A dual purpose separator-release plate (30) for the use in the lamination and drilling of printed circuit boards, comprising a substrate sheet of aluminum foil (32), covered on both sides with release material (34), the plates being placed in engagement with the foil surfaces (6 and 8) of a PC board prior to curing the epoxy layer (4), after curing, retaining the separator-release plates in engagement with the PC board, and which plates serve as drill entry and drill backup material.