-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueRules of Thumb
This month, we delve into rules of thumb—which ones work, which ones should be avoided. Rules of thumb are everywhere, but there may be hundreds of rules of thumb for PCB design. How do we separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak?
Partial HDI
Our expert contributors provide a complete, detailed view of partial HDI this month. Most experienced PCB designers can start using this approach right away, but you need to know these tips, tricks and techniques first.
Silicon to Systems: From Soup to Nuts
This month, we asked our expert contributors to weigh in on silicon to systems—what it means to PCB designers and design engineers, EDA companies, and the rest of the PCB supply chain... from soup to nuts.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
LPKF's ProtoLaser H4 – More Functions in a Compact Housing
August 30, 2024 | LPKF Laser & ElectronicsEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
The ProtoLaser H4, with a laser for structuring tasks and additional mechanical tools, is the link between pure laser devices and the mechanical structuring of circuit boards. The latest version makes some processes even more efficient and expands the range of applications.
The LPKF ProtoMats have been the benchmark for decades when it comes to chemical-free structuring of circuit board prototypes. The spectrum ranges from the smallest system for occasional work to the top model, which uses high spindle speeds to gently process even sensitive substrates.
The ProtoLaser H4 has so far been the link between mechanical PCB processing and LPKF laser processes. It can drill or cut mechanically thick substrates and multilayers using mechanical tools and combines this with the extremely fast and precise laser processing. The whole thing fits into a modern tabletop housing. In combination with the associated system software LPKF CircuitPro, even sophisticated prototypes can be produced in your own laboratory without etching chemistry.
With the new revision of the ProtoLaser H4, LPKF is consistently continuing this concept. The laser used has got a 25 percent increase in performance from 16 to 20 watts. Two important improvements have been implemented for mechanical structuring: The number of tool holders has grown from 6 to 14 in order to achieve a higher level of automation without manual tool changes. At the same time, LPKF has increased the spindle speed from 60,000 rpm to 100,000 rpm. This reduces mechanical processing times and enables, for example, 0.2 mm holes and faster separation of PCBs and flexible materials.
The environment around the two processing methods has also improved. The resulting material residues are completely removed from the work area thanks to an optimized extraction hood. An integrated MTM device (Material Thickness Measurement) records the height of the material. This reliably improves the focus position for laser structuring in a self-calibrating process. The z-height raised to 8 mm, so that the working area now grows to 310 mm x 230 mm x 8 mm. The diagonal travel speed has been increased again.
A new camera feature can now read any geometric shape on the circuit board as a registration mark. Any processing steps can be created from these positions. An extended version of the CircuitPro software is available for these features, which also includes export to the most important CAD data formats such as Gerber and DXF.
"In addition to faster and more precise structuring results, we also wanted to expand the range of applications. Thanks to the new features, the LPKF ProtoLaser H4 is also well suited for circuit board repair, for example," explains LPKF Product Manager Eric Scheidler.
Sales are scheduled to start in September 2024, and LPKF is already accepting pre-orders.
Suggested Items
Altus Sees Growing Interest for Laser Depanelling Solutions
11/04/2024 | Altus GroupAltus Group, a leading distributor of capital equipment in the UK and Ireland, has seen an increasing interest in laser depaneling systems from LPKF in 2024.
Real Time with... SMTAI 2024: LPKF Laser Depaneling—Debunking the Heat Myth
10/29/2024 | Real Time with...SMTAILPKF's Jake Benz shares the testing results he presented at the SMTAI conference showing that laser depaneling is not a significant source of heat to PCBAs. Benz goes into details why.
Precise PCB Structuring with LPKF ProtoMats and ProtoLasers
09/16/2024 | LPKFRF circuits have a firm place in technical applications. They require precise geometric layouts to achieve reliable results. LPKF will be showing how these can be manufactured in your own laboratory at booth 325C on the European Microwave Week 2024 from September 24 to 26 in Paris.
LPKF: Solid Business Performance in 1H of 2024
07/29/2024 | LPKFLPKF Laser & Electronics SE generated revenue of EUR 55.2 million in the first half of the year (1HY 23: EUR 47.9 million), while earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) amounted to EUR -5.5 million (1HY 23: EUR -7.1 million). Adjusted EBIT* amounted to EUR -5.1 million.
LPKF is Ready for Increasing Demand for Glass Substrates in the Semiconductor Industry
05/13/2024 | LPKFThe semiconductor industry is shifting towards glass to package the most advanced semiconductor chips. LPKF’s mature LIDE technology is enabling that transition into this new era from ramp-up to high volume manufacturing.