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Photonic Curing
Photonic Curing is the high-temperature thermal processing of a thin film using pulsed light from a flashlamp. When this transient processing is done on a low-temperature substrate such as plastic, paper or glass it is possible to attain a significantly higher temperature than the substrate can ordinarily withstand under an equilibrium heating source such as an oven.
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PulseForge® 3200
Advanced Curing for Printed Electronics
The PulseForge 3200 optimizes the application of photonic curing for processing metal-based inks on flexible substrates. Applications include conductive interconnects and patterns for printed photovoltaics, displays, smart packaging, and RFID. The PulseForge 3200 is designed for roll-to-roll and conveyor-based material processing. Whereas ovens require minutes, the PulseForge tool sinters metallic inks in milliseconds on low-cost substrates such as PET and paper. This tool is ideal for full-volume production as well as application development. The PulseForge 3200 is CE marked for use in EU countries.
Application Performance and Versatility
The PulseForge 3200 commercial processing tool dries and sinters printed electronics in a wide-web format with widths from 150 mm (6") to greater than 4.8 m (192").The tool is auto-synchronized to line speeds from stationary to over 100 meters/minute (300 FPM), but speeds up to 500 meters per minute are achievable curing thin prints of some inks. The high pulsed power system achieves very high temperatures for very short times in the conductive film, without damaging the underlying low-temperature substrate; e.g. plastic film or paper.
Print Methods.
Effective with the most widely used print methods, including inkjet, flexo, gravure, aerosol, and screen print.
Substrates.
Processed substrates include PET, paper, polyethylene, polyimide, and many others.
Performance.
Conductivity of inks processed in <1 sec with PulseForge 3200 meets or exceeds oven performance.
Resistivity.
Resistivities below 15 milliohms/square have been attained with the PulseForge 3200 on PET.
Ink Materials.
PulseForge tools enable the use of new ink materials, including Metalon® copper inks.
Development and Manufacturing.
PulseForge tools can be used for material and application development as well as volume manufacturing of printed electronic devices.
Facilities and Integration
The PulseForge 3200 achieves High Temperature Processing on Low Temperature Materials™ using pulse-width modulated light with exposures as short as 30 µs. This is accomplished using precise real-time control of the current delivered to proprietary lamps. The pulse duration and energy waveform can be adjusted on-the-fly by feedback on product processing and performance sensors.
Modular.
The 3200 consists of small-footprint modules, most of which can be located away from the main manufacturing line. This eases space constraints in the critical production area.
Connections.
The modules are connected via umbilicals that house the required power, cooling, and communication cables.
Integration.
PulseForge tools can be fully integrated with existing or built-for-purpose print systems and production lines.
Pulse Waveform Shaping.
The PulseForge micro-pulse capability creates custom pulse structures, with each pulse acting inside the thermal equilibrium time of the preceding pulse.
SimPulse.
Developed especially for PulseForge tools and applicable to all thermal processing methods, this integral package is an invaluable design tool for predicting processing results. Learn more about SimPulse.
Lamp Module.
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, NovaCentrix can integrate the module with a conveyor system for processing discrete product items.
Power Module.
The Power Module contains the power supply equipment. Generally, one Power Module is required per 12 inches of process width and may be located up to 15 feet from the Lamp Module.
Operator Control Module.
The Operator Control Module contains the system monitor and control computer. Multiple industrial touch screen operator displays may be placed at the production line,or remotely at an operators console.
| Peak radiant power delivered (kW/cm2) | 5.9 |
| Max radiant energy delivered (J/cm2) | 46 |
| Max voltage to lamp(s) | 480 |
| Effective max linear processing speed (meters/min)* | >100 |
| Curing dimension per pulse (mm)** | 150 x (150 – 4800)*** |
| Max area cured per sample (mm)** | Unlimited |
| Pulse length range (microseconds)**** | 25–100,000 |
| Pulse length increment (microseconds) | 1 |
| Minimum pulse spacing (microseconds) | 20 |
| Max pulse rate | kHz |
| Output spectrum (nm) | 200–1500 |
| Uniformity of exposure (point to point) | +/- 2% or better |
*Dependent on pulse conditions
**Excluding edge effect
***Process width can be readily configured from 150mm to over 4800mm
****After 20,000 the additional energy delivered is negligible
PulseForge Overview
New Copper Ink for Screen Printing
Printed Electronics Curing Copper Ink in Milliseconds
Enabling Printed Electronics
Get A PulseForge Pricing Quote
Contact us today for a direct pricing quote from our sales team on our PulseForge tools.
About NovaCentrix
Headquartered in Austin, TX, NovaCentrix offers industry leading photonic curing tools, conductive inks, material and expertise enabling development and production of next generation printed electronic devices.