Guides / Assembly
Panelizing a PCB for assembly
Why small boards get grouped into a panel — and what a pick-and-place needs to run one.
Small boards are rarely assembled one at a time. They're grouped into a panel — an array of copies with a border — so a stencil printer and pick-and-place can handle them efficiently, and the machines have something to grip.
Why panelize
- ·Rails give the conveyor and printer something to hold
- ·Fiducials on the panel let the machine align every board
- ·One paste print and one placement pass covers many boards
- ·Fragile or oddly-shaped boards stay supported until depaneling
Tabs vs V-scoring
Boards are held in the panel by mouse-bite tabs (perforated breakaway) or V-scoring (a groove you snap along). Tabs suit irregular outlines; V-scoring suits straight-edged rectangular boards.
Fiducials and spacing
Add global fiducials to the panel and local fiducials near fine-pitch parts so the machine can correct small misalignments. Leave enough spacing for the nozzle and for the depaneling method.
Panelizing is a planned Pro feature in the converter; for now it prepares single-board placement for any machine.
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