It’s Only Common Sense: Invest in Yourself—You’re Your Most Important Resource
Dan's Biz Bookshelf: 'Revenge of the Tipping Point'
Marcy's Musings: Engineering Economics
Orbotech’s Latest Technology at IPC APEX EXPO
May 2, 2016 | Barry Matties, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Perlman: You’re absolutely right. You need flexibility to be able to make changes quickly and easily, and to serve the needs of different products or different applications. This is precisely the concept behind digital products, and this is what we offer. Direct imaging and inkjet printers are digital products— there is no need to prepare a film or a glass master or a screen mask. Load the new job design and start the new product imaging or printing immediately.
Matties: Back to the R&D and the investment that you're making. A huge conversation in the industry is the 3D printing of printed circuits. It seems to me that the technology that you have, when you look across the product line, makes you a company well-suited to take on that particular market segment. It certainly is a segment that is growing in our industry.
What do you think about the 3D printing market and how does that affect Orbotech? When you look at a company like Nano Dimension focusing on 3D printing of circuit boards, which is also right out of Israel, does that look like the infancy of things to come?
Perlman: Israel is actually very strong in inkjet printing, in general. Orbotech is a leading inkjet supplier for the PCB industry and we are evaluating different printing technologies, including inkjet, for new opportunities in the printing electronics market. As far as the area of 3D inkjet printing for PCB, we obviously follow what Nano Dimension is doing. After all, we are neighbors and the geographical distance between our offices is no more than 10 miles.
But, we do not compete with Nano Dimension. They are actually addressing the in-house prototyping needs of the electronics design centers and less focused on mass production. I think there's still a long way to go with 3D printing as far as reliability and adaptability to PCB market needs.
Matties: Let’s talk about the new technology Orbotech is presenting here.
Perlman: Sure. As I said, this is a very unique technology which we call automated optical shaping or AOS. If there is a missing copper area on the PCB pattern on tracks or on pads, we have the technology to save the PCB by analyzing the area and adding copper using a local copper deposition. It is a very unique and new technology.
Matties: It sounds a lot like 3D printing! [Laughs]
Perlman: It is, but it's very local deposition on a small and specific area and not a pattern printing.
Matties: Is this a derivative of your AOR (automated optical repair) system?
Perlman: You could say so, it's a revolutionary, complementary technology to the AOR technology. The AOR, which we developed in the past, is a solution for shaping excess copper. We can identify excess copper, and use laser ablation to remove it.
The new technology can automatically identify where copper is missing and can complete it. It adds the copper and shapes and builds the track to its original design.
Matties: You're salvaging what otherwise would be in the scrap pile, right?
Perlman: Exactly. Now we not only have the capability to save scrap PCBs with excess copper, but we have the technology to save those with missing copper as well.
Matties: Have you already placed this into the production environment? Or is this brand new?
Perlman: This is brand new. It's a new technology that we have been developing for a long time and it will be integrated into products in the future. We are in the testing stage of the technology and so far we have had very promising results.
Matties: Congratulations, and thank you so much for spending time with us today, Micha. This was great.
Perlman: You're welcome.
Page 2 of 2Share on:
Suggested Items
Unlocking Advanced Circuitry Through Liquid Metal Ink
10/31/2024 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamPCB UHDI technologist John Johnson of American Standard Circuits discusses the evolving landscape of electronics manufacturing and the critical role of innovation, specifically liquid metal ink technology, as an alternate process to traditional metallization in PCB fabrication to achieve ever finer features and tighter tolerances. The discussion highlights the benefits of reliability, efficiency, and yields as a tradeoff to any increased cost to run the process. As this technology becomes better understood and accepted, even sought out by customers and designers, John says there is a move toward mainstream incorporation.
Fresh PCB Concepts: The Critical Nature of Copper Thickness on PCBs
10/31/2024 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB ConceptsPCBs are the backbone of modern electronics and the copper layers within these boards serve as the primary pathways for electrical signals. When designing and manufacturing PCBs, copper thickness is one of the most critical factors and significantly affects the board’s performance and durability. The IPC-6012F specification, the industry standard for the performance and qualification of rigid PCBs, sets clear guidelines on copper thickness to ensure reliability in different environments and applications.
Book Excerpt: The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to... DFM Essentials, Ch. 1
10/25/2024 | I-Connect007The guidelines offered in this book are based on both ASC recommendations and IPC standards with the understanding that some may require adjustment based on the material set, fabricator processes, and other design constraints. This chapter details high-frequency materials, copper foil types, metal core PCBs, and the benefits of embedded capacitance and resistor materials in multilayer PCBs.
The Cost-Benefit Analysis of Direct Metallization
10/21/2024 | Carmichael Gugliotti, MacDermid AlphaCarmichael Gugliotti of MacDermid Alpha discusses the innovative realm of direct metallization technology, its numerous applications, and significant advantages over traditional processes. Carmichael offers an in-depth look at how direct metallization, through developments such as Blackhole and Shadow, is revolutionizing PCB manufacturing by enhancing efficiency, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. From its origins in the 1980s to its application in cutting-edge, high-density interconnects and its pivotal role in sustainability, this discussion sheds light on how direct metallization shapes the future of PCB manufacturing across various industries, including automotive, consumer electronics, and beyond.
Connect the Dots: Designing for Reality—Pattern Plating
10/16/2024 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the DotsIn the previous episode of I-Connect007’s On the Line with… podcast, we painted the picture of the outer layer imaging process. Now we are ready for pattern plating, where fabrication can get tricky. The board is now ready to receive the copper traces, pads, and other elements specified in the original CAD design. This article will lay out the pattern plating process and discuss constraints in the chemistries that must be properly managed to meet the customer's exacting manufacturing tolerances.