Repair Comes to the Rescue

Defective printed circuit boards that would otherwise inevitably be lost due to design or process errors can be quickly and inexpensively repaired using laser technology. Along with cost savings, targeted repairs can substantially improve yield and delivery time to the customer, especially in the case of complex and expensive multilayer boards.

This is why LaserMicronics uses laser technology to repair populated or unpopulated PCBs. The repair options available include the ablation of solder resist or coverlay. Pads can be opened or new pads created for subsequent populating. Larger copper surfaces can be removed and plated through-holes cleaned. The separation of conductive traces is also a frequently necessary repair that the laser can perform easily and accurately.

The lasers used at LaserMicronics are characterized by high peak pulse outputs thanks to short pulse lengths. This means that either the dielectrics or the copper can be vaporized without appreciable damage to the material underneath. This results in clean copper surfaces and precise cut edges suitable for rework without further cleaning. Because no clamping fixtures or protective covers are used, there are no mechanical stresses on the material or sensitive components. Automated registration ensures the high precision and positional accuracy of the cut edges. The process is extremely flexible, enabling even intricate changes and complex repairs to be carried out.

The benefits of using lasers to repair PCBs are obvious: rejects are turned into accepts with clean copper surfaces and precisely cut edges. The application is fast, flexible and inexpensive, while delivery problems due to a shortage of spare parts can be avoided. This is why for many users, PCB repair is a lifeline.