When you need multiple designs on a single board, or when you have products that use multiple PCBs for various designs, panelized PCBs are the ideal solution. These are those PCBs that contain multiples of the same or different designs on a single board; the sections then breaking off into different individual boards, resulting in efficient usage of space.
Why panelized PCBs?
- Panelized PCBs are highly cost-effective. Generally, when you want to manufacture multiple boards, a manufacturer will charge more for the additional time spent to manufacture a higher number of boards. But, with a panelized PCB, it is one large board with multiple design, which needs to be manufactured and processed only once instead of multiple times on multiple PCBs.
- In the case of panelized PCBs, multiple boards can be made on a single panel in a single run, which results in a large amount of time-saving; thus also resulting in faster delivery.
- Panelized PCBs help in holding multiple boards together onto one large board; thus helping in organizing large quantities of components; making it compact, space saving, and convenient.
- If you put multiple boards into your machinery, it will take a lot of time to swap outboards and then put new boards into the machines. Doing it manually means a lot of time invested in aligning a stencil and applying paste to all the boards. Panelized PCBs speed up this process, bringing about a faster board assembly, and thus faster production.
Types of panelized PCBs
- V-Groove – Each panel requires to be separated from each plater after fabrication, requiring minimal or no tools to separate the boards. One such way if by using V-Score lines, which are the cut lines defined on the mechanical layer of the board design. Then, V-shaped cuts are performed on those lines, 1/3rd the depth of the board. Then, the boards are broken cleanly along the adge where V-cut lines exist.
- Break-off tabs – These PCBs are narrowed down areas of the board with lots of holes or vias drilled into the edge, which is later broken off. On applying force, the narrow region with the holes breaks off, as it is the weakest point on the panel.
Where can panelized PCBs be used?
There are a number of appliances that require multiple boards. For example, microwaves and inverters with separate power and control boards, and game consoles with daughter boards. Then, there are products that have very small PCBs, like smartphones and adapter boards.
When working with a PCB manufacturer…
When working with a PCB manufacturer, you need to provide them all the details like the type of panel you require, the dimensions of individual boards within a single panel, and the dimensions of the entire panel.
You can get in touch with Miracle Electronics to have the best quality and most reliable PCB assembly from India made for your products. Just provide all your requirements, and you will have the best design manufactured for you to serve all your purposes.