Depaneling PCBs is a critical step in surface mount technology assembly, especially when the boards are small, circular or require tight tolerances. Some electronic manufacturing services (EMS) companies have found a UV laser to be an effective tool for depaneling these types of boards.
Z-AXIS Inc. (ZAI), based in Phelps, NY, is one such company. Founded in 1989 to offer rugged video display monitors, ZAI diversified in the late 1990s into contract electronics design and manufacturing services. Today, the company offers analog, digital, mixed-signal, linear and power systems design, as well as high-end prototypes and design for manufacturing expertise.