RÖDERMARK, GERMANY – In the world of high-aspect-ratio drilling, we often face a physical wall: the length of the drill bit. In high-layer-count boards or specialized industrial applications, a standard bit may not be long enough to penetrate the entire stack without compromising stability or accuracy. To overcome this, Schmoll introduces the Flip Drilling process.
Breaking the Thickness Barrier
Flip Drilling is a sophisticated two-step technique designed for extreme board thicknesses. Instead of attempting a single pass, the machine drills halfway through from the primary side. The panel is then flipped, and the holes are completed from the secondary side.
Optical Alignment: The Key to a Perfect Match
The biggest challenge in Flip Drilling is the "meeting point" in the center of the board. Even a micron-level offset can result in a failed connection. To guarantee perfect registration, Schmoll machines utilize our advanced CCD Camera System.
The system scans the fiducials on the secondary side and automatically recalculates the drill path to account for any material shift or scaling that occurred during the flipping process. The result is a seamless, continuous hole through the entire stack.
Why Flip Drilling Matters
- Extreme Aspect Ratios: Achieve precision even when the board is 40 times thicker than the drill diameter.
- Preserved Bit Integrity: Reducing the drilling depth per side prevents tool deflection and overheating.
- Uncompromised Quality: For example as seen in our customer recent tests, a 0.15 mm hole can be successfully aligned through a 6.0 mm substrate, maintaining perfect wall quality for subsequent plating.
Whether it is for aerospace, power electronics, or high-end servers, Schmoll’s Flip Drilling ensures that your design isn't limited by the length of a tool, but only by the scope of your imagination.
