Inkjetprinten op groot formaat een koud kunstje? Mikrocentrum Themadag Thermomechanica 16 maart 2010 Jos Gunsing NTS Mechatronics
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