Inkjet device and method for the controlled positioning of droplets of a substance onto a substrate

• Main Authors: Van Den Besselaar Leonardus Johannes Cornelius, Pierik Anke, Vernhout Martin Maurice, Dijksman Johan Frederik, De Wijs Willem-Jan A, Wismans Antonius Johannes Jo, Raaijmakers Adrianus Theodorus Anthonius Maria
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.04.2017
• Subjects: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMBINATORIAL CHEMISTRY; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS; i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; LIBRARIES, e.g. CHEMICAL LIBRARIES, IN SILICOLIBRARIES; LINING MACHINES; MEASURING; METALLURGY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PHYSICS; PRINTING; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS; STAMPS; TESTING; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING; TYPEWRITERS

An inkjet device for controlled positioning of a droplet of a substance onto a substrate includes a print head having a nozzle configured to eject the droplet. A camera is configured to detect and generate images of the droplet after ejection of the droplet from the nozzle. If the droplet volume, velocity, flight path, viscosity or surface tension start to deviate from preset values, a computer is configured to correct for this in a closed loop manner. If the droplet fails to eject, the computer is configured to stop the inkjet device and an operator can maintain the print head. The computer is configured to determine viscosity and surface tension of the droplet from characteristics of the droplet identified from the droplet images, and the computer is configured to control the positioning of the droplet onto the substrate during the printing process based on the determined viscosity and surface tension.