Edge Plating
Plated board edges for shielding, grounding or mechanical strength.
PCB Technology & Capabilities
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Edge Plating Technology (Side Plating / Wrap-Around / Castellated)
Edge plating deposits metal on PCB edges/sidewalls to create a continuous, low-impedance ground, stronger EMC shielding, durable edge interfaces, and solder-down module terminations. It supports side plating, wrap-around plating, castellated half-holes, and beveled edge connectors.
Typical Use Cases
- 360° chassis grounding and EMC shielding
- Edge contacts/connectors and robust mechanical edges
- Castellated (half-hole) modules soldered to a carrier board
- Thermal coupling to metal enclosures or heatsinks
Process Options
- Regular Edge Plating: pre-route edge → sidewall activation → plate Cu/Ni/Au.
- Wrap-Around Plating: copper wraps from outer layer to sidewall for continuous grounding.
- Tooth / Castellated Edge: half-holes along the edge for solder-down modules.
- Edge Connector Beveling: 30°/45° bevel with selective hard gold/ENIG.Can be combined with edge-via stitching to form a continuous shielding belt.
Design Rules & DFM
- Board thickness: 0.60–3.20 mm typical
- Finished edge copper: 20–35 µm; Ni 3–6 µm; Au 0.03–0.10 µm (ENIG) or hard gold 0.5–1.0 µm
- Copper-to-edge (non-plated zones): ≥0.30–0.50 mm; in plated zones recommend ≥0.50 mm
- Bevel: 30°/45°; pad setback ≥0.30 mm
- Inner corner radius: R ≥0.50 mm to reduce stress/burrs
- Castellated holes: Ø≥0.35 mm, pitch ≥≥0.35mm; web ≥0.25–0.30 mm; pad setback ≥0.20–0.30 mm
- Edge-via stitching: via-to-edge ≥0.30–0.50 mm; pitch 1.0–2.0 mm; dia Ø0.20–0.50 mm
- Solder mask: edge-plated areas typically open; define selective openings clearly
- Panelization: rails ≥5–10 mm with thieving; pre-route → plate → final clean-out
Capabilities Table
|
Type |
Board Thickness (mm) |
Edge Cu (µm) |
Bevel |
Castellated Ø / Pitch (mm) |
Finish Options |
Notes |
|
Regular Edge Plating |
0.6–3.2 |
20–35 |
N/A |
N/A |
Cu + ENIG/ENEPIG |
360° ground / mechanical reinforcement |
|
Wrap-Around |
0.8–2.4 |
20–35 |
30°/45° |
N/A |
Cu + ENIG / Hard Gold |
Continuous ground / edge contact |
|
Tooth / Castellated |
0.8–2.0 |
20–30 |
Optional |
Ø≥0.35 / ≥0.5 |
ENIG / Sn / Ag / Hard Gold |
Module solder-down to motherboard |
|
Beveled Edge Connector |
1.0–2.4 |
25–35 |
30°/45° |
N/A |
Ni 3–6 µm + Hard Au 0.5–1.0 µm |
Plug-in/wipe durability |
Quality & Reliability
- Cross-section for sidewall continuity/thickness
- Adhesion (tape/peel), burr height control (<50 µm)
- Ground continuity (typical <50 mΩ) to chassis
- Castellated solderability (wetting, wicking control)
- Durability for hard-gold edges (plug-in/wipe cycles)
- Corrosion resistance as required (salt spray/humidity)
Deliverables (Data Package)
- Gerber/ODB++; mechanical layer with plated edge regions, bevel angle/length, castellated coordinates/diameters/pitch, keep-outs
- Finish spec (ENIG/ENEPIG/hard gold/Ag/Sn; Ni/Au thickness)
- EMC/assembly intent (contact to chassis, clip locations, target ground resistance)
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