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PCB drilling consumables for Malaysian PCB, IC substrate and EMS lines

1100 H18 aluminum entry boards, IC substrate backup boards and back-drill aluminum for Penang, Kulim and the Klang Valley

YUESHAN supplies PCB drilling consumables to Malaysian PCB, IC substrate and EMS lines: 1100 H18 aluminum entry boards in 0.15–0.28 mm selected by drill diameter, lubricant-coated entry aluminum for sub-Ø0.15 mm microvia, and backup boards from HDF 880 (75±2 HD) to Phenolic PHE (90±5 HD, decomposition above 220 °C). A Singapore-registered trading partner has bought 1100 H18 × 0.18 mm entry aluminum from YUESHAN continuously since 2017, with material serving an OSAT plant in the Philippines. Sheets 940 × 1245 mm and 520 × 620 mm, MOQ 100–200 sheets, free samples with TDS/MSDS, FOB/CIF to Port Klang or Penang.

Malaysia sits on the higher-value part of the regional electronics chain — substrate, advanced packaging and high-reliability EMS rather than only commodity boards. When a line runs IC substrate or automotive PCB, the drilling consumable stops being a throwaway item and becomes the variable that decides exit burr, hole-position accuracy and drill-bit life. This page shows how YUESHAN configures material for the clusters that actually build boards in Malaysia.

Local market snapshot: Penang, Kulim and the northern corridor

Malaysia is the world's sixth-largest semiconductor exporter, and the northern corridor — Penang, Kedah, Perak and Perlis — is its fastest-growing cluster. AT&S opened its first Malaysian IC-substrate plant in Kulim Hi-Tech Park, Kedah on 24 January 2024, a €1.7 billion (about RM8.5 billion) Phase-1 investment expected to create around 6,000 jobs, producing substrates for high-performance computing and AI devices. Batu Kawan Industrial Park in Penang hosts a dense concentration of electronics and PCB multinationals, and Intel has long-established operations in Penang. Further south, the Klang Valley and Greater Kuala Lumpur concentrate trading houses and regional procurement offices that buy on behalf of plants across ASEAN.

Sources: AT&S opening announcement (24 Jan 2024), The Edge Malaysia and InvestPenang statements, 2024. These are industry-context facts for material demand. YUESHAN does not claim any of these companies as customers.

Industrial clusters and the material they need

Penang — Batu Kawan, Bayan Lepas (substrate, HDI, EMS)

High layer counts and tight positional tolerance. Use UV Melamine 950 (83±3 HD) as backup with lubricant-coated entry aluminum for microvia work; HDF 880 (75±2 HD) covers the high-volume multilayer base load.

Kulim, Kedah — IC substrate

Substrate and interposer drilling needs the hardest, flattest support: Phenolic PHE at 90±5 HD, 1.50 mm, decomposition above 220 °C. See HDI & IC substrate solutions.

Perak — Kerian and expanding E&E

New capacity favours a repeatable exit surface across changeovers, so UV Melamine 880 or 950 keeps burr consistent without re-tuning job to job.

Klang Valley / Greater KL — trading houses & regional HQ

Buyers here consolidate for plants across the region. They need a locked spec, batch traceability and a transparent aluminum formula price they can pass through — the same model behind our Singapore trading-partner record.

Material selection table

Build typeEntry materialRecommended backupWhy
IC substrate / interposer1100 H18 · 0.15–0.20 mmPhenolic PHE · 90±5 HDHighest hardness on the range; holds face above 220 °C substrate-drilling heat
HDI 1–2 step, sub-Ø0.15 mm microviaLubricant-coated aluminum (LCO)UV Melamine 950 · 83±3 HDCoating cools and lubricates the bit; sealed hard face holds microvia location
12–24 L / back-drill1100 H18 · 0.20–0.28 mmUV Melamine 980 + back-drill aluminumAnti-deformation at tall stack; controlled stub depth
High-volume multilayer 4–12 L1100 H18 · 0.18–0.25 mmHDF 880 · 75±2 HDBest published cost-to-performance for Penang base load
Automotive PCB (thick copper)1100 H18 · 0.20–0.25 mmHDF 880 or UV Melamine 880Cuts bit wear on thick copper, holds burr low
Flexible / thin panelsThin 1100 H18UV Melamine 840 or kraft paperSealed melamine face resists the tropical humidity

Entry board vs backup board

The entry board sits on top of the panel stack: it positions the drill on entry, stops the bit skating and — coated types — cools the bit. The backup board sits under the stack and supports the hole exit so glass fibre and copper are sheared clean instead of torn, which is the basis of exit-burr control and fewer broken bits. They are not interchangeable; a complete line needs both. New to this? Read what an entry board does and what a backup board does.

Entry thickness by drill diameter

Drill Ø (mm)Recommended entry thickness (mm)
0.20–0.250.15–0.20
0.30–0.350.18–0.25
0.40–0.450.20–0.28

Plain 1100 H18 covers holes of Ø0.15 mm and larger on multilayer and PTH work. Below Ø0.15 mm switch to LCO lubricant-coated entry aluminum. Background in the HDI drilling guide.

Tropical humidity: storage and moisture control

Penang and Klang Valley relative humidity routinely exceeds 80% for months. A wood-based backup board that absorbs moisture softens at the face — and the symptom shows exactly at the hole exit: more burr, less flatness, compressed stack height. It is the most overlooked cause of seasonal burr spikes.

