Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1288481
SEPTEMBER 2020 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 27 vanced features of inkjettable mask to OEMs, and OEMs can do more testing to show that inkjettable mask does meet or exceed their pre- viously used inks. Johnson: I have a bit of a marketing back- ground, and one of the things we would look to create was a "compelling event." What's the most common compelling event you run into wherein the fabricator says, "We have to get serious about solder mask jetting because of XYZ," and what are compelling events for your customers? Harding: That's a tough one. More and more, board manufacturers are making increasingly complicated boards, which require—as you mentioned—various thicknesses of mask, which increases production steps tenfold by going back and forth. This is just another rea- son added to the previously mentioned time and cost savings. I don't know if there has been a singular compelling event just yet, but the benefits are clear. In the future, we could see OEMs start demanding inkjet because its superior quali- ties or environmental regulations become so stringent that inkjet seems to be the only way to comply with those regulations. Matties: There has to be customer support to do it, though. You don't just go in and do this because you're going to be running dual processes in any case. It has to be driven by the customer or their sales department who sells this process to their customers; other- wise, they rely on you to help educate the OEM. Johnson: It's a chicken and egg problem, isn't it? OEMs stick to traditional processes; other- wise, they need to revalidate. Then, you have fabricators who would like to increase their margins, reduce their waste, and be more flex- ible, but they need customer demand to justify buying the equipment. That leaves you sitting right in the middle. Harding: It's a tough place to be, believe me. Matties: How is business in Japan? Harding: We're doing much better than even in 2019. The interest in inkjet has really ramped up in the past year or so. Matties: Flying probes was a large area for you. Do you still see a lot of business in the flying probe sector? Harding: Absolutely. We see a lot of interest in automating that process even more than it already is. We are also investing heavily in what's coming for 5G, so we have introduced some new testers that can do very high-fre- quency testing. The split of business is current- ly about 60% testing and 40% inkjet, but our inkjet business is creeping up on about half. It's a big change from when I started. Matties: When you talk about the flying probe for 5G, what testing strategies or technologies does a board fabricator need to have? Does their existing technology already cover the re- quirements? Harding: Fabricators are being required to test not only the coupons on the board but to test the actual board. This is a major pain point for them because it is time-consuming to do so by hand, so we have found a way to au- tomate this process. We have also developed new unobtrusive methods to test for backdrill defects. There is great interest from both OEMs and fabricators. Johnson: I wanted to pivot a bit and talk about the digital factory and where you fit in, especially with respect to testers feeding We're doing much better than even in 2019. The interest in inkjet has really ramped up in the past year or so.