Different Designs in your PCB files

Some customers would like to merge more than 1 PCB in the same gerber, although by doing this, customers just have one order, this complicates the fabrication of the panel. Meanwhile, this may make it hard to cut the board outline. So we will usually charge more for this.

Note: This additional charge only applies if the PCBs on a panel are different.

FR4/Aluminum/Rogers / PTFE Teflon/Copper Core PCB

Boards such as in the left-hand image below will not incur an additional charge for different designs, but boards such as in the right-hand images would incur an additional charge.

What will be regarded as different designs?

1. Basically, for FR4, Aluminum, Copper Core, Rogers, and PTFE Teflon, if the traces/silkscreen/ solder mask in your PCB is different, as long as it can be separated, no matter by v-cut, millings, or drill holes, it will be regarded as different designs.

2. If the boards in one Gerber file are the same, but there are no connections between them, and customers would like to receive them as individuals, it will also be regarded as different designs and incur extra costs.

For example, if the picture below is for FR4, Aluminum, Copper Core, Rogers, or PTFE Teflon, it will be regarded that it contains 5 different designs. The section on the right side has 8 different designs but there are no connection bits between these designs and no slots, V-cuts, or stamp holes for separating the boards. Also, these different designs have a large board outline. Therefore, the right side section will be considered as one design.

If customers are just in the prototype phase and want to save money when placing orders with material except FPC, it will be economical to place different designs all inside one rectangular/square overall board outline without any v-cut lines, tabs, or milling slots.

But the board should be separated by customers after receiving it.

Like the PCB shown below, the yellow lines are drawn in the silkscreen layers showing how you can merge 3 different PCBs in one gerber without incurring any extra costs.

Flexible PCB

For Flexible PCBs, since they can be cut by scissors easily, regardless there is a slot/stamp hole/V-cut lines or not, if there is no normal effective electrical connection, it will be regarded that there are different PCBs.

For the picture below, if it is an FPC order, it will be regarded that there are 12 different designs.