Xaar Launches Printhead for Advanced Manufacturing

Today, world-leading inkjet technology developer Xaar announces the launch of the Xaar 1002 AMp printhead – the first in a new range of piezoelectric drop-on-demand printheads designed specifically for advanced manufacturing applications.

The Xaar 1002 AMp is perfect for very small drop fluid deposition on an industrial scale and is capable of consistently jetting droplets as small as 1 pL for the production of fine features, patterns and coatings. The combination of highly accurate, very small drops and unrivalled reliability enables the industrialisation of advanced manufacturing processes in sectors such as display, PCB, semiconductors and photovoltaics.

Many applications require tight regulation of coating thicknesses, precise patterns and management of substrate surface characteristics. The Xaar 1002 AMp combines highly accurate drop placement, consistent drop volume and high frequency jetting with variable drop size capability to deliver the precise fluid control essential for these processes.

“Developing inkjet as an advanced manufacturing process is hugely challenging,” says David Chapman, who is responsible for developing Xaar’s Advanced Manufacturing business. “Every application is unique with its own functional fluids and exacting print demands. What you can achieve in a lab is often almost impossible to replicate in a high efficiency manufacturing environment. The new Xaar 1002 AMp printhead is built on a proven high performance industrial inkjet platform and is supported by Xaar’s unique experience in fluid handling and equipment integration to help our partners develop bespoke manufacturing solutions.”

Incorporating Xaar’s innovative inkjet technology, the Xaar 1002 AMp delivers maximum production performance with minimum operator intervention. The 1000 Optimised Geometry nozzles ensure accurate jetting and consistent drop volume across the printhead, even with fluids that have a high solids content, including metallic particulates. Xaar’s TF Technology™ ensures a uniform temperature across the whole printhead for consistent drop formation and repeatable fluid deposition. In addition XaarDOT™ optimises drop size, drop formation and fluid performance to achieve the best combination of quality and speed required. It also enables variable drop volumes within a single pattern to control coating thickness and avoid potential optical effects such as banding and Mura.

The versatile Xaar 1002 AMp printhead has been developed to give system manufacturers maximum flexibility. Supported by the modular and slimline HPC3 and XUSB drive electronics, plus the Hydra ink delivery system, the printhead is easy to integrate and, if required, multiple Xaar 1002 AMp printheads can be configured into large jetting arrays.

The Xaar 1002 AMp printhead is launched today at InPrint 2014 (Booth E16, Hall 21, 8-10 April, Hannover Messe, Germany).

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