{"id":1385,"date":"2022-02-11T09:47:57","date_gmt":"2022-02-11T09:47:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanta.com\/precision-manufacturing\/?post_type=novanta_tech_paper&#038;p=1385"},"modified":"2026-07-24T15:19:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T15:19:44","slug":"fast-and-accurate-laser-drilling-with-high-speed-digital-scan-head-and-smart-controlling-methods","status":"publish","type":"novanta_tech_paper","link":"https:\/\/novanta.com\/precision-manufacturing\/resources\/whitepapers\/fast-and-accurate-laser-drilling-with-high-speed-digital-scan-head-and-smart-controlling-methods\/","title":{"rendered":"Fast and Accurate Laser Drilling with High-Speed Digital Scan Head and Smart Controlling Methods"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-technical-paper-overview\">Technical Paper Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-fast-and-accurate-laser-via-drilling-with-smart-scan-head-control\"><strong>Fast and Accurate Laser Via-Drilling with Smart Scan Head Control<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Scan head response time, not laser power, decides via-drilling throughput.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Modern HDI PCBs and semiconductor package substrates demand 50-100 \u00b5m via holes drilled at 200-400 \u00b5m pitch with position accuracy of \u00b17-15 \u00b5m \u2014 and they demand them by the hundreds of thousands per board. At those volumes, every microsecond of scan-head step time and every microsecond of laser-firing delay compounds into hours or minutes per drilling job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This technical paper from six Novanta authors documents how the Cambridge Technology Lightning II Plus scan head + ScanMaster Controller drive via-drilling throughput on three axes: 225 \u00b5s step response (4400 pps at 300 \u00b5m pitch), two smart control algorithms (closed-loop and dynamic open-loop with auto-recalibrating look-up tables), and a laser-fire-adjust parameter that saves 8-10 seconds per 500,000-hole PCB.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-key-takeaways-include\">Key takeaways include:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Why via-drilling throughput compounds across step response, control algorithm, and laser timing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How the Lightning II Plus delivers 225 \u00b5s step response \u2014 4400 pps at 300 \u00b5m pitch<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When to choose closed-loop drilling control vs dynamic open-loop with auto-recalibrating look-up table<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What the &#8220;laser fire adjust time&#8221; parameter does \u2014 8-10 seconds saved per 500,000-hole PCB<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A practical dual-head configuration choice: beam-splitting vs beam-switching<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Download the full technical paper for the Lightning II Plus step-response measurements, the ScanMaster Controller closed-loop and open-loop algorithm details, and the laser-timing optimization framework that lets PCB and semiconductor-package drilling lines compound throughput gains across scan head, controller, and laser \u2014 before a competitor&#8217;s drilling machine outproduces yours.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Technical Paper Overview Fast and Accurate Laser Via-Drilling with Smart Scan Head Control Scan head response time, not laser power, decides via-drilling throughput. Modern HDI PCBs and semiconductor package substrates demand 50-100 \u00b5m via holes drilled at 200-400 \u00b5m pitch with position accuracy of \u00b17-15 \u00b5m \u2014 and they demand them by the hundreds of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":342,"featured_media":4429,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"card_thumbnail_id":0,"show_table_of_content":true},"class_list":["post-1385","novanta_tech_paper","type-novanta_tech_paper","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.1 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Fast, Accurate Laser Drilling for Hypo Tube | Novanta<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how high-speed digital scan heads enable fast, accurate laser cut hypo tube drilling alongside precision laser drilling and UDI marking needs.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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