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May 2016 • The PCB Magazine 19 Figure 4: Web slitter. (Courtesy of Northfield Automation) such example, as shown in Figure 3, is the recently introduced pairing of the RollMaster thin material web han- dling system with the ESI 5335 flex PCB laser processing system. An Incremental Automation Step that Pays Big Efficiency Dividends Although the implementation of web handling automation is a great way to gain efficiencies in FPC man- ufacturing, it doesn't require drastic changes to one's processing technol- ogy roadmap. As an incremental tech- nology change to the process flow, most of the existing flow is main- tained, with the only change being the automation of the web handling component. It is also possible to in- crementally convert process steps to roll-to-roll processes using stand- alone web-to-panel process tools as the overall process flow is converted. The web-to-panel tool moves further down the process flow as the conver- sions are made downstream. Also, the use of wider web widths can still be maintained in the upstream processes for further production efficiency. In such cases, the wide web is slit into narrower widths using a web slitter, in order to support production webs in the downstream processes. In this sense, web handling automation can be seen as an incremental step, but a step that delivers major gains in efficiency and yield without adding significant systems management overhead. The resulting increase in total processing up time also helps maxi- mize investments in the laser processing tool. A strong case can be made for adding web handling automation, but it needs to be viewed in the context of the overall process flow. As part of a broader automation roadmap, the minimal disruption, ease of implementation and the re- sulting operating efficiencies gained through roll-to-roll automation make it worth consider- ing. The increase in capacity with less capital and labor expense not only benefits the bottom line, but also positions FPC manufacturers for long-term success. PCB Mark Wegner is president and co-founder of Northfield Automation Systems. Patrick Riechel is flex laser processing product manager with ESI. automate to innovate in flex proCessinG