Automation
CAM Scripting & Tooling Automation
Custom Perl and Python CAM automation, HyperTooling runtimes, and fab-specific rule decks that make repeat jobs deterministic.
In plain English
Like a robot that handles boring paperwork, we write custom software to automate slow, repetitive board-prep tasks so they finish faster with fewer mistakes.
Outcome
Repeatable, scripted CAM flows that cut manual touches and eliminate operator-to-operator variance.
Manual CAM is slow and inconsistent. We build automation that turns a manual, tribal-knowledge process into a deterministic, versioned pipeline — so the tenth board of a family is tooled exactly like the first.
Custom CAM automation
- Perl and Python scripting against CAM system APIs to automate layer alignment, aperture cleanup, and drill correlation.
- HyperTooling runtimes that chain repetitive steps — panelization, coupon insertion, netlist extraction — into a single repeatable job.
- Batch processing for board families and revision spins where geometry is stable but data churns.
Fab-specific rule decks
Every fabricator has a different capability window. We codify each fab's real limits — minimum annular ring, etch compensation, solder mask web — into versioned rule decks so a DFM run reflects the plant that will actually build the board.
| Automation target | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Aperture normalization | Removes legacy-format errors |
| Netlist extraction | Consistent IPC-D-356 output |
| Panel step-and-repeat | Yield-optimized, hands-off |
| Rule-deck DRC | Fab-accurate, repeatable |
Integration
Scripts hook directly into ODB++ and Gerber layer structures and drill/rout APIs, so automation reads and writes the same databases your fab consumes — no lossy round-trips.
The result is faster turnaround on CAM processing and, more importantly, removal of the operator-to-operator variance that causes escapes.
Related services
Gerber & ODB++ CAM Processing
Like getting a rough manuscript print-ready, we take a designer's raw board files and tidy them up so a factory can actually build the circuit board.
Learn moreDFM & DRC Analysis
Like a proofreader for your circuit board — we catch the tiny design mistakes that would make a factory build it wrong, before they ruin a whole batch.
Learn moreHDI & Microvia Engineering
We design the tiny, tightly packed circuit boards found inside phones and smartwatches, fitting microscopic connections into a space smaller than a fingernail.
Learn moreStart an engagement
Ready to de-risk your next build?
Send your Gerber, ODB++ or IPC-2581 package and a CAM engineer returns a clear read on manufacturability, cost drivers and lead time.
- First-pass DFM findings back within hours
- NDA-friendly, controlled-data handling
- One dedicated engineer, not a ticket queue
Request an engineering review