Laser Processing of Bare PCBs

Both bake and populated boards are easily processed with custom fixtures on the MicroLine 2000 systems. Simple and inexpensive production fixtures can be made to depanel boards that have components on both sides of the substrate.

The MicroLine 2000 Ci features integrated feed conveyors and SMEMA-compatible interfaces. The system's architecture allows for transportation of the applications through the machine. Click here for more info

The MicroLine 2000 P is a UV laser system designed for processing populated, bare rigid and flexible PCBs. The UV laser cuts, drills, engraves and ablates with the tightest tolerances on a wide variety of materials making it the most versatile and inexpensive UV laser on the world-wide market today. It has the ability to cleanly cut even the most complicated patterns with minimal stress to the substrate which allows for more circuits on a single panel. With the highest cutting quality and versatile processing capabilities, it greatly reduces operational costs incurred from outsourcing. The MicroLine models are especially suited for high-mix, flexible manufacturing environments.

Environmentally friendly, the triple stage dust and fume exhaust unit removes all debris, leaving a residue-free surface and avoiding pollution in the work environment. It not only cuts PCBs, but is also capable of drilling, skiving, engraving/marking, depth/pocket etching, and even surface ablation for creating circuitry directly on bare boards. With just the change of CAD data for new projects or processes, the UV laser system is ready to produce another design within a few moments, providing users increased freedom in process planning from prototyping to mass production. The beam cuts very narrow channels and copes with even the tightest radii. Laser power measurement takes place at the laser source, ensuring proper process monitoring for quality control. This ability to create custom "virtual" laser tools in the tool library allows users to save exact process parameters for an unlimited amount of material variations and combinations.

The MicroLine 5000 is a laser drilling and cutting system specifically tailored to the needs of the flexible circuit industry. With the ability to drill holes down to 20 μm, a variety of both organic and inorganic substrates can be processed such as:

• Flexible PCBs
• IC substrates
• High Density Interconnect PCBs

Common applications include the drilling of through holes and blind vias, with the additional ability to cut large mounting holes, or full perimeter cuts of irregular board contours.

Quality and Precision

The high-quality attributes of the UV wavelength allow for the cutting and drilling of delicate materials with minimal heat affected zone - and the proof is in the results: clean side-walls with precise dimensions and virtually zero debris. Available with either a 10 W or 15 W laser source, the MicroLine 5000 series may also be configured to work with various material handling options.

Contour Cutting

The MicroLine 5000 UV laser is a universal tool - and thus suitable for cutting all industry-standard panel sizes with dimensions of up to 533 mm x 610 mm (21” x 24”). The 20 μm high quality UV laser kerf width allows for cutting of even the most delicate contours at high speeds.

Process Monitoring

The MicroLine 5000 systems are equipped with an integrated vision system for fast fiducial recognition, ensuring accurate alignment. The camera’s ability to use virtually any board feature as a fiducial alignment point provides operator flexibility from job to job.