Optomec releases advanced control, vision and automation software for production 3D printed electronics

Optomec, the leading manufacturer of 3D Electronics Printers, announced the release of a new production control software product designed specifically for high volume manufacturing of printed electronics. The proprietary software, called KEWB, draws on the field experience of Optomec's 400 installed Aerosol Jet industrial printers, and was specifically designed for Optomec's high volume production customers with applications such as multi-chip packaging, mm-wave interconnects, heterogenous chip integration and 3D printed antennas for 5G devices.

KEWB incorporates enhanced operator guidance, powerful vision and alignment tools, extended runtime process control , and industry 4.0 connectivity to meet the demands of world-class manufacturers. Additionally, KEWB includes a powerful scripting capability that enables automated sequencing of all critical process steps for continuous inline production; ie: load, scan, align, print, inspect, unload, etc.

The release of the KEWB software follows the recent introduction of the Aerosol Jet HD2 printer, the industry's most precise printed electronics and material dispense platform that combines high-speed, sub-micron resolution, SEMI-compliant inline conveying and advanced alignment optics over a 300 x 300 mm work area.

“The new KEWB software simplifies everything -- from process integration to operation sequencing to maintenance.” said Dave Gleason, Software Development Manager at Optomec. “In addition, it's configurable for multiple user levels, so the engineer sees a full vision tool kit while the machine operator sees a simplified, pictorial sequence of process steps. The entire software approach is focused on production.”

Optomec's Printed Electronics machines enable manufacturers to create extremely fine 3D electronic structures–such as circuits, sensors, antennas and interconnects–with features as small as 10 microns using nanoparticle inks. The machines are widely used in the Aerospace and Defense, Energy, Medical Device, Advanced Electronics Packaging and Research segments.