Laser Marking Promotes Traceability
Traceability is important for quality control and supply chain transparency. If there’s a problem with a circuit board, electronics manufacturers need a way to find out what went wrong, including what automated optical inspection, or AOI, might have missed.
In the past, Z-AXIS applied barcode labels so that we could access assembly information with a barcode reader. Labels can fall off, however, and they’re time-consuming to apply. They’re also relatively large and would normally only be applied to the rails of an array. Plus, labels could become lost during de-paneling, the process of separating individual boards.
Today, Z-AXIS uses laser marking instead. Rather than applying a single sticker to a 12-up array, we apply a permanent and unique barcode to every board. Laser marking is fast and automated, and it provides traceability not only during PCB assembly, but throughout the entire product life cycle.
At our Made in USA manufacturing facility, the process begins at a machine called a board dropper. One by one, the bottom board is removed from the stack and conveyed to a UV laser.
Why UV Laser Marking is Better
There are many types of lasers, but an ultraviolet or UV laser has a shorter wavelength for a smaller focus and a more precise image. Plus, UV lasers work well with any color board – not just green.
In less than a second, our UV laser marks a 2D barcode with 196 squares in a 14 x 14 data matrix. Each marking contains details such as our part number and a unique serial number. All this information fits on a permanent barcode that’s just 3 mm (1/8”) square.
From Board Cleaning to Board Stacking
After laser marking, the board is conveyed to a board cleaner. That’s important because circuit boards are made of materials, such as fiberglass, which produce dust during the bare board manufacturing process. Cleaning also removes any other FOD, or foreign object debris, which could hurt solderability.
Once a board is cleaned, it’s conveyed to a board stacker. Whenever a stack of boards is sent to the floor, we know it’s the right amount. With our fully automated process, the laser marked and cleaned boards are now ready for assembly on one of our three SMT lines.
Improve Traceability: Choose Z-AXIS for Electronics Manufacturing
Laser marking improves traceability and shows how this is another way that Z-AXIS is constantly improving. Other electronics manufacturers of our size generally don’t use laser marking, but we like the benefits it gives our customers in terms of quality, cost, and efficiency.
Ready to discuss your project? Contact Z-AXIS