards are cheaper than routed boards with round corners etc.

[jmole]

if you're only doing some prototypes, panelizing on a single run can be cost efficient. I use twisted traces a lot for this (http://twistedtraces.com), they have a "proto panel" service, where you get a certain amount of board space (~11x17 for 2 layer), and you can lay out whatever boards you want in that space (if you panelize it yourself). Ditto for 4, 6, and 8 layer, except the sizes are smaller.

[poorchava]

From my experience: panels are good when you're doing a production run (even a small one) for one-offs and prototypes they usually cost more. With volume production you usually pay per panel anyway, and manufacturers usually prefer to get a panels that fits their "technological standards"

[free_electron]

Bravo ! Finally someone who designs boards, as opposed to vomit parts on a board and the flings traces at at it like a baboon fli gs ..well you knkw what baboons throw at each other ...

Well do e. I like it very much

Two things : router 2.4 mm is not really standard. They use either 1 2 or 2.5. Then again it may be that you fabhouse has 2.4. Check with them.
Do you need the 1 cm strips ? I would narrow them but it is not necessary.

Put fiducials, 3 per side, on the corners of the panel ( one corner does not have em )
I typically use bottom left : square fiducal ,top left round fiducial and bottom right round fiducial.
Since your robbing strips are 10mm : put the centers of the fiducials at 5:5 inward from the edge.

For such a large panel you may want to add tooling holes. Again, talk to your assembler.

[IconicPCB]

How much will the panel cost You?

[poorchava]

Dunno how about Germany, but here in Poland typical price for volume production (>100panels) of normal 2-layer boasrds with pth and without any discounts is around 2.5€...3.5€ per 1dm.sq. This doesn;t include production setup costs (which are usualy one-time fees)

[janekm]

Hi all,

for an upcoming project I need to make multiple PCBs. To get the PCB cost down, I want to place multiple boards on a panel.
This is my first shot at designing a panel. Am I doing it right? (the crossed out part is not ready yet)

thanks for your help!

Moritz

PS: before someone asks: yes I am using Altium Designer, and yes, this is a legal copy! (student-license)

Yes that looks fine, I have many times sent very similar looking panels to Chinese factories with no trouble, their operators are quite experienced and understand v-groove (or v-cut, v-score).
The 10cm strips in-between the boards should not be necessary and would save you a little cash.

In my experience the Chinese factories will charge a small extra charge per individual board on the panel to reflect the added operator effort, but it tends to work out cheaper overall especially if you need any add-ons like ENIG.

[xuio]

router 2.4 mm is not really standard. They use either 1 2 or 2.5. Then again it may be that you fabhouse has 2.4. Check with them.

Oh, I thought 2.4mm was the standard routing diameter, I think I picked this up from some EEVblog video on how to panelize PCBs.

But thank you for noticing, I will use 2.5mm in the future.

For such a large panel you may want to add tooling holes. Again, talk to your assembler.

This is just a prototype - for now. I only needed five boards, which I assembled by hand.

How much will the panel cost You?

I used Project PCB (http://project-pcb.com/) for this project, I paid $478 for 10 boards including shipping and a stencil.

I had some weird problems with the V-Scoring, they did not mill the third path (counted from the left) deep enough, I had to cut these boards out. Is there any way to make shure, this does not happen?


Thank you all for your help! I have attached a photo of the assembled Panel and of a newer one for another project (which was also my first 4-layer board  ).

Moritz

[janekm]

A V-Score not getting milled to the right depth (at least that severely!) is very unusual in my experience... I've never seen that happen before. And a bit strange for the operators not to have noticed it too (but you might have gotten caught up in the pre-spring holiday rush, of course...).

[free_electron]

This just made my day. Look at the beauty of those PCB's !

[poorchava]

I generally tend to place 'mouse bite' breaking lines inside the board perimeter in order not to have to remove burrs.

Like this (not my board, just found it on google images):

[steve_w]

Mikekeens,

Nice resource.

regards

SW