Orbotech’s Gaby Waisman: 'The Future is Digital'

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes

Waisman: For us it’s definitely part of an overall market strategy. We don't necessarily differentiate it internally in terms of the segments. We have one team addressing the industry as it is. You can call it merged or you can call it segmented, but I think that the overall strategy is to have solutions for all of those segments as part of the PCB industry.

Now let's move to another crucial piece of the puzzle, which is the imaging that you mentioned. In this respect, as you know, we have been focusing on LDIs for patterning. What happened ever since the end of 2015 is that we have for the first time offered solutions for the soldermask segment. We are using different technologies in order to be more cost efficient and to address the different requirements in terms of flex versus rigid. We launched two different DI platforms. One is the Diamond, which is the solder mask DI addressing the mass production rigid market. The other one is part of the Nuvogo family, the Nuvogo 1000, which is basically offering a solution for flex, offering superior depth of focus and other characteristics that are required for this particular segment.

We've also perfected the offering for patterning, with solutions that address the needs of the MLB segment. In this respect we just introduced here in this show the Nuvogo 780, which is a unique platform offering higher energy to address conventional resist, with a throughput that can offer a cost efficient way to move from traditional exposure into digital LDI solutions for that segment. I think that this is another very crucial piece of the puzzle that we discussed beforehand. There's obviously a growing need to introduce digital, efficient, automated solutions for the MLB market of imaging and this is in the Nuvogo 780.

Starkey: So LDI becomes a practicable solution for the mainstream MLB market, and offers a cost-effective alternative to conventional exposure with conventional resist?

Waisman: Yes. This is definitely a segment that has not yet moved into the digital imaging area. We believe in the Nuvogo 780 we can offer not only competing cost per print versus traditional exposure solutions, but offer all the other advantages of digital technology for that market segment. This is the solution we offer—all of the standard advantages of a digital product: the registration accuracy, the scaling, the ease of use, the flexibility. In this particular case we offer maximum resist flexibility, which is critical when we're talking about that particular segment, but maintain a very high throughput. This is enabled by basically offering a very unique multi-wave laser technology coupled with very high energy. The combination of all these factors is presented by the Nuvogo 780. As you can see here a throughput of 300 prints per hour.

Starkey: When you talk about 300 prints an hour you’re beginning to talk about real production throughputs. We are looking at a technology that in its earlier days offered a high level of accuracy and positional capability, but tended to be throughput-limited. You've removed that limitation now and you've moved it on a whole generation.

Waisman: Exactly. There are so many different digital advantages that not only become a necessity, but also essential in the transformation of this industry going forward.

Starkey: Gaby, thank you for a most interesting discussion. It’s clear that the future is digital!

Waisman: Pete, you’re welcome, and thanks for taking the time to come and talk to us.

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