Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/636678
36 The PCB Magazine • February 2016 Matties: There's a real move to inkjet in circuit board fabrication on a lot of different levels, like the solder mask system you guys brought out recently. Where do you see inkjet headed? Right now it seems to be in what I would call its infancy state. Tzhori: Personally, I believe that this will take the market; it's just a matter of time. Whether it's going to be through Camtek or somebody else, and whether it's going to be this year or five years from now, printing technology will come to the PCB industry in the future. As well as other industries like touch panel or even semiconductor, because it eliminates complex, very expensive and long processes. However, at the moment we depend on the technology of the printer heads, which we don't develop. The more they evolve, the better we will be able to adapt our technologies to a thinner line and space. Matties: So the print heads are really the gating factor? Tzhori: Actually, it's a combination of the system itself—the ink, the formulation of camtek takes inkjet technology into the future by Barry Matties I-ConnECT007 I recently spoke with Amir Tzhori, vice pres- ident of the PCB (AOI) division of Camtek in China, about the current and future status of their solder mask and legend inkjet technology, Gryphon. Also, with automation so instrumen- tal, we discussed a new automated robotic arm that can be attached to their AOI systems. Barry Matties: Amir, let's start with a little context about Camtek and what you do. Amir Tzhori: Camtek develops and manufac- tures state-of-the-art inspection and metrology systems for the semiconductor and PCB mar- kets. The business is being run by two separate divisions. Recently, the PCB division entered into the inkjet technology with its Gryphon, a full digital manufacturing station designed for PCB solder mask and legend deposition. The Semi and the PCB divisions share a technolog- ical-driven synergy, while within the PCB divi- sion we maintain a market-driven synergy be- tween our AOI and Inkjet product lines. feature interview