Most automated assembly processes require peripheral waste strip to be placed around a circuit for the purpose of holding and conveying the circuit between each subsequent assembly process. Within this waste strip there will be fiducial marks used to align the pick-and-place machine camera system and ‘tooling’ holes that are used to handle the printed circuit board in assembly that can also be used to rigidly mount boards in jigs for any manual assembly functions at point of population.
As all PCBs going through an automated assembly process travel in a one linear direction, only two parallel sides of the panel actually require waste strip as illustrated above. Also, by using a reduced width waste strip and choosing scoring over a routed profile not only reduces final finishing work where connection pips need to be removed, it also saves considerable material, especially on multiple circuit panels.
The example shown above clearly illustrates the potential to optimise the material use of any PCB without detrimentally affecting or even changing the active circuit board itself in any way.
At Momentum Circuits, we will always suggest way in which a board can be manufactured to bring about commercial advantage using our pragmatic experience and CAM engineering capabilities.