Jetting Functional Fluids

Rheology, Deposition, Process & Development

Thursday 13 - Friday 14 June, 2019

Møller Centre, Cambridge, UK

COURSE FOCUS

There is no doubt that digital deposition of fluids containing functional materials, using inkjet heads is an extremely attractive proposition: being able to place a tiny and highly controlled amount of fluid to a few microns of placement accuracy has the potential to transform conventional manufacturing processes. Whether the functional fluids have electronic, pharmaceutical or other attributes, the challenges of getting them to “jet” with suitable performance and to “functionalise” on the target substrate are common headaches for the material deposition community.

In this course we will focus on the practicalities of inkjet printing of these challenging fluids. We will consider in detail the basic building blocks of a material deposition inkjet system: the inkjet printheads, the ink or fluid, the motion platform and the substrate. We will look at the methods available to create printed structures that deliver the required performance. In addition we will provide a background to fine-tuning inks and their jetting waveforms to improve performance. The course will also provide a sometimes salutary background on the conventional manufacturing capabilities that must be matched for material deposition by inkjet to move into large scale production environments.

Live Demonstrations

As part of the course, there will be demonstrations using a Dimatix DMP deposition system - your chance to see this deposition platform in action.

COURSE OUTLINE

Course LeaderS

Dr Neil Chilton, Technical Director
Printed Electronics Limited, UK

Neil has more than twenty years’ experience in the field of electronics and electronic components. After completing his BSc and PhD in Physics, his technical career took him to Japan where he worked for four years at the advanced materials research division of Nippon Steel Corporation. After returning to the UK he joined Europe’s then largest printed circuit board manufacturing company where he was later part of an MBO team and technical director. In 2006, together with co-founder Dr Steve Jones, he started Printed Electronics Limited to focus on the practical use of inkjet for manufacturing electronic interconnects, devices and systems.

Dr Clare Conboy, Formulation Chemist
Printed Electronics Limited, UK

Clare has more than 20 years’ experience of formulating and characterising fluids for spray and printing applications. This includes many years of working with inkjet inks for piezo and thermal DOD printheads, initially for graphics and in recent years for materials deposition applications, including a diverse range of materials including metals, inorganics and adhesives in a range of solvent systems. Following completion of a PhD in Chemistry, she has worked for a number of organisations with a focus on inkjet technology, including Xaar and Plastic Logic. Clare has been involved with Printed Electronics Limited since its establishment.