Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1467744
12 PCB007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2022 operators to more important areas, instead of just feeding lines or moving product, and let automation fill the void. Inkjet Solder Mask Johnson: It looks like the technology on inkjet solder mask is emerging into its own. Would you detail the steps that get removed from the process when you move to inkjet solder mask? Perry: Yo u w i l l s t i l l d o a direct write like you would with a direct imag- ing machine. e advan- tage now is you have no coating process. e first step that's removed is the coating of the solder mask appli- cation: any equipment or manual operation that is used to screen print, flood coat panels, or even spray coat panels. at process is quite inefficient because there's a lot of process steps involved and wasted solder mask. With ink- jet applications, we're printing everything that we're using, so there's little to no waste. You can print the mask where you want, and not have to flood coat an entire panel. at would be the first advantage. Another is reduction of VOCs because you have a lot of them in the conventional solder mask pro- cess, during the coating application; with ink- jet, we're eliminating that element of the pro- cess. It's a big advantage as the industry moves toward being as green as possible, in specified regions. Direct Imaging Barry Matties: Direct imaging is one technology that always seemed to offer a great ROI, but with a heavy investment. Is that a good ROI? What are the trends? Are more people looking for it, or is the market where it needs to be? Perry: ere's been a definite industry shi toward direct imaging. Most of the shops now have some form of direct imaging machin- ery and there are more players in the market. ere are still a small handful of shops who don't have it, though. e drive for direct imaging (DI) has now shied into the solder mask area for improved throughput and quality. e initial effort was for fabricators to use DI in the inner layer area because that is where they could realize the most cost savings impact, and then the tech- nology was adopted in the outer layer imag- ing area. Now with the introduction of high- powered LEDs to image the solder mask, the new DI machines are delivering improved throughput, along with high resolution. as the equipment matures, I think the move to inkjet solder mask will be a market shi in the near future. Medina: e DI primary imaging equipment being purchased today isn't as much about ROI as it is about the capability of the equip- ment to image finer and finer lines. e mSAP and other semi-additive processes are driving this need. We're seeing more customers trying to image 0.001" and less. But in regard to the evolution of this tech- nology, as customers with DI start to upgrade to the new technology, the older models will become available and that will allow the smaller shops to get into DI at a much lower price through the used equipment market. ere is no doubt the market continues to grow the use of DI equipment, but the next step is where inkjet comes in. As that technol- ogy evolves, it creates other opportunities for that type of technology to direct write, basi- cally putting the resist just where you want it—rather than coat an entire panel and then remove what we don't want. at's a huge cost savings. Matties: When someone is making a purchase decision, where does the ROI become a factor in the decision process? Is that a driving fac- tor? Jason Perry