Building Manufacturing Processes Drop By Drop
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Xennia Technology Ltd is a leading provider of industrial inkjet solutions, focusing on improving manufacturing processes across various sectors, including textiles and solar energy. The document discusses the company's history, expertise, and innovations in inkjet technology, emphasizing its role in digital manufacturing and renewable energy, particularly in making solar panel production more efficient and cost-effective. It highlights the potential for inkjet technology to transform traditional manufacturing by enabling customization, reducing costs, and enhancing productivity.
Building Manufacturing Processes Drop By Drop
- 1. BUILDING MANUFACTURING PROCESSES & PRODUCTS DROP BY DROP Dr Alan Hudd Xennia Technology Ltd Presented at the 1st Digital Manufacturing Conference Florida, USA, June 2011
- 2. Section 1 INTRODUCTION TO XENNIA
- 3. Background to Xennia Xennia is the world’s leading industrial inkjet solutions provider 15 year history, over 300 customer development programmes World class reputation underpinned by a strong IP portfolio Unique expertise in inkjet chemistry with strong engineering capability Headquartered in UK, sales offices in US and China Awarded Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2010 Offering reliable inkjet process solutions: Inkjet modules and inks for OEM partners with market access Printing systems and inks for end users through our distributors
- 4. Xennia helps customers lower operating costs, increase productivity and simplify mass customised production by revolutionising manufacturing processes
- 5. FROM INKJET IDEAS ... TO PRODUCTION REALITY Feasibility studies Process development System design Production solutions
- 6. Technology push to market pull Inkjet technology & market evolution curve: The next wave has started Technology Market Technology Market Technology Market Innovation Development Innovation Development Innovation Development Market size Ceramics Packaging Electronics Food Biomedical Photo Textiles Labels Screen print Cut vinyl SOHO Graphics CAD E-stat Date Coding Pen plotters Direct Mail 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
- 7. Manufacturing processes Key examples of inkjet in manufacturing processes & products Textiles Decoration and digital finishing Industrial decoration Ceramics, furniture laminates Printed electronics Solar energy, displays Biomedical Sensor manufacture
- 8. Inkjet for manufacture Use inkjet to: Coat Create manufacturing processes Manufacture products Inkjet printing difficult materials Pigments (including inorganic), phosphors, metals Polymers Functional materials Key inkjet ink technologies Pigment and polymer dispersion Solvent based and UV cure chemistries
- 10. Digital finishing Major benefits of inkjet digital finishing Multi functionality Single sided application possible Two sides can have different functions Patterning – place function where you want it Functionality applied efficiently to textile surface only Highly consistent coat weight Environmental and energy savings Not influenced by underlying substrate variations Not influenced by bath concentration or dosing variations
- 11. Inkjet textile finishing Inkjet digital textile finishing process System can be Standalone; or Integrated in existing finishing lines Dust cleaning unit Textile Finisher UV IR Conventional Dryer Conventional Dryer Printing blanket
- 12. Functional materials Hydrophobic Comfort of cotton material on skin side Water and dirt repellent function on outside Dirt repellant/self-cleaning More efficient coating when applied with inkjet Single-sided application important Antimicrobial/anti-fungal/anti-insect Selective deposition, efficient usage Slow release technology Materials used cannot be in skin contact Single-sided application vital
- 13. Functional materials II Flame retardant Highly coherent coating very important Single side coating allows lighter weight UV blocking (anti-sunburn) Coating needs to be away from skin IR blocking Insulating fabrics – tents, clothing Electrically conductive Antennae incorporated into clothing, tents Communication with electronic devices Solar energy harvesting Tents, awnings, etc Low cost manufacturing essential
- 14. Functional textiles in action
- 16. Textile value chain Current textile production technology is labour intensive Process automation will reduce labour content in costs Variable costs currently high for inkjet Inkjet machines will consume tons of ink Economy of scale dictates lower ink prices No fundamental reason for prices being higher Low cost location becomes less important Logistics will be the key component to control
- 17. Outlook from Inkjet will revolutionise an outdated industry to deliver production reliability & productivity at lower costs to
- 18. Section 3 SOLAR PANEL MANUFACTURE
- 19. Renewable energy Concerns about Sustainability Global warming Pollution Lead to increasing trend for clean, renewable energy Solar photovoltaic Solar thermal Wind Tidal Geothermal Solar photovoltaic and wind have greatest potential Renewable energy proportion still very low (0.8% in 2002)
- 20. Solar energy generation Huge potential for energy generation 840 W/m2 reaches Earth’s surface during daylight e.g. 1600 TW strikes continental USA All electricity needs met with 10% efficient devices covering 2% of area (Interstate highways currently cover 1.5% of area) Solar energy harvesting Thermal – heat from sun heats water Used for hot water and swimming pools Photovoltaic – energy from sun used to generate electricity Can be used for any purpose
