Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1520956
28 PCB007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2024 Film has expansion during processing. It is, therefore, inaccurate. Since the solder mask is screened, the solder mask is clipped around the pads. People don't know why they want to have a gap today. ey just got used to it. In the end, you find arguments that it's even better not to have the gap and print the ink directly to the edge of the pad. With this technology, you have very good control of thickness and corner coverage. High voltage and high-frequency performance is better. Impedance performance is better. ere are big advantages over the traditional method. But you have to remember that for a typical PCB manufacturer that has 300 differ- ent customers, everyone wants to have some- thing different and sticks to what they know, what they have always relied upon. ere is a lot of education work to do. We're trying to educate the people. is is something I-Connect007 can help with. Milena: Education is one important thing that's needed. Another important thing is to recog- nize that it's human nature that people typi- cally stick to the processes they know, to things that are working. Change always requires time, in every way, in every situation. You need to convince the customer, but tim- ing also matters. As my father said, you need to expose them to this information again and again. In the end, the customer is willing to say, "Okay, let's do some trials." Ha n s : R e m e m b e r, w h e n a m a n u f a c tu r e r moves to a completely different technology, it requires different hardware, chemistry, surface preparation, and a different printing strategy— something unique for every customer. For example, it took us three years to develop this intelligent RIP for mass solder mask printing. Evolving technology takes years of commit- ment and R&D, optimizing everything. In the end, it works. en, some years later, nobody talks about the old process anymore. The Machine Milena: Our inkjet printing strategy includes different printing layers. In general, there are three printing steps. In the first step, we are printing a preparation layer to print the barri- ers needed and to fill areas that need full cover- age with ink. en there are filling layers, fol- lowed by the surface finish. Is it glossy, semi- matte, or matte? at affects the way you cure. You can see the different layers. For capillary effects, you might have the sit- uation that the edges of an elevation are not completely covered. To avoid this, we apply a defined print strategy, and here, the thick- ness is 24 microns and 17 and 20 microns on Milena Fritz Figure 3: Cross-section of a layer.