Indicating Slots, Milling, Contour and Rout-Outs in Your PCB Design

RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
Indicating slots, milling, contour

and rout-outs in your PCB design
When designing a printed circuit board (PCB), there are often times when you
need to create cutouts, holes, contours or other non-copper regions in the
board. These openings serve various purposes - allowing access to
components, creating mounting holes, milling out spaces for connectors, etc.
Indicating these areas accurately in your PCB design software is crucial to get
the right physical board fabricated. This article provides a detailed guide on
the various options to indicate routing, milling, slots and cutout contours on a
PCB design.
Outline Pad vs Mechanical Layer
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

There are two main ways in PCB design software to indicate routing
and milling regions:
Outline Pad
An outline pad is a copper pad on the signal layers that has the outline shape
of the required cutout region. So for example, if you need a 20mm x 10mm slot
to be milled out, you would draw a rectangular pad with those dimensions on
the signal layer at the appropriate location.
The fabricator recognizes this outline pad and uses its shape to create the
cutout, slot or hole in the PCB. Anything within the outline pad shape gets
milled away during fabrication.
Mechanical Layer
The mechanical layer in PCB design software allows you to specifically draw
board outlines, milling contours, routing keepouts etc. This is a non-copper
layer meant to guide PCB fabrication.
You can draw any required cutouts, slots, holes as polygons filled with a
mechanical layer hatch pattern. The fabricator recognizes this layer and creates
the indicated cutouts on the final board.
When to use Outline Pads vs Mechanical Layer
As a thumb rule:
 Use Outline Pad for simple slots/holes or any copper edge routing that needs to happen
 Use Mechanical Layer for complex board outlines and milling contours
Outline pads integrate well with your copper pours and signal routing. So use
them when you want tight integration with copper edges.
For everything else like complex board shape, component keepouts etc. the
mechanical layer gives you more flexibility and control over fabrication.
Next, we look at some specific examples of common slotting/routing
requirements and how to indicate them.
Indicating Slots
Slots on a PCB

Slots on PCBs serve functions like allowing access to trim pots, connectors etc
mounted on the underside. Or simply saving board space.
To indicate slots for milling:
1. Using Outline Pads
 Place a rectangular copper pad on top or bottom layer

 Set pad shape and dimensions equal to needed slot
 This pad outline signals slot to fabricator
2. Using Mechanical Layer
 Draw required slot geometry on the Mechanical Layer

 Fill with dense hatch pattern for fabrication
Note that slots should not cut into any ground plane layers as that would
break the return path. So choose layer stack-up wisely.
Indicating Round/Oval Holes

Round milling holes
Round holes serve mounting purposes or allow cables to pass through the
board.
To indicate holes:
 Place a round copper pad equal to hole diameter on any signal layer
 This pad outline signals hole to fabricator
 Draw round polygons equal to hole diameter on Mechanical Layer

Oval holes can be indicated similarly using oval pad outlines or mechanical
layer polygons.
Routing Edges
Routed PCB profile

Routing along the board edge is needed to create custom non-rectangular
board profiles. Steps to indicate edge routing:
 Place track or pad outlines along board edges on top/bottom layers

 Connect them to create the profile path
 Fabricator will route copper along the indicated path
 Draw board profile on the Mechanical Layer along edges

 Useful for complex non-standard profiles
Note that any required copper edges get defined through outline pads, while
non-copper geometry gets indicated on the Mechanical Layer.
Component Keepouts
Components may sometimes require specific areas under them to be milled
away to a certain depth. Common examples are tall connectors and capacitors.
Steps to indicate component keepouts:
 Draw keepout contour around component footprint on Mechanical Layer

 Set desired milling depth in fabrication notes
 Fabricator will mill away material under component to needed depth.

