In 2021, the PCB manufacturer Precoplat put the fully automatic notch milling machine (LHMT SCM412) into operation. This enables PCBs to be notch-milled cost-effectively with 0 spacing as an alternative to traditional PCB milling. This reduces material waste and the PCBs can be provided with predetermined breaking points, as the material thickness is reduced in the notches. This makes it possible to fit the PCBs directly with components and only separate them afterwards using a cut-off cutter.
After more than a year, one of the results is that the dimensional offset has been greatly reduced by the pre-processes, both for single-sided scribing and for injection scribing.
QR or barcodes on each PCB automatically load the appropriate CNC programs, thus reducing the set-up time to zero through uninterrupted sequential processing. The traceability of the process is also ensured by the recognition of each panel. The use of a 6-axis robot has greatly improved the otherwise fragile handling of the blanks. Maintenance cycles have also been reduced.
