Building the highest quality PCB’s isn’t done by the highest technology equipment alone, but it is a necessary requirement.  Read below to find out how our equipment helps makes us a technology leader.

Printed Circuit Board Software

GenFlex "Genesis" & InCAM Pro, Frontline Computer Aided Manufacturing Software allows through design rule checks to discover errors before releasing to manufacturing.  It can fix common errors easily, accurately, and safely, reducing delays in waiting for updated Gerber files.  IPC-D-356A netlist controls ensure data is not functionally altered during computer tooling process.

Specialized Equipment

Orbotech Paragon 8800Hi Laser Direct Imaging (LDI) systems provide powerful performance for all board technologies including HDI, Flex, and Rigid-Flex applications. These machines expose the resist using a laser down to 8000 dpi and have registration accuracy of +/- 12 um for high-end products.

Orbotech Fusion AOI with resolutions down to .001” lines and spaces capability compares electronic CAD data to the etched image to ensure conductors are free from mouse bits, within width tolerances, and opens or shorts.  Typical fabricators don’t use AOI or have outdated equipment that cannot verify below .003” lines and spaces.  Rest assured, at HCI what’s inside your board is what’s inside your data.

Computer controlled Vacuum Lamination Press allows for real-time process verification regarding vacuum, lamination pressure, and temperature.

Excellon 129 Vision Drill Machine allows precise alignment of the drill to image ensuring complete IPC Class 3 compliance on even the tightest tolerance high layer count boards.  Also, with its 180K spindles, it's capable of drilling high quality .006” and .008” holes and precision depth controlled via stub removal or mechanical blind vias.  Typical fabricators cannot drill .010 or .008” holes optimally because they have 110K spindles which are not capable of reaching optimum drill surface feet per minute.  This results in rough hole walls which can cause stress points and via barrel cracks resulting in early field failures.

Excellon Cobra Dual CO2/UV laser machining center allows blind micro vias as small as .003” and tight tolerance flex machining to image +/- .002”.  Typical fabricators contract this process and have no control over the quality.

Horizontal Direct Metalization with spray impingement and ultrasonic’s prevents air entrapment in high aspect ratio small vias allowing for quality copper plating even in the center of micro vias.  Typical fabricators rely on mechanical agitation while processing panels vertically.  This does not effectively remove air bubbles causing small voids in metalization which cause thin plating which can result in field failure opens.

Patented High Aspect Ratio acid copper plating system using titanium anodes and knife edge agitation allows 1:1 surface copper plating to hole wall.  This provides for increased reliability as the copper ductility inside the hole is greater than with typical systems, and thus reduces the likelihood of field failures.

Microcraft Electrical Test latest generation capable of testing wirebond pads as small as .003” pads.  Also has a special fixturing system for reliable testing of thin core flex circuits.

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