Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1481876
40 PCB007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2022 and the fourth, etc. At the end, the whole image is recomposed on the web. So, these are two very different kinds of processes using the equipment we have. Johnson: The s e ap p licat ions, such as vehicle and technolo- gies, short-throw radio signals for RFID, etc., sound like they're w e l l - s u i te d f o r a r o l l - to - r o l l approach. But when choosing b e t w e e n c o n ta c t p r i n te r a n d direct imaging, how do designers and manu- facturers decide? Guilbert: It depends on the throughput required and the expected resolution. First, if the cus- tomer is looking for very high throughput equipment and simultaneous double-sided exposure, then for sure, the roll-to-roll con- ventional unit would make sense. We now have LED light sources for which the consumption would be very low. is type of unit would be perfect. If the customer is looking to expose a very long image, the roll-to-roll DI would be mandatory. is is only one advantage of the Adix RtR. We've also developed a panel func- tion with our equipment, where the user can expose just some small panels as a prototype or small volume production. Boureau: The ro l l-to - ro l l direc t imag ing machine has more versatility compared to the conventional exposure unit. If you want to have a machine able to do very long surfaces as well as very small batches, or batches that are requiring a very precise alignment or distor- tion in the images, you can have them through the direct imaging with your machine. is is the limitation with the photo exposure units. ey are more dedicated to a repeatable and very high productivity process. Camus: To get the most out of the clipping and stitching functions, we developed fully cus- tomizable unwinder and winder systems which are designed and manufactured here. Our custom- ers say they appreciate our abil- ity to adapt to their current pro- duction line. We've had some really good feedback. To be hon- est, it helped us win some deals, so we're happy about that. Johnson: What are some of the things that require customiza- tion? Are we talking about mate- rials, applications, or the length of the surface that you're manufacturing? How do you set up a customized winder and unwinder? Guilbert: We offer three types of winders and unwinders that play on different technical aspects. First is the internal sha diameter. Sometimes, we see 3 to 6 inches, so Altix can adapt the size of the sha diameter. Another point is the cool weight. Some customers are using FPC, so we're working with the pho- tochemical market as well. We see different coil weights, and we can adapt the sha. en there's the bonding on the quality of products on the coil; it's going to play on the maximum coil diameter. In this case, we have to rearrange the size of the winder/unwinder systems. To not damage the product at the end, we play with the size of the global rolls we have on the system to limit the distortion of the product. ese are different aspects we can customize our winder/unwinder for. Boureau: e main parameters are the type of products the customer wants to use with our system, considering the type of material, the widths, thickness, and quantity of the mate- rial we will have on this coil. rough these main characteristics we can design the right unwinder systems dedicated to its applica- tion. Johnson: Looking ahead, what are the emerging Alexandre Camus