Your One-Stop Edge Plating PCB Manufacturer in China

Your Reliable Edge Plating PCB Supplier

PCBMay is one of the leading edge plating PCB manufacturers in China. We are engaged in different types of PCB manufacturing for over ten years. If you are looking for a reliable PCB supplier and factory in China, this is your perfect place.

PCBMay edge plating PCB is usable in a range of industries. The PCB edge plating technology works efficiently in an application where better support is required. If your project involves edge connections and protection, edge soldering, better connection support, or looking for current-carrying capabilities improvement, this is your ideal choice.

Because we are engaged in PCB development, we can provide you most efficient PCB solution. We also offer customized edge plating PCB with your specifications. PCBMay will offer a one-stop service for your product, from prototype to mass production.

As an expert manufacturer, we have strong capabilities to fabricate quality edge plating PCB to support your project and business need. For some instances, we can advise helping you get satisfying results.

PCBMay can control quality for edge plating even without burrs. Gathering rich expertise in the field, we are knowledgeable on the strategies that work best. The edge plating PCB from PCBMay is one of the popular PCB types we offer.

Can use it in amplifiers, lighting systems, vending machines, car dashboards, and many more. It is beneficial for higher electronic technology and application. Due to its simplicity and basic design, it becomes a more cost-effective and affordable choice.

PCBMay offers leading sales and engineering tech support to ensure on-time deliveries. No matter how large or small your order might be, we will provide you with the best service. Our edge plating PCB is manufactured to conform to ISO9001 standard.

Edge Plating

Do you have a specific need and a specific budget? Would you please let us know? We are glad to work with you and find a suitable product for your market. For any technical details, please feel free to contact our sales experts.

Edge Plating PCB: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

Do you know what’s the edge plating PCB? In this guide, you will find all the information about it, so let’s start to read it.

What Is A Edge Plating PCB?

The edge plating is a process of copper plating over the edges of a circuit board from top to bottom, and it mainly extends to one of the parameters of those edges.

Edge Plating

It ensures to development of a strong layer for a reliable connection with rigidity in the circuit board.

This greatly reduces the chance of failure and burning in the circuit board due to the metallization of the sides to conduct heat.

This helps to control the sub-motherboards that are attached to the board and it also provides a secure connection for small form factor boards.

These edge plating PCBs are also referred to as Sideplating or Castellation.

What Are The Applications Of Edge Plating PCB?

The process of edge plating has found various applications in the world that are mostly used in industries where there is better support needed for a connection.

Edge plating is basically for those circuit boards that slide into the metal casing, which is why they find their applications in the following places.

• It is used where there is a need to establish a connection along the entire edge of a circuit board.
• It is used where there is a need to enhance the conductivity of any PCB.
• It is used where there is a need for secondary boards that are used to connect to the mainboard with the use of edge connections.
• It is used where the printed circuit board needs a protective layer from any lateral shocks.
• It is also used in a situation where soldering on the edge helps to improve the PCB structure.
• It helps to improve the current-carrying capabilities of PCB and offers a reliable edge connection and protection for the board.
• This plating also improves fabrication for edge soldering as PCB manufacturers like PCB may need to fabricate circuit boards.

What Is The Shelf Life Of Edge Plating PCB?

The average shelf life of an edge plating PCB is about 9 – 12 months.

For the most part, this shelf life can differ for each type of edge plating depending on the environmental conditions as well.

• The shelf life of Immersion/White Tin edge plating is about 9 – 12 months.
• The shelf life of Immersion Silver edge plating is about 9 – 12 months.
• The shelf life of Immersion Gold Electroless Nickel Gold is about 12 months.
• The shelf life of Hard/Deep Gold is about 12 months.
• The shelf life of Wirebondable/Soft Gold is about 12 months.

The shelf life for the edge plating greatly depends on the use of the board and the environment where it is kept.

In rough weather areas or an environment with dust and pollution, you can expect that the shelf life of these edge platting can greatly reduce.

