What Is V-Scoring Of PCB Boards - Miracle Aerospace

Bottom of Form What Is V-Scoring Of PCB Boards?

PCBs are plastic boards that connect electronic components together. Electronics manufacturers generally make use of a technique called V-scoring when creating a PCB assembly from India, to streamline the fabrication process and keep costs down. Although V-scoring is a very important part of PCB manufacturing, there are many who don’t know what exactly it is.

So, what is V-scoring? It is the process of cutting a V-shaped groove on the top and bottom of a circuit board, while leaving minimum amount of material in place so that the PCB board stays together. In simple terms, V-scoring is nothing but splitting circuit boards from the middle, while keeping the entire base intact. There are special V-scoring machines used for this process installed in many facilities today. Who wouldn’t want an improved product quality within the shortest possible time? These machines do just that! They not only improve the quality of the PCB scoring process, but also shorten the manufacturing process time.

Now, let us understand why V-scoring is actually used? The process is largely used when grouping a set of circuit boards together in an array to make the assembly process more efficient. The idea behind this is to provide a robust structure for the assembly process so as to allow for minimal pressure to be applied to separate the assembled boards. However, there are many other rules that you must know about PCB V-scoring; which are as follows –  The spacing between boards should be 0mm.

 The minimum PCB size for V-scoring should be 75x75mm, and the maximum size should be 450x1245mm.  The spacing between the V-scoring line and outline should be 0.35mm.  The V-scoring line must be straight, in the form of a vertical or horizontal line.  The minimum board thickness of a V-scored board should be at least 0.6 mm.

How is scoring specified? It can be determined based on the depth of the score, or from the crosssectional view that indicates the distance between the V’s; the residual material being known as the “web”. The standard way to specify the V-score is by dividing each measurement equally, 1/3rd cut on top, and 1/3rd cut on the bottom, leaving 1/3rd web in the middle. The procedure can be adjusted based on the overall size of the array and the desired difficulty to separate or depanel the boards later. To be absolutely accurate, you can look at the width of the score line.

Generally, a 30 degree blade is used to cut the score line. Each particular width will have a corresponding depth of the cut. The “web” can then be calculated based on the thickness of the board. However, remember that for any measurement, there is always an allowed tolerance of +/- 0.002”.

There is another method of jump scoring, which is rarely used, but yet is valid. In this process, instead of completing a continuous score from one end of the array to the other, the blade stops before the end of the board. This allows for a much more firm array during the assembly process.

Get in touch with Miracle Aerospace to get the best quality PCB assembly from India, whether it is μBGA or surface mount that you need.