kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Edwin van den Oetelaar <oetelaar.automatisering@xxxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Edwin van den Oetelaar <oetelaar.automatisering@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, Jun 26, 2012 at 10:35 PM
Subject: Re: [Kicad-developers] Panelization of PCB
To: Richard <r-haldemann@xxxxxx>


Hello Richard,
Most (all) PCB fabricators do the panalisation themselves.
The reason is that the PCB needs work to make it production ready.
All kinds of changes (most not visible) will be done on the board
before it ready. (shaving/space correction, etch correction and more)
After that, the step and repeat info from the original board is used
(x and y distance and number of steps) to do the step and repeat
again.
As far as I know most software does not even duplicate the data but
uses a reference to the first board to generate the final data for
photoplotting and drilling.
So no data is duplicated. The single boards can be automatically
numbered in the process. Drill/etch coupons added etc.
They use most often Genesis-2000 from Orbotech or Ucam from
(Ucamco/Barco-ETS) some others exist too.
I have worked with both.
So I suggest to let the producer of the PCB do the S&R for you using
the specs you give him.
Greetings,
Edwin


On Tue, Jun 26, 2012 at 9:47 PM, Richard <r-haldemann@xxxxxx> wrote:
> Hi to all
>
> I am new to KiCad as also to the developer community. I have designed two
> boards with KiCad and sent the data to china just a few minutes ago. In a
> first step I only sent the gerber files for a single board (Prototype for
> test). But as I need big quantities, I need a panelization software.
> I tried to download and install the GerbMerg. But I was not able to install
> it either on my Ubuntu computer nor on a Windows laptop, what made me
> frustrated as I spent hours trying everything to get it up and running.
>
> So I thought, it could be a realizable job to do that in GerbView.
> Can anybody tell me if that is an idea or is that not of interest. Who is
> responsible for GerbView. Is there something like a quick start guide on
> what has been done up to now.
> I have written some programs in Java so I know a little on OOP.
> I have written a panelisation software years ago on a DOS machine in C but I
> am not sure if I will find that part of software on my backups as it may be
> gone!!?? I then used that software for my photoplotter when I was producing
> films for PCB manufacturers.
>
> Please tell me if that is a very silly Idea or if it would be worth to sit
> down for  some hours.
>
> Regards
> Richard
>
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