1. In the electronic assembly manufacturing industry, Mirror fr4 pcb boards are generally referred to as two types. The first type is the Mirror fr4 pcb Board with the reverse side of the mirror (different side Mirror fr4 pcb Board), where the first side of one board and the second side of another board are displayed on the same side of the panel. The other type is the Mirror Board (Same side Mirror fr4 pcb Board) with all panels on the same side but reversed from left to right, such as the layout of pdpd.
2. There are two reasons why electronic manufacturers will require Mirror fr4 pcb board design:
1. It can maximize the benefits of SMT long lines to achieve higher efficiency
The overall efficiency of an SMT line can be assessed by determining if machines are idle. If there is no waiting time for machines, then the efficiency of the SMT line is deemed to be 100%. However, achieving 100% efficiency is not as simple as it seems. As the speed of SMT machines for making parts increases, SOC (System On Chip) parts are becoming more popular, resulting in fewer parts on a board. Despite this, there has been no significant progress in the speed of solder paste printing machines. As a result, bottlenecks are now appearing in the solder paste printing machines, where the machines have no rest while other more expensive machines are idle. For example, if it takes about 20 seconds to print the solder paste steel plate (depending on the length of printing), and the next pick&place takes less than 20 seconds to complete, then the machine is left idle. This is equivalent to owning a high-end Ferrari sports car that is not being used in the garage. Since every machine on the SMT line is very expensive, it is important to fully utilize their value and not let them have any free time, so that they can generate profits. Therefore, some people have considered using panelization to increase the utilization time of the pasting machine, greatly improving its efficiency. However, the solder paste printing machine cannot be left idle, so a combination of positive and negative reverse yin and yang must be used so that different parts can appear on the same side of the board at the same time. This allows the SMT long line, which typically has multiple printing and pasting machines, to fully play its role. Another important purpose is to complete the upper and lower parts in one line without wasting time changing lines.
2. It can reduce wasted space on the board and improve panel utilization efficiency to save costs
In order to produce in large quantities and reduce costs, circuit board manufacturers typically purchase standard size plates priced by volume, such as 16.16″x16.16″, 18.32″x18.32″, and 20.32″x20.32″. Panel design of Mirror fr4 pcb boards is implemented for non-square shaped circuit boards, enabling one or two more circuit boards to be placed on the same circuit board to improve utilization efficiency and save costs. Circuit board prices are primarily determined by the utilization rate of the substrate. For example, two different designs using the same size of substrate can result in different prices, as Design A may only produce one circuit board, while Design B can produce two circuit boards, leading to Board A being twice as expensive as Board B. Despite the advantages of increasing efficiency and cost savings, the use of Mirror fr4 pcb board panel designs also has limitations and drawbacks.
Typically, connecting boards consist of more than two identical circuit boards, such as 2 in 1, 3 in 1, 4 in 1, etc. There are also rare cases where circuit boards of different shapes are combined into a single large board, as it is difficult for production management to match the correct number of different boards during production. Another common use of Mirror fr4 pcb boards is for top and bottom side configurations, typically for circuit boards with fewer parts to maximize the SMT’s long line marking function for increased efficiency. However, the downside is that it is limited in use and may cause uneven heating, especially for circuit boards with heavier parts on one side or heat-absorbing parts.
2. There are two reasons why electronic manufacturers will require Mirror fr4 pcb board design:
1. It can maximize the benefits of SMT long lines to achieve higher efficiency
The overall efficiency of an SMT line can be assessed by determining if machines are idle. If there is no waiting time for machines, then the efficiency of the SMT line is deemed to be 100%. However, achieving 100% efficiency is not as simple as it seems. As the speed of SMT machines for making parts increases, SOC (System On Chip) parts are becoming more popular, resulting in fewer parts on a board. Despite this, there has been no significant progress in the speed of solder paste printing machines. As a result, bottlenecks are now appearing in the solder paste printing machines, where the machines have no rest while other more expensive machines are idle. For example, if it takes about 20 seconds to print the solder paste steel plate (depending on the length of printing), and the next pick&place takes less than 20 seconds to complete, then the machine is left idle. This is equivalent to owning a high-end Ferrari sports car that is not being used in the garage. Since every machine on the SMT line is very expensive, it is important to fully utilize their value and not let them have any free time, so that they can generate profits. Therefore, some people have considered using panelization to increase the utilization time of the pasting machine, greatly improving its efficiency. However, the solder paste printing machine cannot be left idle, so a combination of positive and negative reverse yin and yang must be used so that different parts can appear on the same side of the board at the same time. This allows the SMT long line, which typically has multiple printing and pasting machines, to fully play its role. Another important purpose is to complete the upper and lower parts in one line without wasting time changing lines.
2. It can reduce wasted space on the board and improve panel utilization efficiency to save costs
In order to produce in large quantities and reduce costs, circuit board manufacturers typically purchase standard size plates priced by volume, such as 16.16″x16.16″, 18.32″x18.32″, and 20.32″x20.32″. Panel design of Mirror fr4 pcb boards is implemented for non-square shaped circuit boards, enabling one or two more circuit boards to be placed on the same circuit board to improve utilization efficiency and save costs. Circuit board prices are primarily determined by the utilization rate of the substrate. For example, two different designs using the same size of substrate can result in different prices, as Design A may only produce one circuit board, while Design B can produce two circuit boards, leading to Board A being twice as expensive as Board B. Despite the advantages of increasing efficiency and cost savings, the use of Mirror fr4 pcb board panel designs also has limitations and drawbacks.
Typically, connecting boards consist of more than two identical circuit boards, such as 2 in 1, 3 in 1, 4 in 1, etc. There are also rare cases where circuit boards of different shapes are combined into a single large board, as it is difficult for production management to match the correct number of different boards during production. Another common use of Mirror fr4 pcb boards is for top and bottom side configurations, typically for circuit boards with fewer parts to maximize the SMT’s long line marking function for increased efficiency. However, the downside is that it is limited in use and may cause uneven heating, especially for circuit boards with heavier parts on one side or heat-absorbing parts.
