Print endlessly
The XH4 is a multilane screen printer with asynchronous transport. Printing is done with a single screen containing multiple print images. The individual lanes transport substrates independently and asynchronously. This means that the system is loaded with a new substrate while the squeegee is still moving. The screen is dynamically aligned to the respective substrate. The XH4 thus achieves an interlocking process flow of transport and printing. For you, this means maximum throughput with the shortest cycle time. Another highlight: the system is consistently designed for reel-to-reel applications. All printer movements are carried out by the upper part of the system, so continuous webs are processed quickly and precisely.
Sophisticated squeegee head: AutoHead
High quantities require high screen service lives: The longer the working material can be used, the more economical the overall process. To achieve this, we rely on the AutoHead motorized squeegee head, which was developed for repeatability and precision in screen printing.
- Fully automatic parameterization of flood and pressure squeegees
- Independent measurement of settings, such as down-stop
- Increased process reliability
Dispensing system for paste tracking
Typical challenges in screen printing lie in the homogeneity of the material to be printed and the active paste quantity on the screen, which must always be correctly measured. Pastes must be continuously freshly replenished onto the printing forme to achieve a stable process. On the one hand, EKRA integrates a solution that feeds material into the printer from external large containers. For smaller container quantities, an integrated double dispenser system is used, which also relieves the operator.
- Ensured process stability: always fresh paste on the printing form
- Paste only as required, no waste due to excess paste
- Reduced operator workload: focus on essential tasks
Line solutions: XH4 MultiLane and Fuel Cell
Bipolar plates are functional components of solid oxide fuel cells. In the stack, printed pastes based on glass, glass ceramics or metals seal the individual layers from each other. The high abrasiveness of these particles requires fine and reproducible adjustment of the printing parameters. The motorized AutoHead that can be integrated into the XH4 MultiLane automates this task, thus increasing process reliability as well as the longevity of the squeegees and screen. Cycle time plays a decisive role in cost efficiency in the production of bipolar plates. For this reason, several plates are processed in parallel in the printing line with the patented XH4 MultiLane. The next bipolar plates are already fed in and recognized while the current one is still being printed. After passing through the drying oven, they are turned and temporarily stored as a stack or passed directly to a second printer for reverse printing.
Line solutions: XH4 RtR and continuous web
Printing flexible circuits on foil substrates makes special demands on the processing machines. Due to the progressing miniaturization a precise optical alignment of different printed layers towards each other becomes indispensable. The XH4 RtR camera systems process transparent and light reflecting foils as well as printed fiducial marks made of glossy or semi-transparent paste. The XH4 RtR is specifically designed for transporting and fixing foil substrates, which are thinner and larger than those used in conventional electronics production on ceramic or printed circuit boards. The alignment of print image to foil by means of screen adjustment ensures the foils to only by stressed minimally and to be processed flat and level. The fast and reliable transport of endless foil through a complete line solution allows high throughputs for cost-effective high-volume production.
Line solutions: XH4 and medium format single substrates
The uniform application of functional pastes by means of the screen printing process is the central task in so-called thick film applications. Driven by new market requirements, substrate sizes in medium format are increasingly being processed. Glass plates, metal sheets, ceramics or composite materials up to 600 mm in width and length are coated with a structured functional layout. In the single lane configuration the XH4 also transports abrasive substrates of this size with high process reliability. The challenge in printing: a uniform coating thickness with tolerances within the micrometer range over a large area. For this purpose, the XH4 holds screens with a frame format of up to 1200 x 1200 mm and aligns them with high precision in all three dimensions relative to the substrate.
Your ASYS contact
Do you have any questions? Contact our specialists:
Lukas Sänger | Product Manager & Head of Application HYCON & SOLAR
Lukas.Saenger(at)asys-group.com
Gerd Krause | Product Manager Printing
Gerd.Krause(at)asys-group.com