What Are Plated Holes In PCB?

Plated holes, also called through holes in a PCB, are drilled at the top to the bottom of a PCB.

Some holes are plated and called PTH whereas others are non-plated and called NPTH.

Edge Plating

These holes provide a link between the components to make their contact with the other conductive layers aboard.

The PTH holes have a characteristic that a thin copper layer is plated onto them during the manufacturing process when the board is drilled.

The walls of these holes get fully plated, which makes them suitable to provide electrical conductivity in the board.

When the assembly of PCB is completed, these holes act as a link between the components to lead the copper tracks having low resistance and good mechanical stability.

The Non-plated or NPTH holes are those holes that have no copper plated onto their walls.

It doesn’t contain electrical properties.

This type of hole helps in printed circuits where there are copper tracks printed on one side of the board, but their use is decreased with a number of PCB layers.

The manufacturing of NPTH holes is simpler and quicker, and they are used almost in most of the tooling or mounting holes to fix any PCB to its operatable location.

These types of edge plating are also used for component mounting.

What Are Edge Plating PCB Guidelines?

The PCB edge plating includes the process in which metallization is used to cover the board edges to form the plating.

The guidelines include instructions that a metalized area must be first defined before plating with the use of an overlapping copper for the process.

The minimum overlap that is recommended should be 500 μm.

For the connected layer, a connected copper of 300 μm is defined for the process, and for non-connected layers, 800 μm copper is required for outer contour.

The plating process includes a Drilling process, a Mining Plated Slots process, and then the Cleaning process.

The last process is the copper sink that is used as conduction for an electrical circuit.

These edge platings are offered by PCBMAY who is the leading manufacturers of edge plating in China.

What Is The Edge Plating PCB Process?

For the PCB edge plating process, it takes outer contours to be metalized first, which must be milled in order to go before the through-hole plating process.

Edge Plating

The fabrication process takes place for the metallization of the edges, after which copper is disposed of.

Then the surface finish that is left is applied to the edges.

This whole process requires the following steps.

• Copper-plated peeling can occur due to a lack of adhesion strength which is addressed by roughening the surface first with the use of chemicals.
• Then direct metallization is applied, having higher copper bond strength, to make the surface ready to be plated.
• Sometimes the castellation holes can have burrs from final processing, which is why a process flow for polishing the burrs is applied on the edges.
• The edge plating metallization is covered with a solder mask, and the corners and covered very carefully so that a connection can be established through it.
• PCB edge plating is then ensured to provide a strong connection for the board with the electrical components and limit the chance of any failure.
• The edge plating can then result in connecting different sub-motherboards or form factor boards easily with a connection.

What Are The Limitations Of Edge Plating PCB?

There are some limitations to edge plating PCB.

These limitations are.

• The fabricators need to hold the circuit board for production which is it is not possible to plate the complete length of the board’s edge.
• PCB edge plating requires the route of the circuit board where the fabrication is required, and there are some gaps left that require place route tabs.
• It is impossible to edge plate the board sides that are sharing boundaries or in contact with the other boards.
• It needs to route the board profile to the point where fabricating the circuit board gets attached with edge plating.
• The edge plating is a process that undergoes the starting before processing of through-hole plating.

Is PCB Sideplating the Same As Edge Plating PCB? What Are The Other Name Used?

An edge plating PCB is also called Sideplating.

It is the same procedure that is used to ensure that there exists a strong connection through the circuit board, and there is less chance of board failure.

Side plating

This process is used to reduce the cost and damage effect on the board.

These edge plating or side plating can have a surface finish which can be ENIG, ENEPIG, HASL, and others to provide a stable electrical connection through the board.

The other name used for the process of edge plating or side plating is called the Castellation process.

What Are Design Parameters Of PCB Sideplating?

The area must be defined for the metallization process of the board, which is why design parameters are set.

For good and effective producibility of the side plating, the overlapping copper is used with pads or tracks that take a CAD layout.

