Producers of electronic devices, from home audio tools to automotive keyless entry methods, are increasingly in search of a reliable, cost efficient methodology for uniquely identifying and monitoring products by the manufacturing cycle, sales distribution and after-sale guarantee verification. An autonomous, automated tracking system requires [that a] everlasting, machine-readable code be utilized to an internal printed circuit board to uniquely determine every product. The code should be durable sufficient to survive manufacturing processes including wave solder and board cleaning, must not affect circuit performance, and must store data in the small house available on real-estate conscious printed circuit boards.
The 2D matrix code supplies a method to retailer alphanumeric character strings in very small areas of the printed circuit board. Laser marking technology offers a method for completely making use of 2D matrix codes to most board substrates. The excessive-decision and excessive-accuracy of beam-steered laser marking methods provides the means to create properly defined, excessive reliability codes regardless of code size. Laser marking additionally offers the user with a computer-managed marking process for simple implementation into automated product monitoring systems.
ECC 200 2D Matrix Codes
[Two]-dimensional symbologies encode information within the type of a checkerboard pattern of on/off cells. Particular advantages of Knowledge Matrix codes over conventional 1D barcodes include:
· Encode info digitally, versus the analog encoding of data in standard barcodes.
· Can accommodate low-distinction printing instantly on components without requiring a label
· Offer very high information density - the best amongst different widespread 2D codes, which suggests which you can place plenty of data in a very small area.
· They’re scaleable, which implies that you can print them and skim them in varied levels of magnification - solely restricted by the resolution of the out there printing and imaging techniques.
· Because of the high info density inherent to Data Matrix codes, additionally they offer built-in error-correction methods which allow absolutely recovering the message encoded in a Knowledge Matrix symbol even if the mark is broken and lacking as a lot as 20% of the symbol.
· They are learn by video cameras as opposed to a scanned laser beam used for reading standard barcodes, which implies that they can be read in any orientation.
ECC 200 Knowledge Matrix is the most popular 2-D symbology with extensive use in automotive, aerospace, electronics, semiconductor, medical units and other manufacturing unit-level traceability applications. Knowledge Matrix codes are usually not changing conventional linear barcodes, however are being used the place conventional barcodes had been too giant, didn’t present adequate storage capacity, or had been unreadable.
Data Matrix Code Structure
The 2D matrix codes appear as a “checkerboard” with the person squares (cells) in both on on (white) or off (black) state. The code consists of 4 distinct elements.
· The Finder “L” Pattern consists of a strong row of cells alongside the left edge and backside of the code that orients the reader to the layout of the 2D code.
· The Clock Observe is a sequence of on/off cells alongside the precise edge and top of the code that designates the row/column depend to the reader.
· The Knowledge Area is the sample of black and white cells throughout the L pattern and the clock tracks that comprise the alphanumeric content material of the code.
· The Quiet Zone across the code should be free of any features which may be visible to the reader. The quiet zone must be at least rows/columns broad for codes constructed of square cells. The quiet zone needs to be a minimum of four rows/columns broad for codes constructed of circular cells (dots).
ECC 200 Information Matrix codes can store as much as 3,116 numeric, 2,335 alphanumeric characters or 1,555 bytes of binary information in a one hundred forty four column by 144 row array. More reasonable symbol dimensions for printed circuit boards can still include a big quantity of information.
Laser Marking System
The laser marking system consists of the laser supply, the beam-shaping optics, and the beam-steering system.
The laser is a lightweight amplifier producing a vivid, collimated beam of sunshine at a selected wavelength. For FR4 and solder masks purposes, most customers select the air-cooled CO2 laser operating on the 10,640nm far-infrared wavelength. This laser offers several performance and value advantages, and produces glorious marking results.
The laser beam is projected by two beam-deflecting mirrors mounted to excessive-pace, high-accuracy galvanometers. As the mirrors are rotated below course of the system pc, the laser beam scans across the goal marking floor to “draw” the specified marking image.
After the laser beam is deflected from the beam-steering mirrors, it’s targeted to the smallest spot attainable by flat-field focusing optics. The flat-field focusing assembly is a multi-component optical machine designed to take care of the focal aircraft of the focused laser beam on a relatively flat airplane throughout the marking field. The focused laser mild significantly will increase the ability density and related marking power.
