Engineering Questions or EQ’s are very common with new printed circuit board files and designs. PCB Global’s Computer Aided manufacturing (CAM) Engineering department will invariably have a few EQ’s depending on the quality and consistency of the files provided. One example of a typical EQ regarding Hole to Track clearance is shown below:

Hole to Track Clearance

EQ from CAM:

This non plated through hole (highlighted in green) is only 5mil from the track. The absolute minimum distance is 6mil.

Explanation:

Non plated through holes are drilled at the final stage during CNC routing. The close proximity of these holes shown in the file are too close as the copper tracks and copper pads may place stress on the copper area during the CNC non plated drilling process, resulting in a weak point.

Resolution:

With approval from our customer, the track to non-plated through hole violation was resolved by amending the track travel (highlighted in red) which resulted in a 12mil clearance.

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