Category Archives: Process


Dec31
Understanding TAL (Time Above Liquidus) and Why It Matters in PCB Assembly

TAL (Time Above Liquidus) refers to the amount of time during the SMT reflow process when the solder material (such as solder paste) is above its liquidus temperature. You can think of it like ice melting into water and then … Continue reading

Dec03
PCB Edge Removal and De-paneling Methods: A Complete Overview

When making printed circuit boards (PCBs), individual boards are first combined into a big panel board. After components mounting or soldering, they are separated into individual boards using de-paneling tools. This article summarizes the three most common PCB de-paneling methods … Continue reading

Nov13
PCB Edge Removal and De-paneling: Stamp Hole Design

In most PCB (Printed Circuit Board) designs, panels are usually connected using V-cuts or tabs/ribs, and then separated with a V-cut scoring machine or a router de-panel machine. However, besides these two common connection methods, there’s another approach called the … Continue reading

Nov06
PCB Edge Removal and De-paneling: Precautions for Manual Breaking

There are many ways to de-panel or remove the edge rails of a PCB, but the simplest and cheapest method is manual V-cut breaking. However, this method can easily lead to uncontrolled quality issues. Before using manual breaking, it’s important … Continue reading

Oct29
Three Common PCB Panelization Connection Methods: V-cut, Tabs, and Stamp Holes

When producing large volumes of PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards), multiple individual boards are often combined into one large panel. This panelized form is then processed through automated SMT production lines to improve efficiency and reduce costly machine idle time. When … Continue reading