- 21. Solar photovoltaics Types of photovoltaic (PV) (solar cells) available Conventional (inorganic) 1st generation – crystalline Si 2nd gen – poly-Si, a-Si, CdTe or CIGS Input energy creates electron-hole pairs Separated by internal field Generates photocurrent Organic (small molecule or polymer) Heterojunction design incorporates: Electron transport layer (ETL) and hole transport layer (HTL) Input energy creates excitons ETL/HTL interface drives dissociation into electrons and holes ‘Standard’ materials P3HT and C60 derivatives
- 22. OPV schematic P3HT bandgap 1.9 eV PCBM LUMO-P3HT HOMO separation ~ 1eV Carrier mobilities 10-4 cm2/Vs Device efficiencies >4% Christoph Brabec and James Durrant, Solution- Processed Organic Solar Cells, MRS Bulletin, 33, 670 (2008)
- 23. Solar photovoltaics Key figures of merit for PV Efficiency Percentage of incident energy converted into electrical energy Includes collection efficiency as well as conversion efficiency Cost Measured in $ (or €)/Wp Current typical cost 2-8$/Wp Need to reduce significantly Lifetime Minimum 3-5 years Desirable 20-25 years
- 24. Key cost drivers Key to reducing cost of PV Lower cost materials Lower cost manufacturing Continuous Additive (no waste) Flexible
- 25. Manufacturing techniques Traditional semiconductor techniques Thermal/electron beam evaporation CVD/MOCVD etc Other coating techniques Spin coating Spray coating Printing Flexo/gravure printing Screen printing Inkjet printing
- 26. Traditional techniques Thermal/electron beam evaporation Material is heated and evaporates Deposits onto substrate and layer grows CVD/MOCVD Material made into volatile compound Compound decomposes to deposit material Spin coating Material in solution spun on flat surface Uniform coating with evaporation of solvent Spray coating Solution sprayed on surface Solvent evaporates
- 27. Technology comparison Technology Applicability Scalability Productivity Materials Film Process Multiple Wastage quality type layers? Thermal Inorganic/ Low Low (batch) Moderate High Subtractive Yes but evaporation small slow (vacuum) molecule CVD (low Inorganic/ Low Low (batch) Moderate High Subtractive Yes but pressure) small slow molecule Spin-coating Polymer/small Low Low (batch) Poor Medium Subtractive Yes but molecule slow Spray-coating Polymer/small High High Poor Low Subtractive Yes or doctor molecule blade Screen or Inorganic/ Medium Very high Moderate Medium Additive Yes but gravure polymer/small damage? printing molecule Inkjet printing Inorganic/ High High Good Medium Additive Yes polymer/small molecule Gas phase versus solution phase deposition
- 28. Inkjet versus other techniques Strengths Weaknesses Non-vacuum Film quality not as good as TE/EB/CVD Highly scalable Compatible with continuous/reel-to-reel process on flexible substrates Compatible with multi-layer printing Additive process Opportunities Threats Creation of a low-cost organic PV solution
- 29. Inkjet deposition of coatings Production inkjet coating deposition requires High throughput High reliability high productivity Excellent ink chemistry Functional performance Reliable printing Costs must make sense for application
- 30. Low cost manufacturing Inkjet has the potential to allow low cost manufacturing of PV Can create a new market dynamic for solar energy production Need to deposit PV materials Contacts
- 31. Applications for low cost PV Low cost, flexible PV allows Lower cost of ‘conventional’ power generation PV Easier installation Return on investment reasonable for mass market Enable new applications not currently possible/significant Power generation for mobile devices Power generation for signage Power generation in clothing
- 32. Applications example Sestar Technologies LLC SolarTurf™ PV incorporated into synthetic grass Light absorbing layer can be coloured Absorbing grass is green! Make compatible with existing consumer products Allows power generation from existing areas Lower cost of lighting public and private areas
- 33. Applications example II Sestar Technologies LLC SolarFabrics™ PV incorporated into clothing Military and civilian Absorbing materials in all colours Allows power generation from clothing Powering phones, radios, iPods, GPS Powering active camouflage
- 34. Applications example III Sestar Technologies LLC SolarFabrics™ PV incorporated into tents, awnings, etc Multiple colours Allows power generation to campsites, homes and buildings Powering portable devices Lower cost of lighting public and private areas
- 35. Market size Photovoltaic market growing significantly 20-25% per annum $30Bn industry generating 32GW Faster introduction impeded by costs Impact from Subsidies Regulations (e.g. specified renewables percentage) Emissions taxes Low cost solutions have massive potential
- 36. Future Potential Solar power generation everywhere! Based on low cost production Challenges Increase efficiency OPV ~1/3 efficiency of conventional Increase stability OPV relatively unstable
- 37. Outlook Inkjet deposition ready to replace conventional techniques 2008: First organic solar cell fabricated with inkjet Commercialised inkjet PV production in 2009 Report 1.5m wide, 40m/min Inkjet printed electronics expected to grow €62M in 2008 €3,079 in 2013 Source: Plus Plastic Electronics, Pira International
- 38. Conclusions Inkjet technology has the potential to transform industrial manufacture Higher productivity/lower cost Higher flexibility Economical shorter runs (Mass) customisation Faster product design introductions Higher quality New functionality Environmental benefits Digital finishing enables process automation Will strengthen competitive power of Western textile industry Inkjet promises low cost solar panel manufacture Solar power generation everywhere