So in summary, use the Mechanical Layer to define all complex board
geometry, non-copper regions and component spaces that need special
milling.
Common Pad Shapes to Indicate Cutouts
Apart from regular rectangular/circular pads, here are some other outline pad
shapes that have special meanings for PCB fabrication:
So pick appropriate outline shapes to tell the fabricator your exact
routing/milling needs.
Contour Milling

Contour milling refers to a slot/cavity with an irregular non-rectangular profile.
This is typically needed along board edges or around certain components.
To indicate any complex routing path:
Using Mechanical Layer
 Draw milling contour profile on Mechanical Layer

 Fill with dense hatch pattern
 Fabricator will mill custom cavity profile
The Mechanical Layer allows flexibility to create any required contour shape.
Fabrication Notes
Always include any special instructions for PCB fabrication in the
manufacturing notes. For example:
 Milling depths for cavities

 Tooling holes if needed
 Special base material if required e.g. FR4 vs Aluminium PCB
 Thicknesses of any attached plates
 Surface finish specifications

Providing the right instructions makes sure you get boards fabricated to your
exact requirements.
Summary
Indicating PCB slots, holes and milling contours accurately is an important step
before sending your design to fabrication. To summarize:
 Use rectangular outline pads to indicate slots and simple holes

 Use mechanical layer polygons and paths for complex board geometry
 Define any component keepouts on mechanical layer
 Provide complete fabrication instructions
Following these PCB design guidelines will ensure all your milling, routing and
contour needs get implemented correctly on the final boards.
FAQs
Q1. Can slots cut across ground or power planes?

A. It is best to avoid slots crossing any ground/power plane layers. This would
break the return paths and disturb signal integrity. Where needed, use bypass
capacitors around the slot or run a continuity trace across the layer.
Q2. What are the typical milling depths available?
A. Most fabricators can mill cavities up to about 6mm deep. Some support
more than 10mm depths. Please check with your fabricator on their capabilities.
Specify your needed depth in the manufacturing instructions.
Q3. Is edge routing possible on inner PCB layers?
A. Usually edge routing can only happen on outer layers of a PCB. However,
some fabricators specialize in processes that allow selective depth edge
routing into inner layers as well.
Q4. What is the benefit of indicating holes/slots with pads vs polygons?
A. Pads integrate with your signal layers and let you route traces to the edges
easily. Polygons help define complex non-copper geometry. Use both
approaches per your specific requirements.
Q5. How are rounded corners specified in routing?
A. Use rounded rectangle pads or arc/curve polygons on mechanical layer to
indicate rounded corners for fabrication. Many fabricators require minimum
radius sizes too.


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RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY

Indicating slots, milling, contour

need to create cutouts, holes, contours or other non-copper regions in the

board. These openings serve various purposes - allowing access to

Outline Pad vs Mechanical Layer

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

and milling regions:

the signal layer at the appropriate location.

milled away during fabrication.

board outlines, milling contours, routing keepouts etc. This is a non-copper

layer meant to guide PCB fabrication.

the indicated cutouts on the final board.

When to use Outline Pads vs Mechanical Layer

them when you want tight integration with copper edges.

Next, we look at some specific examples of common slotting/routing

requirements and how to indicate them.

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

mounted on the underside. Or simply saving board space.

To indicate slots for milling:

1. Using Outline Pads

 Place a rectangular copper pad on top or bottom layer

2. Using Mechanical Layer

 Draw required slot geometry on the Mechanical Layer

break the return path. So choose layer stack-up wisely.

Indicating Round/Oval Holes

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

Round milling holes

1. Using Outline Pads

2. Using Mechanical Layer

 Draw round polygons equal to hole diameter on Mechanical Layer

Routed PCB profile

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

Routing along the board edge is needed to create custom non-rectangular

board profiles. Steps to indicate edge routing:

1. Using Outline Pads

 Place track or pad outlines along board edges on top/bottom layers

2. Using Mechanical Layer

 Draw board profile on the Mechanical Layer along edges

non-copper geometry gets indicated on the Mechanical Layer.

Components may sometimes require specific areas under them to be milled

Steps to indicate component keepouts:

1. Using Mechanical Layer

 Draw keepout contour around component footprint on Mechanical Layer

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

So in summary, use the Mechanical Layer to define all complex board

geometry, non-copper regions and component spaces that need special

Common Pad Shapes to Indicate Cutouts

shapes that have special meanings for PCB fabrication:

So pick appropriate outline shapes to tell the fabricator your exact

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

Contour milling refers to a slot/cavity with an irregular non-rectangular profile.

This is typically needed along board edges or around certain components.

To indicate any complex routing path:

Using Mechanical Layer

 Draw milling contour profile on Mechanical Layer

Always include any special instructions for PCB fabrication in the

manufacturing notes. For example:

 Milling depths for cavities