[Introduction]
Today, I am honored to discuss with you the core topic of "the application of lasers in high-speed backplane connectors." In this digital age, characterized by the explosion of AI large models, continuous iteration of cloud computing, and the comprehensive penetration of 5G technology, data transmission is breaking through to 448Gb/s-PAM4 and even higher standards. High-speed backplane connectors, as the "nerve center" of core equipment such as data centers and high-end servers, have their performance directly determining the stability and efficiency of the entire system. Traditional manufacturing processes are increasingly inadequate in meeting the demands for miniaturization, high density, and low loss of connectors. The precise empowerment of laser technology has become a key engine for solving industry pain points. In this wave, Fly Laser, with over a decade of dedicated effort, has established itself as a leading player in the domestic laser industry, injecting strong momentum into the high-speed backplane connector industry with cutting-edge technology. Next, I will comprehensively analyze how lasers empower the upgrading of the high-speed backplane connector industry from five dimensions: industry needs, advantages of laser technology, Fly laser's core capabilities, practical cases, and future prospects.
[Current Status and Manufacturing Pain Points of the High-Speed Backplane Connector Industry]
First, let's focus on the industry itself and examine the core challenges currently facing the high-speed backplane connector industry. With the booming development of the digital economy, the demand for computing power in data centers is growing exponentially. This has directly driven the technological upgrading of high-speed backplane connectors—from the early 100Gb/s to the current 448Gb/s, and to the future 800Gb/s. The increase in transmission speed places extreme demands on the structural design, material selection, and manufacturing processes of connectors.
From an application perspective, high-speed backplane connectors are widely used in core areas such as high-end servers, data center switches, storage devices, and industrial control equipment. Taking data centers as an example, a high-end server usually requires dozens or even hundreds of high-speed backplane connectors. The stability of these connections directly affects the efficiency and security of data transmission. A connection failure can lead to a partial shutdown of the entire data center, causing huge economic losses. Therefore, the industry demands "zero tolerance" reliability and stability from high-speed backplane connectors.
The core manufacturing pain points in the current industry mainly focus on three aspects: first, material processing difficulties. The core components of high-speed backplane connectors often utilize high-quality conductive materials such as copper alloys. However, copper has an absorption rate of less than 5% for traditional infrared lasers, leading to defects such as shallow weld pools, severe spatter, thermal cracks, and hydrogen pores during welding, directly threatening connection reliability. Secondly, there are challenges in precision control. As connectors shrink in size and pin density increases, the requirements for processing accuracy and control of the heat-affected zone reach micron-level standards, which traditional welding and drilling processes simply cannot meet. Thirdly, there are challenges in flexible manufacturing. Different application scenarios have vastly different requirements for connector models and specifications. Traditional production lines have low efficiency and high costs for model changes, making it difficult to adapt to multi-variety, high-volume production needs.
These pain points not only restrict the upgrading pace of the high-speed backplane connector industry but also become major obstacles for domestic enterprises to break through foreign technological blockades and seize the high-end market. The emergence of laser technology, with its unique technical advantages, provides the optimal solution to these pain points.
[Core Advantages and Performance Analysis of Laser Technology in High-Speed Backplane Connector Applications]
Next, we will focus on why laser technology can become a "game-changer" in the manufacturing of high-speed backplane connectors, and where its core advantages and key performance lie. Compared with traditional manufacturing processes, laser processing technology has four core advantages: non-contact processing, high-precision control, low heat-affected zone, and high-efficiency production. These four advantages perfectly match the manufacturing needs of high-speed backplane connectors.
First, let's look at the advantage of non-contact processing. Traditional welding processes require direct contact with the workpiece, which can easily cause deformation and scratches, especially for miniaturized and precision high-speed backplane connectors. This contact-based processing carries a very high risk of damage. Laser processing transmits energy through a light beam without contact with the workpiece, effectively avoiding mechanical damage to the substrate and reducing contamination during the processing, thus improving product cleanliness. This advantage is particularly important in the precision welding of copper alloy connectors, maximizing the structural integrity of key components such as pins and terminals.
Secondly, there is the advantage of high-precision control. The laser beam can be focused to a micron-level spot, and the processing accuracy can reach ±0.001mm, far exceeding the precision level of traditional processes. For critical processes in high-speed backplane connectors, such as micro-hole machining and narrow-pitch pin soldering, laser technology enables precise positioning and processing. For example, for the 50-micron micro-hole machining required for high-order HDI boards, traditional drilling processes cannot guarantee the smoothness of the hole wall and the consistency of the hole diameter. However, laser drilling can achieve a hole wall roughness of Ra ≤ 0.8 μm and a hole diameter tolerance within ±2 μm, fully meeting the design requirements of high-density connectors. Simultaneously, coupled with a high-precision vision positioning system, laser processing can achieve full-process closed-loop control, including automatic capture and correction before welding, real-time monitoring during welding, and precise inspection after welding, further improving processing accuracy and consistency.
