Long life pickup tools are required to reduce the cost of liquid crystal devices

Pickup tools for manufacturing liquid crystal devices are typically made of ceramics, which are insulators, as the elements may be destroyed if subjected to a build-up of static electricity. The tip of these liquid crystal device pickup tools are quickly worn as they pick up devices at a rate of one piece per second, requiring the tool to be replaced approximately every 2 weeks.

However, with the evolution of vehicles price competition for liquid crystal devices for vehicles began, creating a need for reduced manufacturing costs. For this reason a need for pickup tools with a longer life than conventional types arose in order to shorten tact time.

Successful development of a diamond pickup tool to replace ceramic types

As the need for pickup tools using materials with greater wear-resistance than ceramics for a longer service life, coupled with the ability to remain isolated from static electricity gained momentum, Tecdia presented a proposal for a diamond pickup tool. Tecdia’s expertise in diamond polishing enabled the diamonds a the heart of the tool to be polished, which is considered to be quite a difficult process, into a shape identical to that of conventional tweezers.

Moreover, the development of inexpensive diamond tweezers was a success also thanks to Tecdia’s proprietary diamond-to-metal bonding technology, enabling the only part of the tool that touches the liquid crystal device to be made of diamond.

3 times longer service life than conventional ceramic pickup tools was achieved and quickly adopted by major liquid crystal device manufacturers.

After the proposal, samples were provided with short lead times and an evaluation started immediately. The evaluation concluded 3 times longer service life than ceramic was realized, spurring major liquid crystal device manufacturers on to make use of the product.

Moreover, the integration production line of Tecdia’s factory means the metal machining, diamond processing and attachment could all be done in-house, enabling shorter lead times and lower manufacturing costs in production. In fact, around 30% savings compared to manufacturers in different other countries is readily achieved.