As I am getting more experienced with the TM-240A pick and place machine (in the following I will call it the PNP machine, as in PNP transistors ), I’ve been thinking of ways to improve productivity. One obvious way is to panelize PCBs, meaning to assemble multiple copies of the PCB onto the same board. This can help greatly reduce the overhead time of stenciling and PNP loading time. I have to admit, I’ve never done PCB panelization before. I did search online and found various tutorials, but it’s unclear to me how to exactly indicate the ‘V-cut’ layer to the PCB manufacturer.
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The only time I have had any boards made in quantity it was a small board and the PCB firm suggested “shall I panel them up for you?” “Uhh…. I guess so” I said. And was very pleased to receive 66 PCBs per large sheet.
Maybe you could just talk to whoever is making them for you?
I used to work as a CAD/CAM designer in a company that produced PCBs. We used a software called Genesis, and the software will give you different options to panelize the PCBs, the problem is that you need to take into consideration tons of manufacturing variables like etching. The PCBs on the borders of the panel will receive a major etching factor that the ones that are in the middle, this was not the only variable to take into consideration…
The manufacturer is the best one to decide how to do that work.
The only time I have had any boards made in quantity it was a small board and the PCB firm suggested “shall I panel them up for you?” “Uhh…. I guess so” I said. And was very pleased to receive 66 PCBs per large sheet.
Maybe you could just talk to whoever is making them for you?
I used to work as a CAD/CAM designer in a company that produced PCBs. We used a software called Genesis, and the software will give you different options to panelize the PCBs, the problem is that you need to take into consideration tons of manufacturing variables like etching. The PCBs on the borders of the panel will receive a major etching factor that the ones that are in the middle, this was not the only variable to take into consideration…
The manufacturer is the best one to decide how to do that work.