Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1213413
FEBRUARY 2020 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 35 strategy is best, and the post-treatments after- ward. We can state that we have much more control now, which resulted in an operational installation running in Germany, and there is also a customer in the U.S. It's becoming com- mercial; people are starting to use it, and we see a lot of attention at productronica. Starkey: That has been my experience at the show over the past few days. Talking to the ink suppliers, all of a sudden, people are ask- ing for information about material supply for inkjet solder mask. People can see the bene- fits of inkjet solder mask, not just from mate- rials consumption or the environmental point of view, but from a technical point of view. A good inkjet process can put ink where you want it and in the thicknesses that you want, and—particularly for critical conductors in 5G applications—avoid putting ink where you don't want any because it could interfere with the signal characteristics. Louwet: If you were to apply solder mask and then remove it afterward, it would not be good enough for some 5G application, so customers don't want solder mask there at all. Starkey: With inkjet, you have the benefit of being able to selectively place the material ex- actly where you do and don't want it; you don't place any material at all, which is probably not so good for tonnage sales of solder mask. Louwet: Even if applied selectively, solder mask is used in big volumes. Also, for Agfa, it's the switch from analog to digital. Today, Agfa has a big share in the analog space since photo- tooling is still mainly used in solder mask im- aging. That will go away sometime, so Agfa is aiming to replace the film by ink for applying direct digital solder mask. Starkey: Walking around the exhibition, the whole manufacturing procedure in this indus- try is becoming a digital, data-driven process rather than analog. And we're not only talking about the data that drives the equipment and creates the images, but also the data that is fed back to the statistics, process control, and process improvement. I think that not only is digital the key to the future, but also the envi- ronment. Louwet: The trend is a digital data-driven pro- cess, but today, and even tomorrow, the analog process is important. Agfa focuses on film and will support its customers until the end with it while also supporting their transition to the digital era. I agree that the environment is also a key benefit of the digital process. Starkey: Your original identity in the industry was as a primary supplier of film. It's good to know that although the utilization of film is progressively fading, you have new concepts, products, and materials that can take its place in another form. Louwet: Innovation is important for a compa- ny like Agfa. With respect to solder masks, the newest developments Agfa is bringing are flex solder masks. Starkey: Does this mean that we may see an end to the polyimide coverlay, piercing and punching holes, and sticking it on? Louwet: That could be. We have two prototypes at this moment: one green, and one black (Fig- ures 2 and 3). The green is in test at several customers in Asia, and it's looking very prom- ising. It may even take off faster than rigid sol- der mask. Flex solder mask is a new product that we are presenting for the first time at pro- Agfa focuses on film and will support its customers until the end with it while also supporting their transition to the digital era.