Third, the advantage of a low heat-affected zone. The base materials of high-speed backplane connectors are mostly metals with good thermal conductivity, such as copper and aluminum. Traditional processing techniques generate a large amount of heat, leading to thermal deformation and damage to the workpiece, affecting product performance. Laser processing concentrates energy, and the heat-affected zone can be controlled within 0.3 millimeters, or even smaller, effectively reducing the impact of heat on surrounding materials and avoiding problems such as thermal cracks and material performance degradation. Taking copper-aluminum dissimilar metal welding as an example, traditional processes are prone to brittle phases, resulting in low joint strength, while laser welding can precisely control the temperature and range of the molten pool, achieving a joint strength of more than 85% of the base material itself, ensuring connection reliability.
Fourth, the advantage of high-efficiency production. Laser processing is fast and can be integrated into automated systems, significantly improving production efficiency. For example, the speed of laser welding is 3-5 times that of traditional argon arc welding, and the speed of laser drilling is more than 10 times that of traditional mechanical drilling. At the same time, the laser processing system can be seamlessly integrated with automated production lines and MES production management systems, enabling flexible production of multiple varieties and high volumes. Changeover time can be shortened to within 5 minutes, far less than the changeover time of traditional production lines, effectively reducing enterprise production costs and improving market response speed. In addition to these four core advantages, the key performance of laser technology in high-speed backplane connector applications is also reflected in the following aspects: First, high welding yield, achieving a stable yield of over 99.5%, far exceeding the approximately 85% of traditional processes; second, excellent conductivity, the contact resistance of laser-welded joints can be controlled at the micro-ohm level, effectively reducing signal transmission loss and meeting high-speed transmission requirements; third, strong processing compatibility, enabling the processing of various metal materials such as copper, aluminum, and stainless steel, as well as dissimilar metals, meeting the material design requirements of different connectors; fourth, good environmental adaptability, laser processing is not affected by environmental temperature, humidity, and other factors, and can operate stably in harsh industrial environments, ensuring production continuity.
It is important to emphasize that the advantages of laser technology in high-speed backplane connector applications do not come out of thin air, but are based on collaborative innovation in multiple fields such as laser source technology, optical system technology, and control system technology. Only by mastering core technologies can these advantages be fully utilized, and Fly Laser has been deeply involved in these core technology fields for many years, thus achieving precise control over laser processing performance.
[Specialized Application Analysis of Laser Welding in High-Speed Backplane Connector Manufacturing]
Among the many applications of laser technology, laser welding is a core process supporting the performance of high-speed backplane connectors. The connection quality of key parts such as contact pins, tail attachments, and dissimilar metal joints of high-speed backplane connectors directly determines the stability of signal transmission, and laser welding, with its precise energy control capabilities, has become the optimal solution for these core processes. Next, we will focus on analyzing the specific application scenarios, process key points, and technical adaptation logic of laser welding in high-speed backplane connector manufacturing. First, we clarify the core application scenarios of laser welding in high-speed backplane connectors, mainly covering three key areas: First, contact welding, which is the connection of the pin and socket conductive units of the connector. This is a core link in ensuring signal transmission, commonly using copper alloy materials. Welding needs to consider both conductivity and connection strength; second, tail attachment welding, which is the connection between the connector and the cable or PCB board transition area, such as the welding of cable crimp terminals and contact pins. This requires ensuring the sealing and vibration resistance of the connection; third, dissimilar metal joint welding, such as copper-aluminum and copper-steel connections in high-end connectors, used to balance conductivity and cost control. This is also one of the most challenging scenarios for traditional welding.
For different application scenarios, the selection of laser welding processes and parameter adaptation follows a strict logic. In terms of welding modes, we mainly use two core modes: For thin plates of 0.1-1mm, such as precision contact parts, we use pulsed laser welding. This mode provides precise and controllable energy output, with low heat input, effectively avoiding workpiece deformation. The weld width can be controlled within the range of 0.01-0.1mm, perfectly matching the precision connection requirements of small parts; for thick plates of 3-5mm, such as the connection of the connector base and housing, we use continuous laser deep penetration welding. Through the "keyhole effect," high aspect ratio welds are achieved, with an aspect ratio of up to 10:1, ensuring connection strength while reducing material consumption.
