-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueBox Build
One trend is to add box build and final assembly to your product offering. In this issue, we explore the opportunities and risks of adding system assembly to your service portfolio.
IPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
Boost Your Sales
Every part of your business can be evaluated as a process, including your sales funnel. Optimizing your selling process requires a coordinated effort between marketing and sales. In this issue, industry experts in marketing and sales offer their best advice on how to boost your sales efforts.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
Inkjet Solder Mask ‘Has Arrived’
April 10, 2024 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 1 minute
I have followed the progress of inkjet imaging in PCB manufacture since the late 1990s, seen many contenders come and go, attended and reviewed more than a few conference and seminar presentations, and met some leading experts in this technology.
Although inkjet legend printing has become well established, and the feasibility of inkjet primary imaging convincingly demonstrated, inkjet solder mask has, until recently, remained a near-unattainable goal. I recall Dr. Steve Jones of Printed Electronics Ltd. commenting upon the apparently inverse relationship between the functionality of a solder mask formulation and its “jet-ability.”
Yes, there have been lots of optimistic claims made. I’ve seen numerous demonstrations of inkjet printers producing solder mask images on PCBs in pretty green paint. In most instances, I received vague or evasive answers when I asked pointed questions. It takes a rather special kind of green paint to satisfy the qualification and performance specification requirements of international standards and end-user approvals, and a rather special kind of printing machine to apply it correctly.
But the leaders have persevered. Close cooperation between formulators and equipment manufacturers has resulted in products and processes that fulfill all those requirements. PCB fabricators, end users, and approvals authorities have realised the benefits, and inkjet solder mask has become an accepted reality.
I was delighted to be invited to attend an interactive webinar entitled “Solder Mask Coating Made Easy with Additive Manufacturing,” hosted by SUSS MicroTec Netherlands in Eindhoven. The webinar was introduced and moderated by André Bodegom, managing director at Adeon Technologies, and the speakers were Mariana Van Dam, senior product manager PCB imaging solutions at AGFA in Belgium; Ashley Steers, sales manager at Electra Polymers in the UK; and Dr. Luca Gautero, product manager at SUSS MicroTec Netherlands. These are all experts I know personally and whose technical knowledge and objectivity I have always held in the highest regard. This webinar promised to be a no-nonsense learning opportunity.
To read the rest of this article, which appeared in the March 2024 issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
Lee Corfe Joins Electra Polymers Electrajet Inkjet Materials Team
04/03/2024 | Electra Polymers LtdElectra Polymers Ltd is excited to welcome Lee Corfe as the newest addition to Electra’s inkjet team. With an impressive background and a wealth of experience in high-performance functional inkjet materials, Lee brings a fresh perspective and a dynamic skill set to our organization.
Electra Polymers Ltd Expands Manufacturing Capacity, Invests in New Facilities and Talent
03/26/2024 | Electra Polymers LtdElectra Polymers Ltd, a leading provider of coatings for the electronics industry, proudly announces a significant expansion of its manufacturing capacity for inkjet materials. The company is making substantial investments in new facilities, talent acquisition, and cutting-edge laboratory equipment to meet the increasing demand for high-performance functional inkjet materials in the market.
EIPC Winter Conference 2024, Day 2: A Closer Look at Global Trends
02/14/2024 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007The opening session of the second day’s conference proceedings focused on global PCB trends and was introduced and moderated by Dr. Michele Stampanoni, vice president of strategic sales and business development at Cicor Group in Switzerland. He opened the session with Dr. Hayao Nakahara’s knowledgeable and enlightening video presentation on the IC substrates industry.
All4-PCB Announces New Partnership with USA Microcraft
02/09/2024 | all4-PCBAll4-PCB, a leading supplier of process solutions, equipment and consumables for PCB, LTCC, and CHEMICAL MILLING manufacturing industries, is excited to announce a partnership with USA Microcraft for Sales Support across North America.
Scrona, Avantama Collaborate to Redefine Quantum Dot Processing with EHD High Patterning Resolution for Displays
01/23/2024 | PRNewswireScrona AG, the additive manufacturing startup and world record holder of the smallest ever printed color picture, and Avantama, a leader in high-tech materials for electronics, announced that they have successfully processed high-performance quantum dot (QD) ink using Scrona's electrohydrodynamic (EHD) inkjet printing.