Unimicron Germany Rises from the Ashes with New Smart Factory
April 30, 2018 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007 and Michael Weinhold, EIPCEstimated reading time: 9 minutes
Figure 10: Robot loading AOI machine.
Figure 11: AOI verification station.
Figure 12: Lay-up station with pin-less registration.
Prepreg was stored in a fully-automated clean-room at 6°C to maximise its shelf-life and avoid wastage. The material management system drew the required material from cold storage 24 hours in advance, to allow it to condition to ambient temperature before lay-up, and again all the handling was by robot. The whole lay-up operation was carried out in Class 1000 cleanroom enclosures.
Housed in their own enclosure were eight laminating presses—five heating and three cooling. One of the hot presses was capable of 400°C operation to enable fusion bonding of PTFE when required.
Figure 13: Press area.
From the automated breakdown stations, the press plates returned through a surface-brushing machine for re-use, and the bonded panels proceeded to a trimming and edge-dressing station. This machine attracted a lot of spectators as its robot presented each panel four times to the trimming guillotine, once for each edge, then placed it on a table and swivelled to present a milling head that polished the edges and rounded the corners—fun to watch!
Figure 14: Robot panel trimming and edge dressing.
Page 3 of 6
Suggested Items
DuPont Showcases AI Innovations Featuring Advanced Interconnects at 2024 International Electronic Circuits Exhibition
05/13/2024 | DuPontDuPont announced it will showcase its comprehensive range of advanced circuit materials and solutions at the 2024 International Electronic Circuits Exhibition in Shanghai. With a product portfolio that includes fine line, signal integrity, power and thermal management, DuPont will exhibit at Booth #8L06 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) from May 13 to 15.
MKS’ Atotech to Participate in ECTC
05/10/2024 | MKS’ AtotechAt this year’s 74th IEEE Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC), MKS’ Atotech will present and demonstrate its latest product and service innovations.
The Chemical Connection: Reducing Etch System Water Usage, Part 2
05/02/2024 | Don Ball -- Column: The Chemical ConnectionIn my last column, I reviewed some relatively simple ways to reduce water usage in existing etch systems: cutting down cooling coil water flow, adding chillers to replace plant water for cooling, lowering flow rate nozzles for rinses, etc. This month, I’ll continue with more ways to control water usage in your etcher. Most of these are not easily retrofittable to existing equipment but should be given serious consideration when new equipment is contemplated. With the right combination of add-ons, it is possible to bring the amount of water used in an etch system to almost zero.
Designer’s Notebook: What Designers Need to Know About Manufacturing, Part 2
04/24/2024 | Vern Solberg -- Column: Designer's NotebookThe printed circuit board (PCB) is the primary base element for providing the interconnect platform for mounting and electrically joining electronic components. When assessing PCB design complexity, first consider the component area and board area ratio. If the surface area for the component interface is restricted, it may justify adopting multilayer or multilayer sequential buildup (SBU) PCB fabrication to enable a more efficient sub-surface circuit interconnect.
Insulectro’s 'Storekeepers' Extend Their Welcome to Technology Village at IPC APEX EXPO
04/03/2024 | InsulectroInsulectro, the largest distributor of materials for use in the manufacture of PCBs and printed electronics, welcomes attendees to its TECHNOLOGY VILLAGE during this year’s IPC APEX EXPO at the Anaheim Convention Center, April 9-11, 2024.