During the process implementation, three core points directly determine the welding quality. The first is pre-welding preparation. The welding of high-speed backplane connectors requires extremely high cleanliness of the workpiece. Oil stains, oxide scale, and other impurities on the surface of the copper alloy must be thoroughly removed, otherwise, it will lead to defects such as pores and inclusions in the weld; at the same time, special fixtures must be used to achieve micron-level positioning, ensuring that the joint gap is controlled within 0.1mm. This is the basis for ensuring uniform weld formation. Secondly, protective gas adaptation is crucial. When welding easily oxidized materials such as copper alloys and aluminum alloys, argon or helium should be used as the shielding gas, with a flow rate controlled at 8-15 L/min. The distance between the nozzle and the workpiece should be maintained at 3-5 mm. This prevents oxidation of the molten pool and stabilizes the plasma, avoiding absorption and scattering of laser energy by the plasma. Thirdly, real-time process monitoring is essential. A CCD vision system and a plasma monitoring module work in conjunction to capture real-time changes in the molten pool morphology. When the molten pool fluctuation exceeds ±0.1 mm, the system automatically adjusts the power or welding speed to ensure consistent weld quality.
From a technical adaptation perspective, laser welding requires precise matching of the connector's material characteristics and structural requirements. For highly reflective and highly conductive copper alloy materials, traditional infrared laser welding has an absorption rate of less than 5%, leading to problems such as severe spatter and unstable penetration depth. Fly Laser, through customized blue laser source technology, has increased the absorption rate of copper to over 80%, and combined with high peak power (>5kW) and short pulse width (within 3ms) parameters, it has overcome the welding bottleneck of highly reflective materials. Taking the precision contact welding of Dingtong Technology as an example, we set a parameter combination of 500-800W power and 350Hz frequency, achieving a stable yield of over 99.5%, with contact resistance controlled at the micro-ohm level, fully meeting the high-speed transmission requirements of 448Gb/s.
For the challenging scenario of dissimilar metal welding, Fly Laser achieves reliable connections through optimized energy control algorithms and focus offset technology. Taking copper-aluminum joint welding as an example, we offset the focus by 0.3 mm towards the copper side to ensure sufficient melting of the highly conductive copper material, while reducing the power by 15% compared to welding similar metals to prevent burn-through of the low-melting-point aluminum. Combined with a trapezoidal pulse waveform, this achieves a gradual increase and decrease in energy, reducing the formation of brittle phases at the interface, resulting in a joint strength of over 85% of the base material. This technical solution has been successfully applied to Amphenol's high-end connector production line, solving their core pain point in dissimilar metal connections.
It is worth noting that the application of laser welding in high-speed backplane connector manufacturing is not simply a matter of adapting a single piece of equipment, but rather a full-process collaboration of "equipment-process-detection". Fly Laser's solution achieves full closed-loop control from pre-welding preparation and welding implementation to post-welding inspection through the deep integration of customized laser sources, independently developed visual positioning systems, and real-time monitoring modules. This is our core competitive advantage in consistently serving leading connector companies. The following two typical cases, based on actual production scenarios, more intuitively demonstrate the application value of our laser welding machines:
The first case involves high-precision welding for high-end server backplane connectors, serving Dingtong Technology, a leading domestic enterprise. Dingtong Technology's core products are used in large data centers and require adaptation to 448Gb/s high-speed transmission. Their copper alloy contact welding faced challenges such as low absorption rate, severe splashing, and difficulty in controlling contact resistance. We provided them with a customized blue laser welding machine, equipped with a ±0.001mm precision visual positioning system. Through precise parameter matching of 500-800W power and 350Hz frequency, we achieved precise welding of the contact components. In actual production, the welding yield rate remained stable at over 99.5%, and the contact resistance of the solder joints was controlled at the micro-ohm level, fully meeting the signal integrity requirements for high-speed transmission. This also reduced the defect rate of narrow-pitch components by 80%, helping them quickly seize market opportunities for their high-end products.
The second case involves the flexible manufacturing scenario of dissimilar metals for Amphenol, a global leading connector manufacturer. Amphenol needed to achieve reliable welding of copper-aluminum dissimilar metal joints while meeting the requirements of rapid changeover for multiple varieties and large batches. We deployed a blue-infrared composite laser welding machine, using a synergistic mode of outer ring blue light preheating and inner ring infrared deep penetration, combined with optimized trapezoidal pulse waveforms and focus offset technology. This resulted in copper-aluminum joint strength exceeding 85% of the base material itself, with the heat-affected zone strictly controlled within 0.3 millimeters. Simultaneously, coupled with an automated integrated production line, the changeover time for different connector models was reduced to less than 5 minutes, and production efficiency increased by more than 40%, perfectly matching their flexible manufacturing needs.
