The term “V-cut” refers to a pre-cut separation groove made by printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturers at specific locations on the PCB. This groove is designed to facilitate the “de-paneling” process after the completion of surface mount technology (SMT) and PCB assembly. Its cut shape resembles the letter “V,” as shown above, hence the name.
Since PCBs primarily use fiberglass as their structural material, they possess considerable strength and hardness. Attempting to manually break them apart is impractical, which is why pre-cut grooves like V-Cut are essential for operators on the production line to easily perform the PCB de-paneling process.