Is there an upper limit on hole size? For example, suppose I wanted a board with a line of 30 3mm holes in it. I don’t know if I would want to do that, but should I even think about it?
I was thinking of maybe a line of 3mm LEDs instead of a regular bar graph. The board with the big holes would form an outer side of the case.
edit: Edited subject from “Big Holes?”.
edit 2. Corrects title to correspond to the real info.
I am currently thinking about SMT LEDs. That avoids holes. Maybe right-angle LEDs that shine out of the edge of the board.
On commercially produced PCBs I commonly have 1/8" (3.175mm) holes drilled and have had holes as large as 10mm done. So 3mm shouldn’t be a problem for any board house.
I have found that some vendors have pretty limited drill sizes at the large sizes. So it may be a good idea to verify that they have a drill close to what you want. I think past a certain point the holes may actually be individually routed out? I’m not sure.
I have moved away from the 3mm LED holes idea. I am currently planning a board with two 0.126 mounting holes for an RJ45 jack. http://www.goldphoenixpcb.biz/tech.php says " DRILLED HOLE DIAMETER (MAX) 6.70mm" [0.26378 inches] So based on that, I now think that the holes I have envisioned will not be a problem. In fact, this is letting me do some more ideating.
It would be nice if there was an automatic progression to routing holes if they were larger than the available drills.
It would also be nice to have a service where you could use the PCB tools to order up pieces in aluminum or acrylic.
500mil (~12.7 mm) maximum drill size , If you have any more questions fell free to email me at support@batchpcb.com