Inkjetprinten op groot formaat een koud kunstje?

Mikrocentrum Themadag Thermomechanica16 maart 2010Jos Gunsing

NTS Mechatronics

Overview

• Intro Jos Gunsing• Inkjetprinting

– NTS Mechatronics– Print quality/accuracy– Examples of IJ printers– Thermal effects/remedies

• Conclusions/trends

• Appendix :– General info NTS Group

Track record Inkjet Equipment & Markets

Continuous inkjet & drop on demand

Océ hotmelt inkhead/drop on demand

Continuous inkjet

20 years experience in Inkjet Equipment !!

1990Graphical

1995Textile

2004Graphical

2006Electronics

2007-nowother applications

Stork Digital Imagingcolorproofing inkjet printer

Periodicity of deviations in mm

Size of deviationin mu

10 20 30

1

2

Sensitivity curve human perception (indicative)

Banding in inkjet printers

Courtesy of Jos NotermansStork Digital Imaging/prints

Banding in inkjet printers

• Perfect drop positioning →→→→ no banding

Banding in inkjet printers

• Errors in drop positioning →→→→ banding

Banding in inkjet printers

• Positioning errors also cause color shifts

Printing

• Printer configurations:– General:

• Printing motion and substrate handling combined e.g.– Single pass

» Roll-to roll– Multi pass:

» Shuttle/printheads motion» Substrate motion/handling combined

• Printing motion and substrate handling separated e.g.– Single pass

» Drum/shuttle– Multi-pass

» Shuttle/printheads motion and/or» Table motion

Stork Digital Imagingcolorproofing inkjet printer

Inkjetprinter drive system(proofing printer/paper-foil-textile)

- Accuracy: - 2 to 3 µm line-to-line; 600 dpi- < 20 µm over 36 mm (4-colour)- ±0.5 mm; start of print/print width

- Productivity: - 1 tot 2 m2/hour- Time for 1 print: 5 to 20 min.

Drum up to 300rpm

Printhead motion

Drops

Agfa - Thieme

M-press Tiger

� AGFA M-press Tiger Inkjet Printer� 550 up to 770 m2 /hour� Photo quality; 720dpi,

� <5 micron scanning/point-to-point accuracy� 64 printheads (Xaar);drop-on-demand� Combinations with

1 or more screenprint stations(white,spot/metallic colour,varnish etc.)

� Print format� 2.6*1.6m� 64 printheads

� Fast scan:� acceleration 6 m/s2

� speed (max) 1.3 m/s� Series product

� Functions:� Force frame/metro frame� 2 slave/2 master drive long stroke (hybrid belt/linear motor)� 1 short stroke drive� Maintenance unit print heads� Calibration camera (NTS Optel)� Calibration robot� Total 9 PCB’s; distributed motion control (DSP-based)

M-press Tiger

Inkjet system

Screenprinting system

Substrate transport direction

Fast scan motion

Short scan motion

(stepping)

Shuttle with 64 printheads2 colours/head

Table

Table

Reference side

Reference sideGripper Gripper

Gripper motion

Thermal effects

• Required accuracies:– Overall dot positioning accuracy approx. 20 µm– Motion errors <8 µm (5 µm)– Overlay:

• approx. 50-100 µm ;– screen-print/retro-verso

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Jan-

04

May

-05

Oct

-06

Feb

-08

Jul-0

9

Nov

-10

X-accuracy 3 sigma [mu]

Y-accuracy 3 sigma [mu]

Thermal effects

• Heat sources– Printheads:

• Max. 30W/head; 64 heads/shuttle• Typical UV ink temperature: 45 to 65°C

– UV-sources• 2 times 12kW pin curing (not continuous power)

– Linear motors:• Fast scan direction/scanning • Slow scan direction/stepping

Thermal effects

• Shuttle:– Fast scan direction:

• Failure: – Mispositioning of dots/colours

• Remedy:– “Pre-/postignition” (SW/HW); T known– Temperature control

– Slow scan scan direction • Failure

– Mispositioning of dots (also unicolour)• Remedy:

– Temp control ± 0.1°C during 1 print cycle– ± 1°C over longer periods– Defined references of head positioning devices/printheads– Remark: SW correction in this direction not possible

Thermal effects

• Substrate table :– Overlay inkjet print/screen print:

• Temperature known;– compensation start print position

» Reference side/line;» Table thermal center of gravity » Gripper position

– Expansion length/width during print• Within print duration: ± 0.1°C overall• Ambient temperature controlled

– table and substrate

– Jetting distance 1.5 mm• Landing distance/drop speed/drop angle

– Height tolerance table 0.15 mm overall– Equal temperature over alu table/table shape

Table (alu) t.c.o.g.

