Addressing Panelization Issues with Irregular Shapes and Structures

In production, JLCPCB has frequently had to process panel designs which have insufficient consideration for V-cutting. Simply tiling multiple boards together is suitable for uniformly sized and regularly shaped rectangular boards. However, for irregularly shaped boards with varying sizes, such a naive panel design is not feasible. Instead, it requires a consideration of the capabilities and requirements of the machines involved in production. Below, we will provide specific analyses using real-world examples to illustrate the shortcomings of these improper panel designs:

Case One:

In the example below, although fill-in have been added to surround the irregularly shaped board, there is no mechanical support at locations such as the upper left and lower left corners. Milling these areas leaves them suspended from one end, and when they pass through the V-cut machine, they deform. As a result, during the forming process, the uneven force distribution leads to a non-straight V-cut, causing scrap.

The correct panelization method, as shown below, eliminates this issue:

This image follows the same principle: the support points have a small load-bearing area, thus although the shape is different, as before, it is not suitable for V-cut.

Case Two:

In the image below, you might not immediately spot the issue, but this panelization is problematic. The details can be combined with the findings from Case One to identify the problem.

The correct panelization eventually involves adding tabs on the left and right sides to provide horizontal tension for the leftmost edge.

Let's take a look at another type of panelization, where the lack of horizontal balance leads to V-cut misalignment.

The image below represents the correct panelization, with the addition of extra process borders for support.

This image depicts the correct panelization approach, where V-cutting is avoided on the left and right sides, and instead, a routing (CNC) method is used for shaping.

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