Speaking from what I do as a fab type:
We create a panelization drawing (AutoCAD DWG) and submit for approval.
This drawing contains all relevant data, tooling holes, fiducials,
dimensions, and machining guidelines. We then create our stepped gerber
files. If a paste file is supplied it is stepped at the same time. I
thought ALL fab houses did this!! My customers seem to expect this type of
service, leading me to believe that this was the industry norm.
"Manual" Panelization involves creating many '1up' images and cut and
pasting together, very common in the old "hand-taped' days.
All CAD packages I know of have Panelization available as an option if not
standard already. Some will even optimize the configuration.
In regard to stencils, even if the paste layers get missed or otherwise, a
drawing as noted above can be used. Send the stencil house the one up
gerber, the panel drawing and some way (preferably fiducial dimensions) to
lock the image to the panel.
If you would like to see a sample of what I mean, I can send you one.
Joe Duclos - New Product Engineer
ECC Corp
-----Original Message-----
From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Stephen R. Gregory
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 1999 7:12 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [TN] Panelized Gerber Files...
Hi ya'll!
Gotta' question, I've been getting boards panelized here that have been
single boards previously. My part is to specify what the maximum panel size
should be, and ask that .5" rails be put on two parallel sides of the panel.
The buyer then communicates this to our fab vendors and has them do the
panelization. I ask that buyer tell the fab vendor to email me the panelized
gerbers so I can get a stencil made for the panel. Sounds simple enough huh?
But I found that a few of our vendors have told the buyer that this is not
something they normally do...or the latest thing that I was told was that
they do the panelization manually? I don't understand...
I'm not educated enough about this, but I thought that a single image gerber
is just stepped-and-repeated to give you the panel which is used to
photoplot
the artwork that the fab vendor has to have to build the fab. The file has
to
exist or the fab vendor wouldn't be able to make fab, right? So why am I
getting such resistance when I ask for the panelized gerbers?
What am I missing?
I can still get a stencil made without the panelized gerbers, but I have to
wait until the paneled fab actually gets here so I can send it to my stencil
vendor with the single image gerber...my stencil vendor will take care of
the
step-and-repeat, but it's kind of a hassle. It would be so simple to do
things by email...
-Steve Gregory-
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