These two cases cover two core scenarios: high-precision single-variety production and multi-variety flexible production, demonstrating the adaptability and reliability of customized laser welding machines and full-process collaborative solutions in high-speed backplane connector production. They also provide a valuable application paradigm for similar needs in the industry. [Fly Laser – Over a Decade of Dedication to the Industry, Forging a Leading Position in the Domestic Laser Market]
Combining the specialized laser welding applications discussed earlier, it's easy to understand that achieving such precise process adaptation requires profound technical accumulation and industry insight. Since its establishment in Dongguan in 2008, Fly Laser has been committed to "laser technology innovation," consistently focusing on the field of precision laser processing. Especially in the high-speed backplane connector laser welding sector, we have dedicated ourselves for over a decade, achieving leapfrog development from early basic equipment research and development to becoming a full-process solution provider.
After analyzing the advantages of laser technology, let's look at why Fly Laser has become a leader in this field. Since its establishment in Dongguan in 2008, Fly Laser has been committed to "laser technology innovation," consistently focusing on the field of precision laser processing, especially in the high-speed backplane connector laser application sector. We have dedicated ourselves for over a decade, achieving leapfrog development from early basic equipment research and development to becoming a full-process solution provider.
Firstly, from a development perspective, Fly Laser's growth trajectory has always been in sync with industry development. In 2008, at the initial stage of the company's establishment
Focusing on the research and development and production of basic equipment for laser marking, welding, and other applications, we have accumulated rich core technologies in laser processing. In 2015, with the rise of the high-speed backplane connector industry, we keenly perceived the industry's needs and established a dedicated R&D team, focusing on the application of laser technology in the processing of high-speed backplane connectors. In 2020, the company completed its brand upgrade, officially changing its name from "Dongguan Fly Laser Technology Co., Ltd." to "Guangdong Fly Laser Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd.", marking a new stage of large-scale and intelligent development for the enterprise. Today, we have built a modern production base of nearly 10,000 square meters and possess a core R&D team composed of doctors and senior engineers. We have established a global marketing and service network covering core regions in East China, Central China, North China, and Southwest China, as well as more than 30 countries and regions including Brazil, India, and Thailand, achieving a leap from a regional enterprise to a global laser equipment service provider.
Secondly, in terms of core technology research and development, Fly Laser has always adhered to independent innovation and mastered a series of key core technologies with independent intellectual property rights. Addressing the core pain point in high-speed backplane connector processing—the low laser absorption rate of copper materials—we have iteratively developed customized blue laser source technology, significantly increasing the copper absorption rate from less than 5% to over 80%, effectively reducing the risk of laser reflection, minimizing splashing and porosity defects, and significantly enhancing the stability of welding penetration depth. In terms of control systems, we have independently developed a high-precision visual positioning system with a positioning accuracy of ±0.001mm, enabling precise capture and processing of micro-components. At the same time, we have optimized the laser energy control algorithm, achieving precise laser energy output with energy stability controlled within ±1%, ensuring the consistency of processing quality. To date, Fly Laser has obtained multiple national invention patents and utility model patents, participated in the formulation of several industry standards, and its technical strength has been widely recognized by the industry.
Thirdly, in terms of products and solutions, Fly Laser has built a product system covering all processes of high-speed backplane connector laser drilling, laser welding, and laser marking, and can provide customized integrated solutions according to different customer needs. Our core products include: high-precision laser drilling equipment, high-stability laser welding systems, and intelligent laser marking equipment. These products not only boast excellent performance but also seamlessly integrate with automated production lines, enabling fully automated production from raw material processing to finished product inspection, significantly improving production efficiency and reducing production costs for customers.
Fourth, in terms of service and support, Fly Laser adheres to the philosophy of "customer first," establishing a comprehensive full-lifecycle service system covering pre-sales, sales, and after-sales. Before sales, we arrange professional technical teams to visit customer production sites to understand their needs and provide precise solution designs; during sales, we provide one-stop services including equipment installation, debugging, and operator training to ensure rapid equipment commissioning; after sales, we have established a 24-hour rapid response mechanism and set up service points in multiple regions across the country to provide timely equipment maintenance and technical support services to ensure the continuity of customer production.
