“We see a huge opportunity for the adoption of inkjet in manufacturing processes,” said Xaar marketing director Mark Alexander.

The 1002 AMp is based on the firm’s recently announced second-generation through flow head the 1002 but optimized for the needs of manufacturing rather than graphics and decoration. The firm said that it was the first of a range of heads for advanced manufacturing.

“Just as the 1001 head enabled a tipping point in ceramics printing we see the 1002 AMP driving the tipping points in a range of industrial markets,” said Alexander.

Alexander added that advanced manufacturing also encompassed additive manufacturing/3D printing but that was only a small part of a much wider range of markets and applications.

The primary difference of the AMp head is the ability to jet much smaller droplets – in the range of 1-3picolitres (pl) as opposed to the graphics version, which handles a minimum droplet size of 6pl. Other features important for advanced manufacturing applications include the accuracy of the drop placement and the ability to handle a wide range of different fluids types and viscosities, including those with a high solids content and metallic particles.

Applications in advanced manufacturing include displays, printed circuit boards, photovoltaics and semiconductors. Xaar’s print heads are already used in a range of advanced manufacturing applications. Last year it announced that US-based semiconductor fabrication technology company Molecular Imprints was using a version of the 1001 head in its Jet and Flash Imprint Lithography technology.