Procedure detail is in the backup-board moisture guide; for cracked boards after drilling see backup-board snapping.

Published grades, sheet sizes and MOQ

GradeHardnessThicknessBest for
HDF 840~70 HD2.0 / 2.5 mm2–4 L, cost-first
HDF 88075±2 HD2.0 / 2.5 mmStandard 2–12 L
UV Melamine 88080±3 HD2.0 / 2.5 mmHDI 1–2 step · 12–24 L
UV Melamine 95083±3 HD2.5 mmHDI microvia, tighter tolerance
UV Melamine 98080±5 HD2.5 mmBack-drill · high layer count
Phenolic PHE90±5 HD1.50 mmIC substrate / routing table
Sheet size (mm)Sheets / palletMOQ (sheets)
940 × 1245300100
520 × 620800200

Cut-to-panel-size is available. Every lot ships with TDS and MSDS/SDS; COA by batch on request. Check load and stack height with the stack height calculator before a first order.

Proven ASEAN supply experience

Verifiable YUESHAN facts — Singapore channel, 2017 to present

  • A Singapore-registered trading partner has purchased aluminum entry board from YUESHAN continuously since 2017 — over eight years of repeat supply.
  • The qualified spec has not drifted: alloy and temper 1100 H18, thickness 0.18 mm.
  • The end user is a semiconductor OSAT plant in the Philippines — the Singapore partner buys, YUESHAN produces, the OSAT drills.
  • Every lot ships after pre-shipment self-inspection. Multiple 2025 shipments closed with no quality claim.
  • Aluminum is quoted on a formula basis — SMM spot aluminum plus a processing surcharge — not a fixed price.

Full account in the Singapore trading-partner case study; material data in the 1100 H18 spec sheet. For the pricing mechanism, see how aluminum formula pricing works.

Engineering tools

Reference: how to choose a backup board, multilayer drilling, back-drilling principle.

Samples, quotation and shipment to Malaysia

  1. Send the spec — layer count, board thickness, smallest hole, panel size, monthly volume.
  2. Grade proposal — we return an entry + backup configuration with the technical reason.
  3. Free samples — 3–5 days with TDS/MSDS for a trial on your line.
  4. Production order — typically 2–3 weeks, FOB or CIF to Port Klang or Penang.

Comparing regional markets? See the Southeast Asia hub or the country pages for Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand.

Request a Malaysia quote

Contact Mr. Lucky Xu — WhatsApp +86 13433290964, email henan_xu@hotmail.com, or use the contact form. Include layer count and smallest hole (or alloy/thickness), panel size and monthly volume.

Malaysia buyer FAQ

Has YUESHAN supplied the ASEAN region before?

Yes. A Singapore-registered trading partner has bought 1100 H18 aluminum entry board at 0.18 mm from YUESHAN continuously since 2017 — over eight years — with the material going to a semiconductor OSAT plant in the Philippines. Multiple 2025 shipments closed with no quality claim.

Which backup board grade suits IC substrate drilling in Kulim / Penang?

Phenolic PHE — 90±5 HD, 1.50 mm, decomposition above 220 °C. It is the hardest grade in the range and holds its face under substrate drilling heat. Pair it with 1100 H18 entry at 0.15–0.20 mm.

How do I choose aluminum entry board thickness?

By drill diameter. Ø0.20–0.25 mm holes use 0.15–0.20 mm entry; Ø0.30–0.35 mm use 0.18–0.25 mm; Ø0.40–0.45 mm use 0.20–0.28 mm. Standard alloy and temper is 1100 H18.

When should I use lubricant-coated instead of plain entry aluminum?

Plain 1100 H18 is fine for holes of Ø0.15 mm and above on multilayer and PTH work. Below Ø0.15 mm — HDI microvia, BGA, IC substrate — use lubricant-coated (LCO) entry because the film cools and lubricates the bit.

What documentation ships with each lot?

TDS and MSDS/SDS with every shipment, and COA by batch on request. Every lot goes through pre-shipment self-inspection — what a trading house needs to pass documentation through unchanged.

Is aluminum quoted at a fixed price?

No. Aluminum entry board is quoted on a formula basis: SMM spot aluminum plus a processing surcharge, disclosed before order confirmation. A 2026 order from our Singapore partner triggered a roughly 9% formula adjustment, communicated in advance.

What are the standard sheet sizes and MOQ?

Two standard sizes: 940 × 1245 mm (300 sheets per pallet, MOQ 100 sheets) and 520 × 620 mm (800 sheets per pallet, MOQ 200 sheets). Cut-to-panel-size is available.

What is the lead time to Malaysia?

Free samples ship in 3–5 days with TDS/MSDS. Production orders are typically 2–3 weeks on FOB or CIF terms to Port Klang or Penang.

Do you supply back-drill aluminum for stub control?

Yes. Back-drill aluminum is supplied for controlled-depth drilling and stub control on high layer count and high-reliability boards, usually alongside UV Melamine 980 backup.

How do I request a quote?

Contact Mr. Lucky Xu via WhatsApp (+86 13433290964) or email henan_xu@hotmail.com with layer count and smallest hole for backup, or alloy and thickness for entry, plus panel size and monthly volume.