It is precisely because of its profound technological accumulation, high-quality product solutions, and comprehensive service guarantees that Fly Laser has won high recognition from many leading connector companies, becoming a leading enterprise in the field of laser processing for high-speed backplane connectors in China.
[Practical Case Analysis – Fly Laser Empowers Leading Enterprises to Upgrade]
Next, we will look at two practical cases to see how Fly Laser's solutions help customers solve practical problems and achieve industrial upgrading.
The first case is Dingtong Technology, a well-known enterprise in the field of high-end server backplane connectors in China. Its products are mainly used in large data centers, requiring extremely high processing precision and transmission performance. For Dingtong Technology's high-precision processing needs in the field of high-end server backplane connectors, Fly Laser has tailored an integrated solution combining laser welding and precision drilling. This solution is equipped with our customized blue laser source, which perfectly solves the pain points of low absorption rate and severe splashing during the welding of copper alloy connector substrates, achieving a welding yield of over 99.5%, and controlling the contact resistance of solder joints to the micro-ohm level, fully meeting the performance requirements of its 448Gb/s high-speed transmission products; at the same time, the supporting high-precision laser drilling equipment can accurately process micro-holes with a diameter of 50 microns, improving the smoothness of the hole wall by 30% compared to traditional processes, effectively solving the processing difficulties of narrow-edge components. By adopting our solution, Dingtong Technology's high-end product production efficiency increased by more than 50%, and the product qualification rate was significantly improved, successfully seizing the opportunity in the high-end market. The second case involves Amphenol, a leading global connector manufacturer with a wide range of products and large-scale production, requiring highly flexible manufacturing capabilities. To address Amphenol's need for flexible production of multiple product types in large volumes, Fly Laser provided an automated laser processing production line with rapidly switchable parameters. This production line integrates our independently developed intelligent vision positioning system and MES production management system, enabling rapid changeover between different types of backplane connectors. Changeover time is reduced to less than 5 minutes, and production efficiency is increased by more than 40%. Furthermore, addressing the technical challenge of joining dissimilar metals, we optimized the laser energy control algorithm, achieving reliable welding of copper-aluminum joints. The joint strength reaches 85% of the base material's strength, and the heat-affected zone is controlled to within 0.3 millimeters, ensuring the long-term stable operation of the connectors. After the production line was put into operation, Amphenol's production costs decreased by more than 20%, and market response speed significantly improved, further consolidating its global market position.
These two cases are just a glimpse of the many customers Fly Laser serves. For many years, we have consistently adhered to a customer-oriented approach, helping clients solve practical production problems and achieve industrial upgrading through customized solutions.
【Future Outlook and Win-Win Cooperation】
The wave of the digital economy is surging forward, and the demand for high-speed interconnection is endless. In the future, with the popularization of 800Gb/s and even higher-speed transmission technologies, high-speed backplane connectors will develop towards smaller size and higher density. This places higher demands on the precision, speed, and material adaptability of laser welding – such as nano-level energy control and more efficient dissimilar metal welding solutions. Fly Laser will continue to lead the industry, deeply cultivating technology and innovating breakthroughs, continuously increasing R&D investment, and focusing on innovation in core areas such as laser source technology, intelligent control technology, and automation integration technology, constantly launching laser welding solutions that better meet industry needs.
The wave of the digital economy is surging forward, and the demand for high-speed interconnection is endless. In the future, with the popularization of 800Gb/s and even higher-speed transmission technologies, the high-speed backplane connector industry will usher in a new wave of upgrades, and the requirements for laser processing technology will further increase. Fly Laser will continue to lead the industry by deeply cultivating technology, innovating breakthroughs, and continuously increasing R&D investment. We will focus on innovation in core areas such as laser source technology, intelligent control technology, and automation integration technology, constantly launching laser solutions that better meet industry needs.
We will focus on three key areas: firstly, higher-precision laser processing technology, breaking through the micron-level processing bottleneck and moving towards nano-level processing; secondly, more intelligent automation solutions, achieving an upgrade from single-machine automation to intelligent production lines, providing customers with full-process intelligent manufacturing services; and thirdly, broader material compatibility, breaking through existing limitations in metal material processing and achieving precise processing of new materials such as composite materials and ceramic materials.
The upgrade path of the high-speed backplane connector industry is inseparable from the collaborative cooperation of upstream and downstream enterprises in the industry chain. Fly Laser is willing to work hand in hand with industry colleagues and partners with an open, cooperative, and win-win attitude to jointly promote the in-depth application of laser technology in the field of high-speed backplane connectors, helping the domestic high-speed backplane connector industry move towards higher-quality development and laying a solid "connection" foundation for the construction of Digital China.
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