PulseForge™ 3100
Development and Production: Metals Processing
The PulseForge 3100 from NovaCentrix is built as a production tool for printed electronics. Like other PulseForge tools, it is designed to sinter metal inks at room temperature. The 3100 however is designed to do this at high speeds, as is essential for viable manufacturing processes.
The PulseForge 3100 can sinter metal inks on low temperature substrates such as PET, PVC, and even paper, at line speeds of 150 feet per minute and greater. Many applications however do not require such speeds and often the required speed is only a few feet per minute. The 3100 does not require reconfiguration to change from processing at low speeds to processing at much higher speeds. In this way, as the application production demands increase, the same PulseForge 3100 tool can meet those increased demands.
The 3100 integrates directly with roll-to-roll production processes and conveyor systems. The tool in the accompanying video has been integrated with a short conveyor system to allow it to be used for demonstration purposes. The conveyor also allows the 3100 to be used as a development tool for processing printed metal inks on low temperature substrates. This tool model is available with or without the conveyor.
Application Performance and Versatility
- The PulseForge technology, including with the 3100, has been demonstrated to be effective with the most widely used print methods, including inkjet, flexo, gravure, aerosol, and screen print.
- Treated substrates include PET, paper, PVC, polyethylene, and metal foils.
- Conductivities of inks processed in <1 sec with PulseForge3100, in comparison to oven processing at 150C for 10 minutes, range from the same for certain well-known solar screen-print silver inks, to over 200% improvement for other silver inks. PulseForge meets or exceeds oven performance for these applications, with much faster processing.
- Conductivities from pre- to post-PulseForge 3100 can be improved >1000% for silver inks.
- Conductivities below 15 mOhms/sq have been attained with the PulseForge 3100 on PET.
- PulseForge enables the use of new and novel ink materials, including copper inks (See “Breakthrough in metal ink cure: room temperature on cheap substrates", Raghu Das, Printed Electronics World, July 2008)
Volume manufacturing
- The 3100 is capable of sintering or processing printed electronics applications at line speeds above 150 feet per minute in its base form.
- The base processing width for the PulseForge 3100 is 6". Larger widths can be easily accommodated by simply attaching 6" modules to reach the desired coverage. The PulseForge 3100 is a broadcast-type (wide area) system, unlike laser-based tools that have very restrictive processing zones or must be rastered to treat a large area.
- The 3100 is built with auto line synchronization encoders which control the required exposure conditions to match the instantaneous production or conveyor line speed. The 3100 will not be a production line bottleneck.
Facilities and Integration
The 3100 is constituted by small-footprint modules, which can be located away from the main manufacturing line. This is to ease space requirements in the critical production area. The modules are connected via umbilicals that house the required power, cooling, and communication cables.
The Lamp Module:
houses the lamp heads and is built to be mounted over roll-to-roll web-handling systems for continuous or semi-continuous film processing. Alternatively, the module can be integrated with a conveyor system as shown in the video clip for processing discret application items.
The Power Module:
contains the power supply equipment. Generally, one Power Module is required per lamp head and may be located up to 30 feet from the Lamp Module.
Operator Controls Module:
contains the system monitor and control computers. Switchable operator displays may be placed at the production line, at an operators console station, and/or remotely with the Power Module.
SUMMARY
The PulseForge 3100 is able to meet or exceed oven performance in a small fraction of the time, process a wide variety of material/substrate combinations, process large areas, integrate with existing and new roll-to-roll systems or conveyors, and work with challenging low-temperature substrates like PET and paper. Because of these attributes, the PulseForge 3100 is the right manufacturing tool for printed electronics developers and manufacturers seeking to cut product costs and improve product innovation.