- Select pallet style. Upon starting the pallet designer module, select the Wave solder pallet style.
- Specify board placement. The board is placed in the center of the pallet with top side up. If desired, you may rotate or flip the board by clicking on the appropriate button in the Placement tool bar.
- Specify pallet properties. Specify the product name, article and description. Adjust the pallet dimensions, if necessary. Select a pallet material and thickness. Check that the PCB thickness is correct. If the board does not require a lead-free soldering process, remove the Pb-Free check mark.
Place board fasteners. Specify the length (from pivot-point to end) of the fasteners, and how much they should overlap the board edges. Then click on the Place button (so that it is down). Click and drag the circle to the desired location, then release the mouse button to place a fastener. Repeat as necessary.
If you need to delete a fastener, click on the Delete button (so that it is down). Draw a selection rectangle around the entire fastener and circle that you wish to delete.
- Generate a milling file. If desired, a milling file may be generated. The milling file(s) may be used to make the pallet with your own milling machine. Click on the Save button to save the milling file in G-Code format. After specifying a file name, the Milling program setup dialog box is used to specify the necessary parameters to generate an output file with the correct coordinates and operating commands for the target milling machine. See also our solder pallet milling guidelines.
- Publish or save the pallet product. Use the Publish (Macaos Enterprise) or Save (Macaos Gallery) button to save the product. It may then be reopened for modification or to generate a milling file. It is also possible to purchase a finished pallet product (with stiffeners and fasteners).
Note: When creating a pallet for a panel which has not been created with the Macaos Enterprise panelization module (as well as for some older panels), solder openings for the individual boards in the panel will not be automatically defined. In these cases, the opening outlines must be defined by the user. See step 5 for creating a selective pallet for details.
