PCB manufacturers and equipment builders need to separate individual boards from a panel cleanly, repeatedly and at production speed without damaging the board, components or solder joints. As PCB designs become thinner, denser, more highly populated, and more diverse in material, mechanical depaneling remains effective for many simple, cost-driven applications, but it can become limiting when mechanical stress, contamination, cutting width, or design flexibility matter. Laser depaneling has established itself as a precise, non-contact and low-stress alternative, particularly for high-density and miniaturized assemblies.
Luxinar offers a broad portfolio of CO₂, green and UV nanosecond and ultrashort-pulse laser sources for PCB depaneling. This allows equipment manufacturers to select the technology that best fits material, edge quality, thermal impact, throughput and cost requirements.
Short-pulse and ultrashort-pulse laser sources
The benefits of laser depaneling using short-pulse and ultrashort-pulse laser sources include:
- Clean edges with minimal heat impact
- High precision for miniaturized electronics
- Contact-free processing → no mechanical stress
- High flexibility → complex geometries and tight contours
- Competitive cutting speeds for cost-efficient manufacturing
After the Blizz 532-40-V became Luxinar’s established green-laser solution for proven production platforms, the company developed new high-performance laser platforms for next-generation PCB depaneling.
From its Pulsecore® series, Luxinar provides the Vivio 532-55-V, a 532 nm nanosecond laser source enabling high throughput for advanced PCB depaneling, balancing edge quality, productivity and cost. In FR4 application tests, the Vivio 532-55-V achieved nearly 2.5 times faster processing speeds compared to a conventional 40 W green nanosecond laser.
The Vivio 355-20-V 355 nm nanosecond laser source is the precision option for highly populated and quality-critical PCBs where edge quality and thermal control are key priorities, and the Aionis 1030 nm ultrashort-pulse laser source is ideal for advanced PCB designs requiring minimal thermal impact and even higher cutting speeds.
CO₂ laser sources
CO₂ lasers from the Duralife® OEM series offer a cost-efficient alternative for high-speed, high-throughput cutting of thicker FR4 PCBs where ultra-clean edges are less critical.
Christoph Wunderling, Luxinar’s Product Manager – Solid State Lasers, explained, “Luxinar has more than a decade of engineering experience and close collaboration with manufacturers across the electronics industry, having built a reputation for the supply of high-quality lasers for PCB depaneling applications. Our laser sources are used extensively for depaneling PCBs used in smart consumables and power electronics needing cost efficiency and miniaturization, in high-quality automotive and aircraft manufacturing for uncompromising reliability, and in next-generation medical devices needing accuracy and precision.”
Laser marking of PCBs
In addition to PCB depaneling, CO₂ and 355 nm nanosecond lasers from Luxinar can mark PCBs with data including alphanumeric text and Data Matrix codes with high precision and contrast. Laser marking is indelible and will not be erased during soldering or handling. Short-pulse lasers are particularly suitable for high-quality markings and very small features, while CO₂ lasers provide a robust and cost-effective solution for many materials.
As a global leader in laser technology, Luxinar provides application support, feasibility testing, and process optimization in its application labs worldwide, and can tune or customize laser specifications and testing to meet customer or process requirements where appropriate.
About Luxinar
Luxinar is a global leader in industrial laser technology, providing durable CO₂, short‑pulse, and ultrashort‑pulse laser sources trusted in production‑critical environments. With best‑in‑industry sealing technologies, long‑term beam stability, and proven reliability, our lasers deliver consistent performance with minimal drift and maximum uptime. We work side by side with OEMs, integrators, and system builders, offering deep application expertise and responsive support from evaluation to integration and beyond. Through a globally connected service and applications network, we stay close to our customers to ensure fast response, expert guidance, and long-term operational confidence. Our solutions enable cutting, marking, engraving, drilling, ablation, and microprocessing across industries including packaging, semiconductor, microelectronics, automotive, textiles, and more. At Luxinar, we build lasers that last – and enduring partnerships that drive your success.