The minimum amount set for the overlap is 500μm.

300 μm is of copper is defined on the connected layer.

800 μm is of copper that is defined for non-connected layers.

What Is Wraparound Edge Plating?

Another process, rather than creating holes for the plating, is the wraparound plating for an edge.

Wraparound

The process makes it simple by means of wrapping a plating to form a connection around the PCB edge.

This makes the edge serve as a good conductor for electrical signals.

The fabricator is used to perform extra primary routing operations to accomplish the wrapped plate right after the drilling process.

The routing step helps to expose the PCB side to make it easier to coat with copper.

During this method, it is also applied to the drilled holes.

After this process, the image is applied and developed, and there forms a conductive surface with the help of an electroless layer.

A thicker and more adhesive and electrolytic copper layer with durable quality adheres to the conductive surface.

In the case of a routed area that has been plated, the electrolytic copper plating comes to great use for coating the routed channel that forms a good and stable connection.

The results with such type of edge plating are always rewarding.

What Is Castellated Edge Plating?

A castellated edge plating is a process that involves the drilling of holes in series that have a center point falling towards the PCB outline.

Castellated plating

There are spaces between these holes as they are routed through, and the half-hole with spaces provides the connection.

Castellation edge plating facilitates the mounting of any pre-assembled components that provide a small breakout for a board or for a larger part of aboard.

The half-holes that are present in the castellated edge plating are used for aligning the surface mount pads with the large size boards.

It forms an easy connection for the two boards that are joined, and the plating that is present in each of that half-hole provides a good surface for interacting with soldering.

The solder of the assembly stays with the barrel of the half-hole that becomes a joint to form a secure and stable basic butt joint.

PCBMAY is the company that offers the best-castellated edge platings in China.

What Are The Advantages Of Edge Plating PCB?

There are lots of advantages of an Edge Plating PCB.

These advantages are mentioned step by step.

• Edge plating provides improved conduction of current to deliver through the board across any corner.
• The conduction with an exact level is truly essential for the components that can easily operate in a way for which they were actually designed.
• Edge plating plays a major role in protecting the vulnerable edge or soft corner connections.
• Another great benefit of edge platting on the board is thermal distribution as it has the ability to support thermal conduction.
• The components that become overheated can cause damage or failure for the board, which is where the edge plating comes to great use to avoid heat and thermal issues.
• Edge plating greatly improves the signal integrity making the boards more strong and powerful.
• The PCB boards are now very complex, which is why signal integrity is crucial for the board to perform well by demanding well and fast connections.
• Edge plating is a fairly straight and simple process that enhances signal integrity on a board which is why the complex boards have this type of plating to maintain the signals.

How To Choose The Best Edge Plating PCB Manufacturer From China?

PCB MAY is one of the best manufacturers for PCB edge plating in China.

Edge Plating

They provide all types of side plating or castellations along with edge plating for the circuit boards to the customers at reasonable prices.

You can order the best edge platting services from PCB MAY online.

There is a huge list of services and technicals that this company is offering across China.

Those who want to get the best PCB edge plating can refer to this organization and see the samples themselves to make a decision in choosing the best edge plating manufacturer in China.

Can I Get A Discount On Bulk Import Of Edge Plating PCB?

The PCB MAY company is offering edge plating in bulk that can be imported from other countries.

As the best manufacturer in China, PCB MAY also gives discounts when you purchase the products in bulk from their company.

The discounts on bulk import of edge plating are always available for the organizations and brands who want to get edge plating for boards across China and in the international market as well.

How Edge Plating PCB Is Manufactured?

To manufacture a PCB edge plating, a lot of skill is required with dedication.

It requires a printed circuit board for which the fabrication happens for the edge soldering.

Edge Plating

This process requires the ability to handle challenges and precision handling with care to carefully deal with the edges of the board.

The plated edges are prepared through castellations or even with a side plating process so that they have a lifetime adhesion of the plated material.

