Credence Engineering Inc.
LTCC and HTCC
Process Equipment
BLOCK CUTTING
Our Cutter is fundamentally different from a typical capacitor cutter. A capacitor cutter utilize
two (2) cameras to correct the rotational position of each cut so as to align the cut with the
exposed metal on the edges of the laminated block. They can use this same method to cut
LTCC packages by placing the cameras to look vertically down onto the part and make
corrections based upon the position of special Fiducials on the top print. This means that as
the parts within the block move during lamination (and they will move in relation to each other by
as much as .1mm), capacitor cutters will rotate the block to compensate for the movement of
the Fiducials so each cut hits the Fiducials. This approach causes trapezoidal parts! This
method works on capacitors because capacitors are very small and a small rotational shift will
not have a big effect on any given part. This is not the case with large parts. A small rotational
movement of the cut to correct for lamination movement will, in effect, use up a large portion of
the overall product size tolerance. You will find yourself constantly losing parts because they do
not meet the overall part size specifications. The Credence C8 cutter utilizes a single camera
and has an additional axis (X-Axis) so that we use the same camera to view some or all of the
Fiducials. We do not make rotational corrections but X and Y Corrections to "Center" the
parallel pair of cuts to "Best Fit" the Fiducials and we "Hold" the overall part size. We will read
any number of the Fiducials within a row and then read any number of Fiducials within the
opposite side of the parts. We then keep the overall size of the part fixed and shift the “pair” of
cuts to "Best Fit" them to the parts within the block. This always produces square corners,
parallel parts, and minimizes the amount of the product tolerance that we use in the cutting
process. This method (proven by years of use at Medtronic) maximizes the yield for
package-type products.


Credence Engineering Incorporated, 237 W. La Vieve Ln., Tempe, Arizona, USA, Ph: USA-480-752-9776, E-Fax: USA-602-798-8277