Gripper (steel) motion

Gripper

Reference side for table, gripper, shuttle

Substrate motion through printing system

Conclusions

• Thermal aspects:– Depending on printer layout/image-buildup– Shuttle; T conditioning:

• Size in combination with transient temperature

• Perpendicular to fast scan

– Table; T conditioning:• Size in combination with transient temperature

• Shape; Constant landing (printing) distance

– Other measures; T known:• SW-related; timing of nozzle firing;

Trends Printing/jettingGraphical/Semicon

– Graphical:• Productivity; > m2 /h (’94->’99->2006->2009

resp. 2->20->400->770 m2 /h) • One-off cost (offset/screenprint) vs. flexibility)• Formats >• Range of materials >• Accuracy fixed (image quality)

– Semicon:• Productivity:

– Cost/m2

– Accuracy:

» Moore’s law; also on PCB-level

Trends Printing/jettingGraphical/Semicon

– Spin off graphical/jetting• 3 D structures/Rapid Prototyping/Manufacturing:

– Productivity >– Accuracy > (Shape/size/surface structure)

• Manufacture based on jettechnology – Replacement lithography; PCB/Display-manufacture;

» Productivity >

» Accuracy > (resolution for PCB manufacture >>)» Reliability (missing or malpositioned droplet)

– Development print head specific for functional jetting

Appendix

General info NTS Group

NTS Group

June 2009

January, 2010

Snap shot information NTS

• Privately owned, created in 2005 in a merger of Nebato(est. 1954) and Te Strake (est. 1947)

• Head office in Eindhoven (NL), manufacturing locations in NL, P.R. of China, Czech Republic and Israel

• 700 employees, turnover >100 M Euro

• Focussed on full life cycle support in manufacturing of opto-mechatronic systems and components for world wide operating OEM’s

Development Component & Part making

NTS PrometalSlavi čín, CZ

NTS HermusVenray

NTS PrometalSlavi čín, CZ

NTS MechatronicsShanghaiShanghai, China

NTS SystenceWijchen

NTS PrometalSlavi čín, CZ

MA3 (10%)Eindhoven

NTS ShemerBar Mislav, Israel (50%)

NTS MechatronicsEindhoven

Mechatronics

NTS Mans (25%)Deurne

Machining

NTS CombimetaalBergeijk

MI Partners (10%)Eindhoven

NTS FinishBergeijk

NTS Metaalbewerking

Bergeijk

NTS OptelNijmegen

Surface TreatmentSheet MetalEngineering

NTS-Group CompaniesSystem Suppliers Finishing

NTS Competences

• Engineering & Making Competences: • Specialised platforms for accurate positioning

and handling;• Optics and laser technology;• Sheet metal frames and coverings;• Machined parts in combination with above;

• Life cycle management: focus on the total life cycle of the module: (integration of) design, engineering, prototyping, industrialisation, value engineering and - if useful - transfer to low cost country;

• Operational excellence: Lean thinking and acting in the organisation and the supply chain.

International organization

NTS-group

Making

Capabilities

-NL-CZ

-IL-CN*

SystemSupplier

-NL-CN-IL-CZ

Eng.Capabilities-NL-IL

Markets

35%

18%

10% 9%

3%

25%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Analytical Semicon Printing Medical Solar Other

Markets served in 2008

ASME

ASML

Semicon products overview

ASSEMBLEON

DEK

MANIA

Analytical products overview

Phenom-WorldSPECTRO

DORC

Elekta

MVM

Zimmer

Medical products overview

Philips Medical Systems

Buhrs

GOSS

Agfa - Thieme

Punch Graphix

Heidelberg

Printing products overview

Stork Prints

Océ

Technology competence : Integrator

• Mechatronics– Positioning & handling– Motion building blocks– Machine dynamics– Precision mechanics– Power electronics– Embedded software

• Optics & vision• Physics• Environment

– Cleanroom– Temperature– Vacuum

• Calibration knowledge

• Manufacturing– Lowcost concepts & system

architecture– Calibration & test in production– Reproducebility knowledge

• Inkjet specific– Handling of substrate (roll to

roll , sheet to sheet, xy)– Interaction with ink, inkhead

and substrate– Intelligent synchronisation with

jetting-system– Cleaning

0.001

0.01

0.1

1

10

100

m/s

1 0.1 0.01 0.001mm

Textile

Medical

Agro

Electronics/Semiconductor

PrintingTextile

Graphical

Packaging.

CDr/DVDr

Velocity - Accuracy

CD/DVDmastering

Motion Controlled systems : synergy by reuse of proven solutions(technology)

Track record Inkjet Equipment & Markets

Continuous inkjet & drop on demand

Océ hotmelt inkhead/drop on demand

Continuous inkjet

20 years experience in Inkjet Equipment !!

1990Graphical

1995Textile

2004Graphical

2006Electronics

2007-nowother applications

Our core competence : complex system integration

Application areaProcesses & environment

Jetting System areaInk, Inkhead & substrate

Motion controlled Inkjet Equipment area