Panelization should not slow down fabrication
Turning individual PCB designs into a production-ready panel is one of those tasks that can quietly consume far too much engineering time. Between spacing rules, rotations, fiducials, and mixed input data, panel creation often becomes a manual step that is both repetitive and error-prone.
PCB-Investigator’s Panel Builder is designed to simplify that workflow. It helps you combine PCB designs into one panel, arrange them with controlled spacing, and optimize the layout for practical manufacturing requirements.
Built for real fabrication workflows
The plugin goes beyond simple board placement. With a transform area and minimum-distance logic, you can move steps closer together to improve nesting efficiency. You can also rotate single PCBs or complete sets, which is useful when you need to adapt a panel to the available space or production constraints.
That flexibility matters when your input data comes from different sources. Panel Builder can import steps from other designs, making it easier to combine formats such as GenCad, IPC2581, and ODB++ into a single panel workflow.
Key capabilities
- Add new Step: Create an empty step or use it as a dummy PCB.
- Import Step: Bring in data from another design and merge it into the panel.
- Create Panel: Generate simple or optimized panels with defined attributes.
- Set Fiducials: Add fiducials to support downstream production.
- Nesting algorithm: Save time and material through more efficient placement.
Better panelization means fewer manual corrections, faster handoff, and a more predictable production flow.
For PCB designers, CAM engineers, and fabrication teams, that translates into less overhead and more control over the final panel. If you are looking to reduce effort in panel creation, explore Panel Builder and see how it fits your process.