When edges are prepared after castellation, then the plated copper is applied on the edges for plating for immediate adhesion.

This is done very carefully with the use of machines that fills the corners from top to bottom and to the sides of the board to ensure a long-term adhesion for each layer.

What Are The Industry Quality Standards Of Edge Plating PCB?

For an industry like PCB MAY, the quality standard that is followed to manufacture edge plating is ISO9001.

This includes a standard surface finish with (ENIG) that is Electroless-Nickel Immersion Gold, Immersion Tin, Immersion Silver, and a Hot Air Solder Leveling quality.

These are the type of surface finishes that are actually meant to cover the factors like cost and availability.

Is There Any Warranty Of Edge Plating PCB?

As the edge plating PCB is applied to circuit boards, the electronics can get corrosion and other problems over time in their board.

But the companies like PCB MAY offer a 12-month warranty for Edge Plating PCB.

Are Internal Power Plane Connected To The Edge Plating?

No, the internal power planes are not connected to the edge plating because when plating an edge of a circuit board, it is recommended that no contact should exist.

Edge Plating

The edge plates and power planes are conductive, which can cause a short circuit in the board if they are connected.

This can lead to board failure, which is why there is a space kept between them to prevent interaction of the internal conductive layers.

Why Does The Edge Plating Peel-Off?

The Edge Plating can peel off from the board in a situation when it is applied on any extended area.

Peeling happens due to adhesion forces that are inadequately affecting it.

It is recommended to rough the edges first with chemicals, and then direct metallization should be applied.

This creates a strong bond between the surface and the copper plating of the board.

How Does Electroplating In PCB Construction Affect The Edge Plating?

Electroplating in PCB construction provides a conductive path for the circuit.

The metal layer is deposited on the surface of the board, and a continuous conductive path for the electrical signals is created.

These walls are layered with copper along with an anode and cathode-based plating process, making them suitable for conduction.

The electroplating can affect the edge plating with through-holes.

This saves a lot of cost in the process as no instruments are involved.

Does Edge Plating PCB Impact Thermal Performance?

Edge plating is beneficial in the case of improving the thermal resistance of any circuit board.

Edge Plating

In the circuit boards, thermal issues have always been a major concern where manufacturers ensure that board performance increases with the reduced size of the board.

The benefit of edge plating easily helps to conduct away from the surface heat as well as manages the board’s EMC levels.

The heat that is generated in the board is dissipated from the edge into the environment.

Can You Apply A Surface Finish To A Edge Plating PCB?

Yes, Surface Finish can be applied to edge Plating PCB.

The most commonly used metal for edge plating  PCB is copper, which is a good conductor and has very low resistance.

The protected copper layer, if kept safe from corrosion, can result in great use as the surface finish prevents its interaction with the oxygen to maintain its functionality and integrity with the structure.

What Are Some Surface Finishes You Can Use In Edge Plating PCB?

In PCB fabrication, several types of Surface Finishes can be used.

Surface Finish

A standard surface finish has (ENIG) that is Electroless-Nickel Immersion Gold along with Immersion Tin, Immersion Silver, and a Hot Air Solder Leveling.

These surface finishes have different factors to consider, such as availability, cost, and the use with the environmental situations.

• The immersion finish is applied to the copper plating with the use of chemically deposited metal ions through a proper process.
• The Hot Air Solder Leveling requires the process of bathing the desired plating in a solder.
• This solder has tin and lead properties that are level with the use of a hot air stream that happens to form a smooth surface.

What Are The Common Problems With Castellated Edge Plating?

The common problems with castellated edge plating are that the hole size is small in this type of plating, which is very sensitive to any kind of tolerance deviations.

This can cause misalignments even with the slightest shifts due to close tolerance and small design aspects.

The holes that are drilled are perpendicular to the edge of the board, which makes them unsecured.

It also reduces the work area for the installation of edge plating on the board.

There is always a chance that it can slide out, and the whole process can get affected, which may damage the structure of the board along with its internal layer.