Becker&Mueller invests in innovative process optimisation
Etching is one of the most important process steps in the production of printed circuit boards – and also one of the most demanding. By investing in a new etching system, Becker&Mueller is paving the way for even more precise and efficient PCB production. The new PCB processing line was developed in close cooperation with the chemical industry and a specialised machine manufacturer and combines greater process reliability with increased user-friendliness and sustainability.
“The new etching line represents a big step into the future of our production,” explains Managing Director Janik Becker. “Our focus as a manufacturer of sophisticated circuit boards in the area of samples and prototypes requires that we are always at the forefront in terms of quality and accuracy – even with very small batch sizes, different layer thicknesses and layouts. The new PCB processing line is a decisive factor in this.”
The so-called SES system (Strip-Etch-Strip) consists of three main modules. The process steps of photoresist stripping, etching of the copper lamination and tin stripping are carried out over a length of 15 meters – and all of this under multiple automated monitoring and cleaning. With numerous technological innovations and improvements, the etching line now offers several advantages in PCB manufacturing.
The new etching line – advantages on many levels
“First of all, the new system has been extended by an entire chambre lenght “, Janik Becker explains. “This alone ensures an increase in volume and process reliability.” This extension in combination with the increase in throughput speed and allows the capacity of the system to be expanded up to 36 m² per hour. So there is still enough room for the prototype manufacturer to be able to further increase their own productivity in the future. Another plus for use in the area of PCB prototyping is the sophisticated transport system, which enables the processing of panel thicknesses between 50 and 6,000 µm.
A new filter syystem is used for the photoresist stripping: With a cyclone filter instead of the old belt filter system, not only the service life of the chemicals can be extended, but also less chemicals are used overall, which also benefits the environment. The automation in the Sn-Strip module also takes this factor into account: A continious monitoring and precise dosage always keeps the level of the chemicals at the necessary concentration, so that chemicals are never wasted. The water portion is also supplied with already contaminated water from the subsequent chamber, so there is no need to use new fresh water – here too, sustainability becomes an active component of the process.
A special noozle arrangement was chosen in the post-strip module, which allows significantly higher preasures of up to 6 bar: “Especially with very complex PCB, we can achieve a clear gain in precision, quality and cleanliness“, the Becker&Mueller-CEO tells happily.
Maximum cleaniness and therefore product quality is also achieved in all three system areas though a newly optimized flushing system . Becker&Mueller goes beyond the legally required triple use of water, as the managing director of the PCB specialist explains: “The system flushes in four casdades, one more than required. This allows us to reduce the amount of rinsing water by upt to 50%, although we sometimes also use rainwater.”
High level of automation
The actual etching module offers a significantly higher level of automation and efficiency compared to the previeous system. It allows copper thicknesses of 9 – 200 µm to be etched in one pass. This is made possible above all by the consistent monitoring of the density and pH value of the media used: 16 pipes, each with its own flow meter and check of the nozzles. There is also a new patented vacuum etching system that reduces the previous differences in etching results between the top and bottom sides of the processed PCB to a minimum: “Since etching is carried out horizontally in the line, the etching medium would accumulate on the top side, the spray jet no longer hits the surface at full power. On the bottom side, the medium drains immediately due to gravity; an identical result would not be possible in a conventional manner. The solution is a vacuum, which is generated using a Venturi principe and sucks out the medium on top of the PCB. This ensures that the spray jet hits the PCB surface directly. Overall, the automation and technological innovations in this demanding area result in a significant increase in terms of quality and process reliability, but also in comfort for the employees”, explains Janik Becker enthusiastically.
The new PCB etching system: A common process
The new system for etching PCB is the result of long considerations by those responsible at Becker&Mueller and their R&D department, as Janik Becker shows: “The old system was no longer entirely suiting for us, not only technological but also in terms of its size.” In close cooperation with the chemical industriy as well as the specialized mechanical engineering company for wet chemical process chain of circuit board production, a new etching line was developed, which sets scales across Europe in the production of PCB prototypes, samples and other special printed circuit boards.
The construction of the etching system for Becker&Mueller was also demanding and exciting for the machine manufacturer Pill GmbH, based in Auenwald in southern Germany. The company has long specialized in the development of production systems for printed circuitboards, but there was a lot of new territory in this project – especially in terms of automated monitoring and the safe and efficient management of sensitive media. It was all the more important to incorporate experiance and practical feedback into the development in a closely coordinated process. With Becker&Mueller the ideal partner stand beside.
Quality, process reliability, comfort and sustainability
In addition to numerous technological optimizations, the new processing line not only offers increased user-friendliness for employees, but also particular attention has been paid to environmental protection. “Such positive sustainability aspects are of utmost importance, especially for us as a regionally rooted family business”, says Becker. The new system has been in operation since mid-2023 and fully fulfills the desired function: “Construction and setup was demanding, but it was worth it: We can now offer our customers even better quality and process reliability and thus further underpin Becker&Mueller’s reputation as a reliable and high-performance manufacturer of sophisticated circuit boards.”