I have a compound LED which is mounted on a metal core PCB. It has 4 different diodes on the package and has 8 leads.
The location I'd like to mount it in does not have enough space, so I need to trim the MCPCB down a few milimeters. I think I will need to cut around the perimeter about halfway into the exposed leads.
I'm wondering if cutting it up with a Dremel will damage it. I am curious as to how these MCPCB's are constructed and how the traces are insulated from the outer metal. I am thinking that if I slice it from the metal side I would be able to prevent a short from being created.
Any thoughts?
Thanks.
Edit: So I got my Dremel replaced today (it's so weird, i owned it for one month -- barely used it for 30 minutes total. Went kaput. I was initially amazed by the engineering and build quality of the tool but all of that confidence was shattered when it just stopped working for no apparent reason because it was running fine, then I unplugged it for three weeks, and then... nothing.) and I got around to trimming one of these MCPCBs and it works great. I sliced at it with the cutting wheel from the sides, because it was the most convenient way to hold it, and i have no shorting issues at all.