In the intricate world of PCB design and fabrication, every detail counts. One such detail that often requires careful consideration is the tolerance of holes drilled into the board. But how should one express these tolerances on a drill table to ensure standard practices are followed? We recently received this question from one of our customers and would like to publish this educational content to assist others facing similar queries in the PCB design and fabrication community.

Question: How should I express hole tolerance on a drill table if I want standard tolerance?

Answer: The typical finished hole sizes in a PCB are expressed as finished holes unless otherwise specified.  The typical tolerance for plated component holes have a tolerance of +/-0.003”, and press fit connectors may have a tolerance of +/-0.002”.  Vias should be specified with a tolerance of +0.002/- Nominal Hole Size.  This allows the fabricator to select a drill diameter that will produce the highest yield with the greatest opportunity to meet the specified annular ring requirement.  Non-plated hole size should allow for a tolerance of +/-0.003” but may be reduced to +/-0.002”.

If you have any questions related to engineering or manufacturing that you would like answered, please feel free to email our expert team for assistance.

Summit Interconnect has received IPC’s highest corporate honor, the Peter Sarmanian Corporate Recognition award. Shane Whiteside, President and CEO of Summit Interconnect, accepted the award on behalf of Summit during a luncheon ceremony at IPC APEX EXPO 2024.

The Peter Sarmanian Corporate Recognition Award, named for a former IPC Board Chairman, recognizes an IPC-member company in the printed board industry (PCB) that has supported IPC through participation in technical and management programs while providing leadership for the industry.

“Thank you to IPC for this great recognition,” said Shane Whiteside, CEO and President of Summit Interconnect. “This award is reflective of the extensive engagement we’ve had with IPC and support that our organization has provided to IPC during our 8-year journey. We are thankful to work alongside the many talented people within this organization.”

Summit Interconnect is North America’s largest privately held printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturer. Founded in 2016, four Summit locations are certified to the IPC-1791, Trusted Electronic Designer, Fabricator and Assembler Requirements standard, ensuring vetted and secure PCB supply to our nation’s critical industries such as defense, aerospace, and medical electronics. Summit staff have been staunch supporters of IPC’s advocacy program, with staff serving on IPC’s standards committees, the North American Government Relations Committee, the USPAE Board of Directors, and attending numerous IPC IMPACT events in Washington, D.C.

More than 115 Summit staff members are Certified IPC Specialists (CIS), Certified IPC Trainers (CIT), or Certified IPC Designers (CID) to such standards as IPC-A-600 and IPC-6012.

“IPC benefits tremendously from Summit and Bosch’s leadership and expertise,” said John W. Mitchell, IPC president and CEO. “Both organizations have consistently contributed staff resources and knowledge to standards development and other IPC programs and initiatives. Their involvement has directly contributed to IPC’s global growth in the electronics industry, and we are privileged to have them in our membership.”

About IPC
IPC (www.IPC.org) is a global industry association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its more than 3,200 member companies which represent all facets of the electronics industry, including design, printed board manufacturing, advanced packaging, electronics assembly, and testing. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $2 trillion global electronics industry.

About Summit Interconnect

Summit Interconnect is the largest, privately held PCB manufacturer in North America. The company is focused on the fast-growing defense and high-performance commercial sectors in the North American market.  Summit offers solutions ranging from advanced cutting-edge prototyping to complex high mix, low-to-mid volume production.  Summit’s facilities are located across California, Illinois, Colorado, and Toronto, Canada. For more information, please visit www.summitinterconnect.com.