PCB Laser Depaneling Services

PCB Laser Depaneling Services Description:

If you have boards requiring high tolerance mechanical dimension or odd shapes that traditional depaneling methods cannot handle.

BEST Inc. provides laser depaneling services for printed circuit board manufacturers as well as EMS and OEMs. BEST’s numerous lasers are equipped to handle volumes from small prototype to large production runs. Laser depaneling can cut through plastics, ceramics and metals or some combination thereof. It is the right method to use when there are sharp corners or many tight radii of curvature in the PCB or in the flex circuit.

Depending on the material and the part requirements, BEST laser services provides a tool-less part removal process in the form of final perforation, scoring and hold-in tabs. Using a laser to perform the depaneling gives the user the advantage of speed and positional accuracy. Unlike mechanical methods there is no part induced stresses, no tooling cost and no cutting oils or other contaminants.

Perforations

Similar to scoring or v-grooves, laser perforations are another option for singulated board removal from a panel or sheet. Perforations can be laser formed to any size and spacing to meet the desired removal and securement forces.

Scoring

Laser scoring can produce a limited depth ablation line in the panelized boards. Generally speaking the depth of the score line is 50% of the material thickness and can be controlled to a desired depth. The scoring acts in a manner similar to the hold-tab to secure the part in the panel or sheet, but allows for individual parts to be ‘snapped’ out after processing. Laser scoring lines can also be used as a deliberate path for crack propagation or stress relief. When performing the score lines as a service BEST can either use the IPC guidelines or follow customer requirements.

Hold-in Tabs

Hold-in tabs are small uncut sections around the board which are used to secure the PCB in the panel. The hold-in tabs are used for ease of handling small boards or for printed circuit board  securement for additional processing. The hold-in tab width is chosen based on the amount of force desired to remove the part from the panel/sheet or known forces to be applied by downstream processes like component loading. BEST laser services can create tabs in most board materials and to nearly any width and location about the part.