The laser is extremely efficient for small, thin PCBs that have many webs per surface. This is the conclusion drawn by Dr. Martin Mündlein, Engineering Manager at Escatec Switzerland AG, after a year of laser depaneling with the LPKF CuttingMaster.
Laser depaneling shows its strength with small, thin PCBs with many webs (Image: LPKF)Cutting flexible PCBs with a milling machine is simply not possible. That's why Escatec Switzerland AG did this by hand for a long time. In order to automate this process, the EMS company from Heerbrugg decided to invest in a laser depaneling system from LPKF in 2020 following a benchmark.
"However, we don't just cut flexible PCBs here, but also many rigid or rigid-flexible PCBs," says Mündlein. The laser works surprisingly well with the rigid ones, "if certain conditions are met." The Engineering Manager recommends the laser above all for multiple uses: "If the individual circuit is small, the PCB is thin, the components are sensitive and close to the edge, the laser has many advantages: Cutting is stress-free and you can cut very close to the components." For example, one product was switched from milling to laser cutting because there were repeated problems with a quartz component whose resonance frequency had changed due to the vibrations caused by milling. "That was no longer a problem with the laser." The cycle times in such cases are also phenomenal: "We have an extreme case: a circuit board measuring just 5 x 5 millimetres. The laser can cut a web in less than half a second. That's not possible with a milling machine."
The CuttingMaster - already in use at Escatec Switzerland AG for a year (Image: LPKF)Because high mix low volume is Escatec Switzerland's bread and butter, the company has dispensed with an automation solution for the laser and operates it as an island: "We have average production batches of a few hundred units. One operator can manage that well." Another advantage lies in the fixture construction - this is far less demanding for a laser depaneling machine than for a milling machine. At Escatec, ESD polystyrene mounting plates are used for cutting adapter plates. This is fast, efficient and cost-effective.
The benchmark for the selection of the system was organized by SmartRep GmbH, LPKF's distributor in the D-A-CH region: The CuttingMaster came out on top in terms of cycle time, cutting quality and cost. "A laser depaneling machine is a flexible tool for an EMS service provider like Escatec to expand its product portfolio. After 365 days of stress testing, the CuttingMaster is now a great addition to the machine park," says Andreas Keller.
Martin Mündlein agrees with him: "As an EMS provider in particular, you have to have a broad base: There is a wide range of applications where the laser is unbeatable. But we can't completely do without the milling machine." It is still used for PCBs with a thickness of 1 mm or more. In the flex area and for multiple panels, however, the laser is unbeatable.
The CuttingMaster laser depaneling system is used by the Swiss EMS company to separate flex and FR4 PCBs from the sensor and medical technology sectors. The company has its headquarters and production facilities in Malaysia and operates a technology and development center as well as another modern production facility in Switzerland. The group offers its international customers complete solutions for electronics manufacturing - from product development to production.
Dr. Julia Traut, Head of Marketing and Communications, SmartRep GmbH, Hanau
