Turnkey system rivals laser job-shop precision and versatility
May 30, 2007, San Diego, CA--Photon Machines has introduced the MicroMaster V5, a UV excimer-based micromachining system that brings rapid prototyping and pilot production in-house. Rivaling laser job-shop performance, the MicroMaster features patented ultra-short pulse length excimer-laser technology for cuts, holes and patterns with sub-micron precision, minimal debris and minimal HAZ (heat affected zone).
No specialized training is required; feature-rich hardware and intuitive, auto-processing software give unskilled operators the power to tackle challenging tasks with expert results. The MicroMaster is ideal for cutting, drilling and etching of polymers, glass, plastics, ceramics and thin metals, covering a wide variety of applications including catheter drilling, medical devices, apertures, MEMs, micro-fluidics, ultra-fine wire stripping and sensor processing.
"For rapid prototyping and pilot production, the MicroMaster represents a viable alternative to laser job shops," said John Roy, president of Photon Machines. "The cost of ownership is often less than a company spends on outsourcing in a single year. In many cases the ROI of a MicroMaster V5 is under 12 months and can save hundreds of thousands of dollars in the long term. Plus by bringing micromachining capability in house, a company can better protect its proprietary methods, run prototypes faster and with greater control."
The V5's unique 4- to 6-ns pulse length and 193-nm or 248-nm wavelength output deliver the best attributes of both solid-state and excimer-laser material processing. Additional features include 1-µm multi-axis workpiece positioning control with 200-mm square travel, variable apertures for hundreds of different cut shapes and sizes down to less than 5 µm, intuitive software user interface, real-time CCD viewing, debris-free gas nozzle, in-process beam quality monitor, vacuum chuck, CAD/CAM compatibility and more.
For more information, contact Photon Machines.