Development of micro-piercing system with punch-damage monitoring function

This report discusses the results of a study on a new system which meets today’s requirements. In particular, the aim was to construct a system which can pierce small holes in green sheets and other thin foil for IC Industry and detect abnormalities like punch damage and clogging by scrap. A piezoelectric element and magnifying mechanism to enlarge its displacement were used for the drive to achieve high-speed piercing and controllability. The piercing unit is composed of piezoelectric elements and magnification mechanism to configure an electrical–mechanical system. The behaviour of the punch tip represents the changes in the electrical system. This suggests that by observing the driving current and voltage waveform of the piezoelectric element, it is possible to detect abnormalities during piercing. These results indicate the successful development of the aimed micro-piercing system with punch-damage detection function.