ISP - March/April 2013 - 18

feature
story

This article discusses the ways in which lasers can simplify the finishing
of complex and demanding industrial applications.
dean laird

LasX Industries, Inc.

anufacturers of printed electronic
components face numerous challenges
throughout the development and production phases. As the demands for shorter
lead times and smaller quantity runs
increases, so does the need for a more costeffective, versatile manufacturing solution. Added obstacles include the need to
achieve complicated geometries and tackle
challenging adhesives and substrates.
These issues require new approaches to ad-

dress the difficult jobs that are problematic
for traditional diecutting.
Digital laser processing has emerged as
a flexible, efficient method of production
for a wide variety of electronic components. Laser processing eliminates the
costs and downtime associated with metal
tooling, machine setup, and design alterations. This completely digital, non-contact
processing method is changing the way
manufacturers produce functional elec-

Figure 1 Digital laser technology is capable of handling industrial applications as varied as graphic overlays and flex circuits.

18 | IndustrIal + specIalt y prIntIng www.industrial-printing.net

tronic applications. No longer do difficultto-process materials, or frequent design
changes present production challenges.
the dIgItal laser process
Laser processing offers a method for processing electronic components without the
use of hard tooling or harsh chemicals. The
non-contact laser-converting process delivers precision and accuracy that traditional
die cutting methods cannot match, resulting in a fast, clean, cost-effective production solution that maintains a standard of
quality. This technology has been proven
effective for applications such as graphic
overlays and flexible circuits (Figure 1),
RFID antennas, membrane-switch components, touchscreens, gaskets, spacers,
abrasives, and adhesive tapes.
Components can be processed in a
one-step process simply by manipulating
a digital file and laser parameters. It is
possible to through-cut, kiss-cut, perforate, and ablate in one step using digital
laser processing, eliminating downtime
for multiple processes and equipment.
By completing numerous processes in a
single production run, delays for machine
downtime can be reduced and production
efficiency increases.
The ability to process substrates with
multiple thicknesses is also possible with
laser processing. And because lasers
vaporize material, the risks of material

ISP - March/April 2013

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