What Are The Ways To Cut PCB Board
May 12, 2020
PCB cutting is an important part of PCB design, but because it involves sandpaper grinding (which is a harmful work) and trace (which is a simple repetitive labor), many designers are reluctant to engage in this work, or even many designers believe that PCB board cutting is not a technical job, and a little training can be competent for this task. This concept has a certain universality, but like many workings, there are still some skills in the PCB board cutting. If the designer masters these skills, a lot of time can be saved, and the amount of labor can also be greatly reduced. Below we will talk about this knowledge in detail.
The concept of PCB board cutting
PCB board cutting refers to the process of obtaining the schematic diagram and board diagram (PCB diagram) according to the original PCB board. The purpose is to develop later. Later development includes installation of components, in-depth testing, and modification of circuits.
PCB board cutting process
1. Remove the device on the original board.
2. Scan the original board to get a graphic file.
3. Grind the surface layer to get the middle layer.
4. Scan the middle layer to get the graphic file.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 until all layers have been processed.
6. Use special software to convert the graphic file into an electrical relationship file --- PCB diagram. If there is suitable software, the designer only needs to trace the graphics once.
7. Check and verify to complete the design.
PCB board cutting techniques
PCB cutting, especially multilayer PCB cutting, is a time-consuming and labor-intensive task, which involves a lot of repetitive labor. The designer must have enough patience and care, otherwise it is very easy to make mistakes. The key to designing a profiled PCB is to use appropriate software instead of manual repetitive work, which is time-saving and accurate.
1. A scanner must be used during the profiling process.
Many designers are used to drawing lines directly on PCB design systems such as PROTEL, PADSOR or CAD. This habit is very bad. The scanned graphic file is not only the basis of conversion into PCB file, but also the basis for inspection in the later stage. Using a scanner can greatly reduce labor difficulty and intensity. It is no exaggeration to say that if you can make full use of the scanner, even those without design experience can complete the PCB board cutting work.
2. Unidirectional grinding plate.
In order to pursue speed, some designers choose two-way grinding plate (that is, grinding the plate layer from the front and back surfaces to the middle layer). In fact, this is very wrong. Because the two-way grinding plate is very easy to wear through, causing damage to other layers, the results can be imagined. The outer layer of the PCB board is the hardest due to the process and copper foil, pad, etc., and the middle layer is the softest. So to the middlemost layer, the problem is more serious and often cannot be polished. In addition, the materials, hardness, and elasticity of PCB boards produced by various manufacturers are different, and it is difficult to accurately grind.