This page introduces examples of process improvements that were obtained by installing laser markers.
Trends
In recent years, the recognition of environmental problems has increased around the world. A variety of environmental measures and environmental protection movements have been promoted on both the national scale (carbon emission regulations, environmental standards, and research) and corporate scale (such as the development of environmental technology, the pursuit of the elimination of carbon emissions, and recycling).
What's more, corporations have been implementing their own regulations for controlling the emissions of CO2 and other materials that have a detrimental effect on the environment.
The recent environmental trend has been the movement to reduce the use of chemicals.
Not only for environmental concerns but also for the major effects that chemicals have on the human body and on the running costs of facilities, the regulations on the use of chemicals in etching, cleaning, and other applications appear likely to increase moving into the future.
Worldwide Trend: The Reduction of Chemicals
- - Decreased running costs
- - Correspondence to environmental problems
- - Effect on the human body
We have recently seen an increase in inquiries such as those shown below.
- We are using wet etching to form the patterns on the touch panel, but is it possible to do this without using chemicals?
- We use chemicals to open IC packages, but can this be done in some other way?
- We use galvanic corrosion to mark tools, but can we do the same marking with lasers?
- We use a remover to remove enamel from coils, but is there a way for us to do this without using chemicals?
Improvement from Using Chemicals in Touch Panel Patterning Applications
Wet etching using chemicals is suited to the mass production of a single model. On the other hand, the running costs of this method are high and there are also costs in terms of time and money associated with switching equipment for products that come in multiple different models and for items with short product cycles such as mobile phones.
With a laser marker, all that you have to do to switch between products is load the processing data from a CAD program. This makes it possible to shorten the time required for creating prototypes. Other advantages include major reductions to the initial cost when purchasing new equipment and to the installation space requirements.
Key Point
A wavelength of 1064 nm is transmitted through transparent bodies. What's more, by using our hybrid lasers having high peak power and short pulse width (MD-X Series), it is possible to process only the surface film without damaging the substrate.
By putting these hybrid lasers to practical use, it is possible to remove resist, mark glass PCBs, and mark through carrier tape.
Key Points to the Improvement
- 1Quality
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Chemicals cause films such as those that are not resistant to water to expand and contract. With dry etching using a laser, it is possible to prevent this problem, which increases the pattern accuracy.
- 2Cost
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Because there is no need to use chemicals, running costs are drastically reduced. It is also possible to greatly reduce the initial cost and space requirements for new equipment.
- 3Work efficiency
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To switch between models, only the data needs to be changed. This method can be used to flexibly support the manufacturing of a wide variety of products.
- 4Environment
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The elimination of chemicals contributes to environmental measures.
Improvement from Using Chemicals in IC Mold Resin Coating Removal Applications
In the past, chemicals were used to remove resin to analyze defective molds. However, this method presents the concern of the internal circuit being affected during the resin removal and also incurs a large cost in terms of time and money for a single operation. With a laser marker, there is no need to use chemicals and the operation can be completed in just a few minutes. This leads to major reductions in work time required.
Key Point
The MD-X Series has a viewfinder function that uses the built-in camera. This makes it easy to perform positioning even for compact workpieces.
Key Points to the Improvement
- 1Quality
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Eliminates the concern of the analysis failing due to the circuits being affected by chemicals.
- 2Cost
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The costs associated with consuming and disposing of chemicals can be reduced.
- 3Work efficiency
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The operation time is reduced. With a laser marker, it is possible to perform the opening operations in just a few minutes.
- 4Environment
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The elimination of chemicals contributes to environmental measures.
Improvement from Using Chemicals in Metal Marking Applications
In galvanic corrosion (etching), an electrolyte is applied to the metal and a current is made to flow through the metal, which blackens it. This method is appropriate when it is desirable to provide the product with marking that will not fade in a manner that does not damage the product. However, this method leaves much to be desired in terms of improvements to the management of the chemicals, the work required to create the plate, and the time required to perform operations. With a laser marker, it is possible to mark black characters on a product without damaging it and without using chemicals or a plate. This greatly contributes to improvements to the amount of work required and to the work environment.
Laser Marker Application Examples
Key Points to the Improvement
- 1Quality
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Clear marking that does not damage the product is possible on flat surfaces and curved surfaces.
- 2Cost
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Labor costs due to increased working time can be significantly reduced.
- 3Work efficiency
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It is possible to greatly reduce the process of plate creation, chemical application, masking, etching, and then cleaning (neutralizing). Short deadlines can be met even when manufacturing a large number of products.
- 4Environment
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There is no need to manage chemicals, which greatly contributes to work environment improvements.
Improvement from Using Chemicals in Electrical Wire Sheath Removal Applications
The sheath of wound wires, such as coils, can be removed using a laser marker. Previously, removers or edged tools were generally used. Now, laser markers have become useful because they require no consumables and ensure stable results. The high peak power and short pulse width characteristic of YVO4 lasers enable processing with minimal effect on the undercoat.
Key Point
A wavelength of 1064 nm can be used to process metal in general but has an extremely low absorption coefficient with copper. This makes it possible to only peel off the wire sheath while minimizing the damage to the copper core.
Key Points to the Improvement
- 1Quality
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Prevents defects caused by the remover being applied to areas other than where it is necessary and the danger of wire disconnections due to residual remover corroding the wire.
- 2Cost
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Contributes to cost reductions by eliminating chemicals, which are consumable products. Also eliminates the need to dispose of chemicals.
- 3Work efficiency
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Because anyone can use laser markers easily, mistakes stemming from a lack of familiarity with the operations can be prevented.
- 4Environment
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Because they do not use chemicals, laser markers are environmentally friendly and do not have a negative effect on the human body.
