Stress-free depanelling from PMJ

Stress-free depanelling from PMJ

Keywords Panels, PMJ

Depanelling is one of the few remaining key production processes to be automated in mainstream production lines. In fact, the accuracy and reliability that manufacturers demand from their costly front-end assembly equipment, such as printers and placement machines, is often rendered useless by an outdated and unrefined manual depanelling process that can introduce a host of manufacturing-related problems to otherwise perfectly well made boards.

Damage is often caused by the excessive stress that can be placed on delicate components, interconnects and boards, regardless of how well they are assembled, when they are broken out by hand. This affects quality, giving high rework and scrap levels.

Though other attempts have been made at combating the problems of depanelling, none have successfully mastered the process as competently as PMJ's completely automatic HiSAC depanelling cell. Integrating easily into any production line, the cell represents the quickest and safest in-line solution available to manufacturers today.

For example, many manufacturers have attempted to score boards to assist manual breakout, but this tends to create as many problems as it solves. Namely, if the scoring is too shallow the board needs excessive force to break out, and if it is too deep, the panel loses the rigidity it needs for other processes such as correct placement and wave/reflow-soldering.

PMJ's HiSAC depanelling cell, however, claims to give precise, stress-free breakout for boards of any shape and size, while allowing panels to remain rigid and strong. It is also completely operator-free, with panels being brought directly into the cell on a PCB conveyor, and after depanelling, individually passed on to the next assembly stage.

A high level of flexibility has been designed-in to enable product changeovers down to batches of one to be made quickly and automatically without the need for costly custom tooling.

In operation, the programmable routing head follows any given routing pattern, while pick and place robotics hold individual PCBs precisely in place at different positions and orientations. PMJ conveyors will also automatically adjust in width to accommodate different panel lengths and widths, while an extremely flexible HiSAC bottom router can be used to separate even the most awkward panel dimensions and configurations without need of customisation.

The HiSAC depanelling cell is also remarkably clean in operation. By combining a routing tool and high flow rate vacuum extraction, the dust created during the separation process, which would otherwise find its way into operators' lungs, is removed. And to keep maintenance to a minimum, this dust is additionally passed through two disposable filter bags and a micro filter to ensure that the Cell's exhaust air is totally dust-free.

This supreme level of automation extends to all scrap around the panel being transported out of the cell on the PCB conveyor to a waste bin. The HiSAC depanelling system can even detect if the routing bit is broken and automatically replace it with a new one.

For further information on PMJ's depanelling process please contact: Peter Chan, UK: PMJ automec (UK) Ltd,Whitehall, 75 School Lane, Hartford, Cheshire CW81PF, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1606 781465; Fax: +44 (0) 1606 74203; e-mail: peter.chan@dial.pipex.com