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Last year, one of the world’s leading PCB manufacturers engaged SCHMID to retrofit a SCHMID PremiumLine with the New Etching Options (NEOs).
The customer decided to implement all available upgrades in their PremiumLine to optimize its etching process and increase capacity through reduced processing times. The upgrades include a process-phase-optimized nozzle configuration for a better etching performance as well as extended Fluid Dynamic Equipment which significantly reduces defects during etching and increases yield – especially with ultra-fine structures of less than 50 µm. The customer is evaluating SCHMID’s vacuum etching, which is perfectly suitable for the etching of particularly fine structures and enables a more uniform etching rate as well as a lower chemical consumption. An extension of the pressure range of up to 3.8 bar spray pressure and an optimized transport system complete the range of the NEOs upgrades.
After installation of the upgrades on the existing PremiumLine, all specifications were fulfilled without further process tuning. Due to the smooth handling and the convincing test results of the NEO upgrade, SCHMID recently received two follow-up orders from the customer for upgrades of further PremiumLine systems.
"This proves that upgrades represent a valuable investment in state-of-the-art production technology. They provide a return on investment after only a few months, resulting from an increased production yield," explains Heiko Lang, director of sales management for SCHMID Group's Electronics business unit.
In recent months, SCHMID received numerous orders for NEO upgrades in existing CombiLine and PremiumLine systems from Asian and European customers.
The InfinityLine
SCHMID has been setting new standards in horizontal processing of printed circuit boards for decades with the PremiumLine and CombiLine systems. In 2015, SCHMID launched the InfinityLine, which combines the main advantages of both previous systems, such as the small module transition slots of the CombiLine or the spray manifold connection of the PremiumLine, as well as more than 50 years of experience in wet chemical processing. On top of the proven SCHMID quality and performance, the InfinityLine offers a high level of user-friendliness and environmental friendliness. Furthermore, the appeal of the InfinityLine is its lower wear and a significantly longer system lifetime compared to other suppliers.
