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Picosecond Laser Cutting Machine for PI Film Etching & FPC Cutting
As consumer electronics and 5G infrastructure evolve quickly, FPC flexible circuits, PI films and coverlay demand ever-tighter processing precision. Yet conventional methods are running out of headroom. Die cutting and mechanical panel separation are contact processes that commonly leave burrs, board deformation and gold-finger damage, while long-pulse lasers tend to carbonize and blacken the edge. In PI film etching-to-copper in particular, an imprecise cut can over-etch and damage the copper layer underneath — directly hurting yield and long-term reliability.
Why PI Film, FPC and Coverlay Are Difficult to Process
Thin, flexible, heat-sensitive. FPC flexible boards, PI film and coverlay are delicate by nature and react badly to mechanical or thermal stress.
Contact tooling damages the material. Die cutting and mechanical routing produce burrs, board stretching, micro-cracks and gold-finger chipping.
Long-pulse lasers overheat. Excess energy leaves carbonized, blackened edges instead of a clean profile.
Over-cutting ruins the copper. In PI film etching-to-copper, going too deep damages the underlying foil and drops yield.
These limits are exactly why a picosecond laser cutting machine built for low-carbon cold processing is becoming the preferred choice for high-precision flexible-electronics manufacturing.
The Solution: UV & Green Picosecond Laser Cutting
Beyond Laser introduces a UV/green picosecond laser cutting machine family engineered specifically for FPC and thin-film precision processing. The system pairs a UV or green picosecond laser with a pulse width of ≤15 ps, delivering low-carbon cold processing that removes material precisely without heating or damaging the substrate underneath.
Each configuration is built on a dual 650 × 550 mm working field with a marble high-precision linear-motor stage and a CCD vision positioning system (±5 μm), achieving a positioning accuracy of ±3 μm — equally suited to small-batch prototyping and high-volume production lines.
Figure 1. UV/green picosecond laser cutting machine for FPC and thin-film processing.
Three Configurations for Every Production Scale
Key Advantages of the Picosecond Laser Cutter
Low-carbon cold processing. With a ≤15 ps pulse width, the carbonization zone is minimal — almost invisible to the naked eye — leaving a smooth, clean processed surface.
High-efficiency picosecond processing. The repetition rate reaches the MHz range and the galvo reaches 3,000 mm/s — roughly 1.5–2× faster than nanosecond lasers.
High precision. Linear-motor repeatability of ±2 μm, positioning accuracy of ±3 μm and overall processing accuracy of ±25 μm (excluding incoming material expansion), with expansion compensation of ≤1‰ (0.1%) — built for high-end electronics.
High utilization. Non-stop processing and dual-platform parallel operation keep the machine cutting, not waiting.
Proven Results: PI Film Etching & FPC Cutting Samples
In real trial runs, the results speak for themselves. In PI film etching-to-copper, the picosecond laser removes the surface PI film precisely, leaving the underlying copper foil intact with clean, straight etching edges — meeting high-end precision requirements.
For FPC and copper-foil FPC cutting, the non-contact process applies no mechanical stress, so it avoids board stretching, deformation and micro-cracks. Contours stay regular, edges remain low-carbon and gold fingers stay free of chipping. Compared with conventional contact processing, the machine delivers both accuracy and higher yield, and it reduces downstream grinding and finishing steps.
Figure 2. Microscope quality inspection of a PI film etching-to-copper sample.
What Materials Can the Machine Process?
Beyond PI film and FPC, this picosecond laser cutting machine handles a broad range of flexible-electronics materials:
FPC adhesive-backed flexible board
Copper-foil FPC
Multilayer board & strip board
Rigid-flex board
Coverlay (CVL) & PI film
Figure 3. A selection of FPC and flexible-circuit samples cut on the machine.
Why switch now? As FPC and film coils are held to increasingly strict process standards, die cutting, mechanical panel separation and nanosecond laser processing no longer measure up. Chaoyue Laser's UV/green picosecond laser cutting machine solves the deformation, burr, high-carbonization and over-cutting problems that hold back conventional methods — without adding post-processing.
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What are the precautions for operating a laser marking machine?
1. It is strictly prohibited to start the laser power supply and Q-switching power supply when there is no water or the water circulation is abnormal.
2. The Q power supply is not allowed to operate without load (i.e., the output terminal of the Q power supply should be left floating).
3. In case of any abnormal phenomenon, first turn off the galvanometer switch and the key switch, and then conduct a check.
4. It is not allowed to start other components before the krypton lamp is lit to prevent high voltage from entering and damaging the components.
5. Pay attention to leaving the output terminal (anode) of the laser power supply suspended to prevent sparking and breakdown with other electrical appliances.
6. Keep the internal circulating water clean. Regularly clean the water tank and replace it with clean deionized water or pure water.
