Home › Guides › PCB punching vs routing
PCB punching vs routing vs V-cut.
Every board has to be cut out of the working panel, and there are three ways to do it. This guide explains how each one works, which suits your board, and when a punching die is worth making. From the team at Sara Circuits, a single-sided PCB manufacturer in Barwala, Haryana.
Three ways to profile a PCB.
After etching, solder mask and legend, every board has to be cut out of the working panel. Profiling decides the board edge, the hole positions relative to that edge, and how fast a production lot moves.
Punching (blanking)
A hardened steel die in a press cuts the board outline and pierces holes and cut-outs in one stroke. Every board is blanked on the same tool, so the hundredth panel matches the first. Built for volume.
CNC routing
A small cutter follows the outline programmed from your Gerber. No die is needed, so any outline can be made without tooling. Slower per board than punching.
V-cut (V-scoring)
V-grooves are scored on both faces of the panel along straight lines. Boards stay joined through assembly and snap apart cleanly afterwards. Straight lines only.
Punching vs routing vs V-cut, side by side.
The CAM team decides the final method for each design after checking the Gerber and the panel layout.
| Punching | CNC routing | V-cut | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tooling | Blanking die (none if a ready die fits) | None | None |
| Outline | Any shape the die is made for: round, lobed, chamfered, with cut-outs | Any shape | Straight lines only |
| Speed in volume | Fastest: one stroke per board or per array | Slower, cut by cut | Fast on straight strips |
| Consistency | Same hardened tool for every board | Follows the program | Same score depth across the panel |
| Best for | Repeat production of round bulb, DOB, emergency bulb, charger and driver boards | New outlines, irregular shapes, designs still changing | Rectangular boards and strips assembled in a panel |
| Materials | FR1, CEM1 (the standard for punched boards), aluminium MCPCB | All | All |
When a punching die pays off.
Your board matches a ready die
We already hold 21 blanking dies for common round bulb, emergency bulb, DOB, driver-strip and charger outlines. If your board fits one, there is no die charge and no wait for a new die. Ready dies
You will repeat the design
A die is a one-time job. Every repeat order is punched on the same tool, so outline and holes stay identical lot after lot.
Your volume is production volume
Punching suits orders of 40 m² per design and above, where speed per board matters more than set-up.
The outline is complex
Round boards, lobed boards and boards with internal cut-outs are punched in one stroke instead of being routed cut by cut.
When routing is the better choice
A new outline that will not repeat, or a design that is still changing. Routing needs no die, so the outline can change between versions.
Ready dies already on our presses.
Sizes only. Search the full library by board size on the ready dies page.
Round LED bulb MCPCB
38, 39.8, 44.6, 45, 46.4 and 53 mm. LED bulb PCB
Bulb and emergency bulb
40/46, 60/66 and 62 mm, in regular production. Emergency bulb PCB
DOB and large LED
82, 112 and 132 mm. DOB PCB
Driver strips and charger boards
Rectangular and chamfered small boards. Charger PCB
Designing a board to be punched.
Holes away from the edge
Keep holes at least one board thickness from the outline so edges do not crack in the press.
Copper back from the outline
Copper at the edge can lift or burr during blanking or V-cut. Leave clearance.
Fewer hole sizes
Fewer distinct sizes mean fewer punch pins and drill changes: faster tooling, lower cost.
Teardrops on paper laminates
FR1 and CEM1 hold copper less firmly than glass epoxy. Teardrops and larger pads stop pads lifting.
Plan the panel with us
A matched array cuts laminate waste, often the largest part of a single-sided board's price. Panel calculator
Design to a ready size
If a ready die is close to your outline, sizing the board to it removes the tooling step.
Where profiling fits in our process.
Profiling comes late in the job, after the copper pattern is final. See the full process
1. CAM check and PDF approval
Our CAM team checks the Gerber and panel layout. You approve a PDF of the final panel before any material is cut.
2. Print, etch, mask, legend
The copper pattern, solder mask and legend are completed on the working panel.
3. CNC routing or die punching
Boards are cut out on a blanking die or routed, as decided at CAM.
4. V-cut where needed
Straight-edged boards that ship in a panel are V-scored.
5. Test, QC, dispatch
Bare board testing, independent final QC, and dispatch with the job number.
Questions? Answers.
What is PCB punching?
Punching, or blanking, cuts the board outline and pierces holes and cut-outs in a press using a hardened steel die made for that board. It is the standard way to profile single-sided boards in volume.
What is a PCB punching die?
A press tool (also called a blanking die or mould) made for one board outline and hole pattern. Once made, every board of that design is punched on the same tool.
What is the difference between PCB punching and routing?
Punching uses a die and cuts a board in one stroke. CNC routing follows a programmed path with a cutter and needs no die. Punching is faster and more uniform in volume; routing suits new or irregular outlines that do not justify a die.
What is V-cut in PCB?
V-grooves scored along straight lines on both faces of the panel, so boards stay together for assembly and snap apart afterwards. It works only on straight edges.
Is there a die charge for punched PCBs?
Not if your board matches one of our 21 ready dies. A new outline needs a new blanking die, which we quote separately.
Can aluminium MCPCBs be punched?
Yes. Our ready dies include round LED bulb MCPCB and DOB sizes from 38 mm to 132 mm.
Which material is best for punched boards?
CEM1 is the standard for punched boards. FR1 is the lowest cost and punches cleanly. Aluminium MCPCB is punched for LED bulbs and DOBs.
What is the minimum order?
40 m² of board per design (part number), not 40 pieces. That is about 430 sq ft, or about 16,000 pcs of a 50 × 50 mm board. For regular customers only, designs below 40 m² can be run with a ₹2,500 development charge.
Related: Ready dies · Single-sided PCB guide · PCB design tools · Material guide · LED bulb PCB · DOB PCB · PCB glossary
Will your board fit a ready die?
Send the outline or Gerber with the quantity. We check it against all 21 dies before quoting.