Be very aware that when scoring loaded boards you increase the flexure on the pcba's. Aside from running the risk of fracturing solder joints and possibly creating intermittant and undetectable open ccts, you run the risk of cracking components which may or may not show up on test and may also contribute to early life failure. I would suggest either 1 - that you regulate and define your process exactly to ensure repeatable scoring. Same for breakout. 2 - test the possible variances in scoring for damage. Consider a life test/humidity tests (cracked components let in moisture). Assess your risks for the consumers uses. 3 - scrap the boards and take no risks! Regds Bob Gallagher -----Original Message----- From: Stephen R. Gregory [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: 01 December, 1998 12:04 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [TN] Scoring PCAs In a message dated 11/30/98 3:34:45 PM Pacific Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes: << Address, I have a PCA that was once routed using a phenolic base (Jig). The base and Router are no longer available. The fix is to score the panels prior to assembling. The immediate need is, "How do I depanel existing PCAs?" Again, the panels have NOT been scored and the router/base are not available. Is it possible to score the PCA with components loaded? I could then use a depanelizer such as CAB. Alternatively, could I use a skip Router for depaneling PCAs? This is a .028, std. 1 x 4 array, PCMCIA application. Any advice as well as service bureaus to perform any of the above or any other suggestions. Preferably someone local to Dallas, TX. John Gulley >> Hi John! I know somebody that'll do it out here in California, did the same thing for me one time with loaded boards. We were building Toshiba laptop memory and the score job wasn't checked on the fabs when we recieved them. Got the boards built but couldn't singulate them without flexing the boards big time because of the insufficient score depth, and I was worried that we would fracture solderjoints it was that bad. Called quite a few fab shops around here but couldn't find anybody at first that wanted to do the job. Couple of problems, nobody had the kind of scoring equipment that had enough clearance to score a loaded board. Apparently the newer generation scoring machines need more clearances than the older machines did, and make it difficult (if it can be done at all) to score populated fabs. The other problem was that many shops aren't really ESD safe back in their scoring and routing areas...they don't need to be either, copper and fiberglass the last time I checked, wasn't ESD sensitive.... :^) The shop I found is "Onanon"....(408) 262-8990, ask for Dennis Johnson. The shop is out here in Milpitas, California. All they do is route, score, and drill. Dennis set-up one of his older machines for me, and grounded the area around the scoring machine to do the job...couldn't ask for more. -Steve Gregory- ################################################################ TechNet E-Mail Forum provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8c ################################################################ To subscribe/unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the body: To subscribe: SUBSCRIBE TechNet <your full name> To unsubscribe: SIGNOFF TechNet ################################################################ Please visit IPC's web site (http://www.ipc.org) "On-Line Services" section for additional information. For technical support contact Hugo Scaramuzza at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.312 ################################################################ ################################################################ TechNet E-Mail Forum provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8c ################################################################ To subscribe/unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the body: To subscribe: SUBSCRIBE TechNet <your full name> To unsubscribe: SIGNOFF TechNet ################################################################ Please visit IPC's web site (http://www.ipc.org) "On-Line Services" section for additional information. For technical support contact Hugo Scaramuzza at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.312 ################################################################