Solder mask appications are usually simple and easy to follow on a Computer Aided manufacturing (CAM). Sometimes, depending on the quality and clarity of the PCB design file package received, PCB Global’s Engineering department will invariably have a few Engineering Questions, also known as, EQ’s to confirm. One example involving a typical EQ is for issues with solder masks is shown below:

Solder mask opening on bottom layer only

EQ from CAM:

Top layer has standard solder mask opening on the pads but bottom layer does not.

Explanation:

The solder mask files are generally open for all SMT and through hole pads, these 4 pads have plated through holes with no the solder mask opening on the bottom layer.

 Resolution:

Our customer confirmed to apply the solder mask as per file as these 4 pink highlighted pads on the top layer are sometimes soldered together to make a connection for certain options on the PCB.

For further tips and information when designing and laying out your printed circuit board design file please do not hesitate to contact our PCB Global team at sales@pcbglobal.com

PCB Global currently supply Printed Circuit Boards to Israel. The PCB industry in Israel is known to be one of the country’s youngest industries and has grown alongside the rise of the electronics industry. The rise of electronics in Israel began in the early 1960’s as there was a large demand in response to the requirement of defence and aircraft manufacture.

Telecommunications, medical, computer and scientific instrumentation in Israel soon experienced a boom into a high technology environment. This hence placed demands on more high tech printed circuit board requirements. Israel’s printed circuit board and electronics industry comprises of many manufacturers, however, for quick turn and high technology requirements, such as flex and rigid flex are outsourced. Due to the high demand of the PCB industry, many materials such as glass epoxy copper clad laminates are being produced and exported globally.

PCB Global can offer flex PCB’s, rigid flex and high technology blind and buried vias which are commonly utilised in PCB’s manufactured for purposes of electronics in the defence industry. PCB Global can assist many global customers, such as Israel with these capabilities, including quick turn and high tech PCB’s.

The benefits of high tech PCB’s such as rigid flex includes:

#1- the ability to maintain strong physical interconnections even with minimal space
#2 -  it’s adaptable shape allows for a large variety of intricate applications
#3 – the layer stack-up possibilities allows the engineer greater freedom when designing and applying the design to the required device. This may cause the deign to be more challenging in the drawing process, however, the finished product is a more efficient and capable board.

For PCB’s outside of our online capabilities, please contact us at sales@pcbglobal.comwith your design file and we will provide a rapid free quote.

There may be a few discrepancies when it comes to a PCB design file package received. PCB Global’s Computer Aided manufacturing (CAM) Engineering department are experienced in distinguishing these discrepancies and following up with EQ’s to the customers specifications.

Drill File Differs from Drill Drawing

EQ from CAM:

Drill file differs from the drill drawing in the PCB file supplied. Hole count shows 121 in the drill file and 118 in the drill drawing.

Explanation:

It is important to ensure that all the correct holes are drilled as per the printed circuit board design. This error generally occurs when the fabrication drawing is produced, followed by a last minute minor amendment made to the circuit without regenerating the fabrication drawing again.

Resolution:

Our customer confirmed to ignore the drill drawing and process as per the drill file.

For further tips and information when designing and laying out your printed circuit board design file please do not hesitate to contact our PCB Global team at sales@pcbglobal.com

Computer Aided Manufacturing or ‘CAM’ Engineering is the most critical part of printed circuit board manufacturing as this is where design criteria’s are measured and checked to ensure the designed is able to be manufactured.

Some of the basic checks include:

·      Track width and clearance is appropriate for the copper thickness requirement

·      Solder mask bridges between IC’s have sufficient space

·      Sufficient annular ring for all plated holes

·      Minimum hole-to-hole clearance

·      Minimum hole-to-pad clearance

·      Minimum hole- to-track clearance

·      Sufficient inner layer clearances

·      Minimum silkscreen height

·      Minimum silkscreen lines

·      Ensure no exposed copper after solder mask (except the pads and SMT components)

·      Where vias are to be tented (covered) with solder mask, adjust the solder mask file accordingly

·      Multi-layer stack-up sequence

CAM engineering will then set up the required file packages which can be downloaded at each stage of production as required:

·      Photo-plotting all films for copper layer primary image, photo-printing primary image, solder mask, component legend silk-screen

·      CNC drill files – initial plated through hole drilling files

·      CNC route files – profiling, internal and external notches and cut outs

·      CNC non-plated drill file - there may be further non plated holes to be drilled

·      CNC v-grooving files – v-cut or v-grooving these days is predominantly processed with CNC v-grooving machines

·      Net list probe test/ jig test files for bare board electrical testing

·      A job card/traveller will be generated listing all the required finishes on the printed circuit board order for each stage of fabrication which include the following:

o   Customer Name

o   Part Number / Revision

o   Layer count

o   Stack up sequence
Material type

o   Finished Thickness

o   Copper thickness

o   Unit size

o   Finished panel size if panellised

o   Production panel size

o   Surface finish

o   Solder mask colour

o   Silkscreen component legend colour

o   Special instructions

Fabrication packages are created which are used in various workflow production stages including films for drilling templates/checks and fabrications drawings for final QA which list all the finished requirements with tolerances depending on the fabrication requirement; Class 2, Class 3, Mil Spec, etc.

CAM Engineering will receive the customers Gerber files which may or may not be panellised. For this example, we can assume that the PCB Gerber files were supplied as a single unit. We would then proceed to panellise these to ensure productivity through SMT assembly by adding top & bottom tooling strips with tooling holes and fiducial marks. The example below is panellised 4 up (2x2) with 10mm top & bottom tooling strips with 4 x 3.0mm tooling holes and 3 x fiducial marks with solder mask clearance.

PCB Global’s CAM engineering is always processed and updated with the customer’s permission and authorisation to ensure the highest quality PCB Gerber files are provided to allow for minimum EQ’s, ensuring the fastest possible lead time for all of our customers. For further tips and information when designing and laying out your printed circuit board design file please do not hesitate to contact our PCB Global team at sales@pcbglobal.com

Printed Circuit Board Panel - Top & Bottom tooling strips

PCB Global can apply our standard top & bottom tooling strip when requested to panelize a customer’s single image printed circuit board file as detailed below;

TOP TOOL STRIP

BOTTOM TOOL STRIP

Fiducial Mark Specification:

Clearance area between circle and rectangular is 3 mm or more.

7.5 x 7.5 mm square