Panelization is the process of creating an array of your PCB for a manufacturing panel. This allows multiple PCBs to be created at one time, optimizing material usage and shortening your manufacturing turnaround time.
VisualCAM's Advanced Panelization allows you to panelize single or multiple designs, and lets you store an unlimited number of panel templates so you can use the same panel configuration for multiple jobs. You must have each design already saved as a VisualCAM .vcam database (this command does not automatically operate on the design currently loaded in the workspace). Coupon placement, venting and thieving, pinning holes, and title blocks are supported, as long as those elements have been saved as individual .vcam files.
Essentially, all panel elements are just seen as individual images by VisualCAM, that you can add, rotate, and repeat however you wish. As long as you prepare your data properly, panelization is a quick and easy process.
Tip: A VideoClip is available for this tutorial. (Internet access required.)
The following steps should be followed for any images you wish to appear on the board, including coupons, pinning holes, title blocks, etc.
Using the Setup|Layers command or the Navigator, make sure that each layer is "tagged" with the correct layer type. Layer types are very important in the panelization process. Non-electrical layers, such as drawing layers, will not be included in the finished panel.
Remove any extraneous data on your electrical layers that are outside the perimeter of the board, such as title blocks, targets, crop marks, etc.
If necessary, create a mill path around your image and optimize your NC tooling.
Complete any other data preparation and analysis that is necessary prior to sending your job to manufacturing.
Save your data as a .vcam file.
Prepare the images you wish to panelize as instructed above.
Select the File|New command to start with an empty database.
Select the Tools|Panelize|Advanced command, and define the various elements of your panel.
When you click OK in the Advanced Panelization dialog box, your finished panel appears in the workspace.
Save this database as a .vcam file, or export it in whatever format you require.
The panel is created with step and repeat codes, so you cannot edit the individual "virtual" images. You can, however, change the placement of the virtual images within the panel. We recommend, if you wish to modify the image placement the panel, that you select the Tools|Panelize|Advanced command again and modify the panel there. That will prevent a violation of any spacing rules you set up, and any venting pattern can be adjusted automatically.
If you save your panel as a .vcam file, and then change any aspect of your original design (in the original .vcam file you started with), the next time you open your panel file you will be warned that your data has changed. You should then use the Advanced Panelization dialog box to verify that the layout and spacing rules are still applicable to your modified design, and that the layer sets are still correct.
If you are including multiple designs on the same panel, you first need to save each design as a .vcam file. See Preparing Your Data above.
Under the Image tab of the Advanced Panelization dialog box, browse for as many images as you would like to include in the panel. The file that appears in the Image list establishes which image you are working with at the moment, and you simply select a different image to define its panel properties.
You do not need to worry about the layer order in the original .vcam files. The first file you bring into the panel establishes an initial panel layer structure. As you add new images to the panel, you can then use the Layer Mapping function to match each image layer to the appropriate panel layer, and create new panel layers as necessary. So you can make sure that all image layer types on each panel layer match.
When laying out multiple images on a panel, you must use the Manual Placement option under the Layout tab. You can then specify the exact number of copies you want on the panel, then move and rotate them individually to optimize board space. To change the placement, right-click on the image you want to move, and a shortcut menu appears. You can Move, Rotate, or Delete images at will.
Adding Panel Elements functions the same as panelizing multiple images.
Each element, such as a coupon, title block, or fiducial, must be individually saved as a .vcam file. When creating the element, you should tag it with the layer type it will appear on (only electrical layers are included in a panel).
Under the Image tab of the Advanced Panelization dialog box, you can then browse for whatever elements you would like to include in the panel. The file that appears in the Image list establishes which image you are working with at the moment, and you simply select a different image to define its panel properties.
As you add new images to the panel, use the Layer Mapping function to define which panel layer you want the element to appear on. You must then use the Manual Placement option under the Layout tab to place the item on the panel. You can then specify the number of copies of the element you want on the panel, then move and rotate them individually to place them. To change the placement, right-click on the image you want to move, and a shortcut menu appears. You can Move, Rotate, or Delete images at will.
Venting & thieving, and robber bars are each defined under their own respective tabs in the Advanced Panelization dialog box. Please see the Advanced Panelization command topic for an explanation of the definitions.
Venting is normally applied to inner layers. Inner layers usually have less copper area than outer layers, because there are usually fewer traces, etc. Venting equalizes the amount of copper area on the inner layers, so that the amount of plating material applied during manufacturing is not only the same amount, but the same thickness. Otherwise, the inner layers become thicker than the outer layers, because they have the same amount of plating material applied to a smaller area of copper.
Venting is also important during the lamination process. Cross-hatch and dot patterns help the preg material flow out while the layers are pressed together, creating an even distribution of preg material and preventing bubbles from forming between the layers. It is also helpful if the patterns on each layer are offset from each other, so that the cross-hatches or dots on the layers fit between each other when pressed together, forming a snug fit.
Robber bars, or galvanic vents, are often added to top and bottom layers to balance the copper between them, to prevent over-etching. (Use Copper Area analysis to see if this is necessary for your design). They can also be used as a grounding strip for plating.
Many manufacturers have standard panel attributes that are used for several jobs. You can create pre-defined panel "templates" for use on multiple jobs, to streamline the panel creation process. There are several pre-defined panel templates and elements provided in the VisualCAM program directory, in the Samples/Template folder.
Define a panel as described above, with whatever attributes you wish (size, venting, panel elements, layer setup, etc.).
If you have a standard tool table, use the Setup|NC Tools to define your shop's tooling. If you do not define a tool table in your template, the first image that you load into your template upon panelization will determine the tool table definitions.
Save the template as a .vcam file.
To use the template in the future, use the Advanced Panelization function and load the saved panel template image first.
Add whatever images you want to step & repeat, and define their placement, layer mapping, etc. in relationship to your panel template.
When you define the layer mapping, if any NC data exists in the images, you are also required to map tool definitions to your template's tool table. Again, if you did not define a tool table in your template, the first image you load into the template will define the tool table. If you load additional images into the table, you must then map their tools based upon the definitions from the first image.
When you have completed your panel, save it as a new .vcam file or export it as necessary. By saving your completed panel as a new file, your template file remains untouched, and you have a new panel ready for manufacturing.