Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1539509
SEPTEMBER 2025 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 17 measurement, may not be held down completely. This means the measurement is taken on a bent surface, while the subsequent drilling is performed with the panel pressed flat. The resulting misalign- ment can lead to significant registration errors. To overcome this fundamental flaw, Schmoll cre- ated and patented the "FlexTable." This innovative table applies a uniform vacuum across its entire area. This guarantees that the conditions during mea- surement and drilling are consistent, regardless of panel warpage. The FlexTable ensures that even warped panels are held perfectly flat during the entire X-ray process, assuring measurement accuracy and eliminating the root cause of X-Y misalignment. Drilling Machines During drilling, the panel must be held firmly against the table to prevent vibration and movement. Aside from pins or simple tape, a more stable solution is side-mushroom clamps that are adapted to the specific needs of the customer. With depth drilling applications for blind vias, a machine's ability to compensate for warpage is critical. By using an electrical contact to identify the exact surface of each hole, the machine cal- culates the required drilling depth from a dynamic rather than a static reference point. This function completely eliminates the Z-axis warpage effect, as the machine adjusts the drilling path for every hole, ensuring perfect depth accuracy regardless of panel unevenness. The most challenging application for warpage compensation is back-drilling, a multi-step process that requires extreme precision: 1. Drilling through-holes 2. Plating the hole barrel 3. Depth drilling the same hole with a larger diameter to remove unnecessary electrical connections and cut specific layers. The challenge lies in both X-Y and Z-axis positioning. F i g u re s 5 a n d 6 : C ro s s - s e ct i o n s d e m o n st rat i n g a s l i ve r d efe ct . ▼ F i g u re 7: S c h e m e d e m o n st rat i n g t h e re s u l t of b a c k- d r i l l i n g w i t h o u t a s l i ve r d efe ct ▼ F i g u re 8 : S c h e m e d e m o n st rat i n g t h e re s u l t of b a c k- d r i l l i n g w i t h a s l i ve r d efe ct . ▼ D R I V I N G I N N OVAT I O N