0.4mm unplated mounting hole for Kicad

[panocode]

Hello! I'm trying to make a 0.4mm unplated mounting hole for kicad, does someone know how I can make one/where I can find a footprint for one? I don't really know what other details to add, it's honestly just that, a small unplated mounting hole.

[bill_c]

Are you sure abut that size? That's like human hair size in American units.

[Benta]

Are you sure abut that size? That's like human hair size in American units.

Size is OK. Your American hair would be 0.04 mm.

[themadhippy]

cant you  just edit an existing hole from the library

[panocode]

Welp turns out you can just make an edge cut circle... and it works just as well... I wasted probably too much time on it.

[ataradov]

It may work for visuals, but your board manufacturer may not accept this.

I don't think there is a way to make a hole like this from the PCB editor. The only way I know how to do that with no manufacturing issues is to make a footprint that is just an NPTH Pad with pad and hole diameter set to the same value. It would end up in a drill file, so it would be a real drilled hole.

[sparkydog]

Place a footprint of an existing NPTH, e.g. MountingHole_2.1mm. Then either just edit the pad size, or edit the footprint if the margin is going to be a problem.

[Doctorandus_P]

Indeed. KiCad has a "MountingHole" library, and it has some 100+ pre-defined mounting holes ranging from 2.1mm to 8.4mm and a good portion of them are NPTH (Non Plated Through Hole).

Apart from that, you can set any pad in a footprint to Mechanical, NPTH and/or change it's diameter.

[EPAIII]

0.4mm translates to 0.0157". The hair on my arm measures 0.1mm so 0.4mm is fairly large.

0.4mm drills do exist and are fairly large as small bits go. 0.1mm ones are easily available. But will a fab house want to go that small without charging a large premium in the price? I don't know. I do machining work and I would be very nervous using such a small bit. Solid carbide would be necessary for PCBs and they are very brittle so breakage would be a big concern. And they should/must be run at high spindle speeds which a given fab house may or may not have available.

Are you sure you need that dimension? Real sure?

Hello! I'm trying to make a 0.4mm unplated mounting hole for kicad, does someone know how I can make one/where I can find a footprint for one? I don't really know what other details to add, it's honestly just that, a small unplated mounting hole.

[ataradov]

Why would they charge for 0.4 mm drill when they routinely drill 0.3 mm vias? Those vias before plating may even be 0.4 mm.

But yes, as a mechanical hole, 0.4 mm does not make much sense. Still, it is very easy to do.

[Benta]

0.4mm translates to 0.0157". The hair on my arm measures 0.1mm so 0.4mm is fairly large.

0.1 mm? Are you a wild boar?

[EPAIII]

Well, bully for them. I am glad to hear that they can. But I did see that at least one source did charge extra for 0.15mm holes. That's a bit less than 0.006".

I have never even tried to order a hole that small, so I didn't know.

[EPAIII]

No, just boring.

0.4mm translates to 0.0157". The hair on my arm measures 0.1mm so 0.4mm is fairly large.

0.1 mm? Are you a wild boar?