Prejudice: Laser depaneling is associated with high costs
In your opinion, the laser as a depaneling tool is relatively expensive and only pays off for special applications? Do you think it is still too early to start using such an innovative technology?
This is an obvious misconception - because the price-performance ratio of laser systems has improved by a factor of ten over the last decade. This development can be attributed to two central factors: On the one hand, increasingly powerful sources are being integrated into the system at ever declining costs. On the other hand, this plus in laser power can also be converted into effective cutting speed for the customer through the accumulated process know-how.
Reality: Best Price-Performance & low Follow-up Costs
Laser systems are increasingly offering the best price-performance ratio for depaneling tools without having to compromise on quality or design freedom. In particular, LPKF's CuttingMaster series' enable highly economical separation of rigid and flexible PCBs without any restrictions. The 2000 series is the compact and cost-effective solution with lower laser powers, while the 3000 series offers excellent accuracy and highest perfomance.
In contrast to mechanical separation processes, the follow-up costs of the laser systems are likewise very low. No regular replacement of wear parts such as router bites or saw blades is necessary and therefore no machine downtime has to be considered. The laser continously delivers the highest quality. In addition, the use of a laser also allows potential savings to be made on the panel material and the cost of failures (e.g. due to rejects, defects, etc.).