The function of the laser optical practice is to focus the laser beam to a small spot and to scan the laser beam over the target surface with excessive pace and accuracy. With the CO2 laser configuration, the focused spot diameter and associated marking line width is about 0.0035″ to 0.004″. Man-readable text characters will be as small as 0.040″ and 2D matrix codes will be constructed from particular person options as small as a single 0.004″ dot.
PCB Marking
To mark printed circuit boards, the heat generated by the laser beam thermally alters the floor of the board to create a contrasting, legible mark. The process doesn’t require labels, stencils, punches or some other auxiliary [hardware] or consumable.
For printed circuit board functions, several different variations of this method can be used for different board/coating materials and background conditions.
· Solder masks or different Conformal Coatings on FR4 Boards -
The laser beam can alter the feel of the coating, giving it a lighter contrasting look, or can fully take away the coating to expose the underlying substrate or copper floor plane.
· Uncoated FR4 -
The laser beam alters the feel of the surface of the FR4 producing a near white appearance.
· Silk-screened Ink Block -
For users who already silkscreen component identification or different fixed information on the boards, a silk-screened white ink block can perform as a background to the 2D matrix code to optimize readability. This method is particularly useful when…
o The background coloration of the board is just like the color of the laser mark.
o Underlying circuitry would obscure the marking image to code readers.
o The board materials just isn’t suitable for laser marking, similar to ceramic substrates.
2D Matrix Code Verification
Verification of the legibility and content of the 2D matrix codes is an important step within the overall quality program. After marking of every circuit, the reader verifies the integrity of the mark before indexing the laser marking head to the next marking location. The reader retrieves the alphanumeric text string from the 2D code and compares it with the text string that was to be marked.
The reader also evaluates the legibility of the code based mostly on a variety of parameters together with foreground/background contrast, geometric accuracy (skew, squareness, etc.) and the dimensional accuracy of each the marked and unmarked cells. The 2D matrix codes are then categorized as passed (green), warned (yellow) or failed (purple). For total manufacturing efficiency, the laser system could be programmed to confirm only a choose few 2D codes on a panel, then to robotically switch to verifying every code if the code legibility falls below a specified level.
Right this moment’s readers do a wonderful job reading decrease contrast 2D codes. If the laser marking system is put in on an meeting line with older 2D matrix readers downstream from the laser marker, the verification reader might be configured to judge the codes based mostly on the efficiency of the older downstream readers to guarantee constant performance all through the assembly process.
Marking Efficiency
The standard printed circuit board marker is a fully automated, SMEMA-compliant, by way of-conveyor laser marking system. The overall productivity of the laser marker is comprised of a number of steps that make up the marking cycle. The steps required to mark one multi-array panel are…
1. Transport and positioning of the panel within the marking area.
2. Fiducial location detection (optional)
3. Marking of the primary circuit within the array
4. Verification of the marked 2D matrix code (non-compulsory)
5. Motion of the laser marking head to the next circuit in the array.
6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the remaining circuits in the array.
7. Transport of the panel out of the laser marking system (synonymous with bringing the subsequent panel in)
Cost of Operation
Value of operation is much lower than $1.00 per hour. Typical utilities requirements are 110VAC, 1-section, 12A. A compressed air supply is required for the pneumatics. Complete utilities prices at most laser energy (the laser ought to really function at less then 80% rated power) are $0.12 per hour. The first consumable item is the CO2 laser tube that must be replaced each three to five years at a cost of sometimes $1,000.00 to $1,500.00. Assuming a forty-hour workweek and tube life of 3 years, the tube substitute value would equate to $0.18 per hour for a complete operating cost of $0.30 per hour beneath worst case conditions. Actual operating prices will probably be lower attributable to lower than most electrical utilization and longer tube life.
For typical pcb laser marking applications, the cost for marking is lower than $0.0003 per circuit.
Abstract
The electronics industry has been searching for a cost and technically effective technique of making use of machine-readable codes to printed circuit boards because the 1980’s. Early makes an attempt included laser marking linear barcodes on the board edge, a daunting problem for reader alignment, and marking linear barcodes next to circuit traces, also a problem for barcode readers. Barcode content was restricted to a couple characters resulting from restricted area and the barcodes character-per-inch capacity.
The event of the 2D matrix code combined with the resolution, permanence and speed of beam-steered laser marking expertise now provides producers a dependable, value-efficient, flexible and verifiable means to uniquely establish each product by way of manufacturing, distribution and after-sale.
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