7.2 Mechanical Processes | Drilling
The drilling process involves cutting with a circular motion, where the tool’s axis of rotation is identical to the axis of the inner surface to be created. The feed movement occurs in the direction of this axis. During this process, the cutting movement’s axis of rotation maintains its position relative to the workpiece regardless of the feed movement.
Drilling can also take the form of laser drilling, whereby the dielectric (glass/resin mixture) is melted and vaporized.
Through holes or blind holes can be created in both metallized/plated and non-metallized/non-plated versions. Holes serve as component holes, mounting and fixing holes, and as vias. They can be additionally countersunk using another tool.
Drilling can also take the form of laser drilling, whereby the dielectric (glass/resin mixture) is melted and vaporized.
Through holes or blind holes can be created in both metallized/plated and non-metallized/non-plated versions. Holes serve as component holes, mounting and fixing holes, and as vias. They can be additionally countersunk using another tool.
Frequently asked questions
Are elongated plated through holes created during drilling by incorporating a large number of overlapping holes (nipples) OR simply by milling?
The choice of method depends on the diameter and length of the elongated hole. However, as a general rule, diameters larger than Ø 5 mm are milled.
How many PCBs are drilled at once?
There are various factors that determine how many PCBs are drilled simultaneously. The main ones are: the smallest drill diameter, the copper thickness, the thickness of the PCB, and the number of layers. The PCBs are stacked in their production format for simultaneous machining and then drilled. This stacking technique enables a more efficient drilling process, as several PCBs can be machined simultaneously.
What are blind vias and how do they differ from through-hole vias?
“Blind vias” are special vias on a printed circuit board (PCB) that establish a connection between at least one outer layer and one or more inner layers but do not pass through all layers of the PCB. Hence the name “blind” (not visible from one side). These blind vias can either be created with mechanical drilling methods or by using a special form of laser processing. With mechanical processes, they can be created across multiple layers but with laser processing, it is usually only possible to produce them across two layers. However, they are more complex to make than through-hole vias because the PCBs cannot be stacked for machining.
Keywords
- Plated slot
- Drilling
- Slotted hole
- Aspect ratio
- Drill diameters
- Laser drilling
- Design to Cost
- Tolerances
- Laser processing