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What should we do when laser intensity decreases and the marking is not clear enough?
1. Turn off the machine and check if the laser resonant cavity has changed; Fine-tune the resonant cavity lens. Make the output light spot the best;
2. The acousto-optic crystal is offset or the output energy of the acousto-optic power supply is too low;
Adjust the position of the audio-visual crystal or increase the working current of the audio-visual power supply;
3. The laser entering the galvanometer deviates from the center: Adjust the laser;
4. If the current is adjusted to around 20A but the light sensitivity is still insufficient: the krypton lamp is aging. Replace it with a new one.
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How to maintain a UV laser cutting machine?
1. It is required to carry out regular cleaning every day, remove debris from the countertop, limiters and guide rails, and spray lubricating oil on the guide rails
2. The waste materials in the collection box should be cleared regularly to prevent excessive waste from blocking the exhaust port.
3. Clean the chiller once every 15 days, drain all the internal water, and then fill it with fresh pure water.
4. The reflector and focusing lens should be wiped with a special cleaning solution every 6 to 8 hours.
When wiping, use a cotton swab or cotton swab dipped in the cleaning solution to wipe from the center to the edge of the focusing lens in a counterclockwise direction.
At the same time, be careful not to scratch the lens.
5. The indoor environment can affect the lifespan of the machine, especially in damp and dusty conditions.
A damp environment is prone to causing rust on the reflective lenses and also easily leading to short circuits, discharge and sparking of the velvet laser.
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What accidents might be caused by the laser emission when using a laser cutting machine?
(1) A fire was caused by the laser coming into contact with flammable materials.
Everyone knows that the power of laser generators is very high, especially when it comes to high-power laser cutting machines, the temperature of the emitted laser is extremely high. The possibility of a fire being caused when a laser beam comes into contact with flammable objects is very high.
(2) Harmful gases may be produced when the machine is in operation.
For instance, when cutting with oxygen, it undergoes a chemical reaction with the cutting material, generating unknown chemical substances or fine particles and other impurities. After being absorbed by the human body, it may cause allergic reactions or discomfort in the lungs and other respiratory tracts. Protective measures should be taken when conducting work.
(3) Direct laser exposure to the human body can be harmful.
The damage caused by lasers to the human body mainly includes damage to the eyes and skin. Among the harms caused by lasers, the damage to the eyes is the most severe. Moreover, damage to the eyes is permanent. So when doing homework, you must pay attention to protecting your eyes.
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What is the focused spot diameter of nanosecond, picosecond and femtosecond laser?
Nanosecond: The light spot is 0.5-1mm.
Picosecond: The focused spot is around 0.02mm.
Femtosecond: Under the action of a laser beam with a high repetition rate of 100-200KHz and a very short pulse width of 10ps,
the focused spot diameter is as small as 0.003mm.
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What are the main applications of UV laser cutting machine?
The UV laser cutting machine can be used for cutting and depaneling PCB.
It can precisely cut and shape various types of PCB circuit boards with V-CUT and stamp holes, and open Windows and covers.
It can also be used for separating packaged circuit boards and ordinary smooth boards.
It is suitable for cutting various types of PCB substrates, such as ceramic substrates, rigid-flex boards, FR4, PCBs, FPCs, fingerprint recognition modules, cover films, composite materials, copper substrates, aluminum substrates, etc.
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Precautions for laser cutting machines to process various metal materials?
Copper and brass:
Both materials have high reflectivity and excellent thermal conductivity.
Brass with a thickness of less than 1mm can be processed by nitrogen laser cutting.
Copper with a thickness of less than 2mm can be cut. The gas used for laser cutting processing must be oxygen.
Copper and brass can only be cut when a "reflective absorption" device is installed on the system. Otherwise, reflection will damage the optical components.
Synthetic materials:
Processable synthetic materials include: thermoplastics, thermosetting materials and artificial rubber.
Aluminum:
Despite its high reflectivity and thermal conductivity, aluminum materials with a thickness of less than 6mm can be cut, depending on the type of alloy and the capacity of the laser.
When cutting with oxygen, the cutting surface is rough and hard.
When nitrogen is used, the cutting surface is smooth.
Pure aluminum is extremely difficult to cut due to its high purity.
Only when a "reflection and absorption" device is installed on the fiber laser cutting machine system can aluminum materials be cut.
Otherwise, reflection will damage the optical components
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What should be paid attention to when laser cutting stainless steel?
Laser cutting processing of stainless steel requires the use of oxygen, under the condition that edge oxidation is not a concern.
If nitrogen is used to achieve an edge free of oxidation and burrs, no further processing is required.
Coating an oil film on the surface of the sheet will achieve a better perforation effect without reducing the processing quality.