Trident, a Brookfield, Conn.-based provider of industrial inkjet printhead and ink production, has created a new division, Trident Solar, which is dedicated exclusively to the design and production of inkjet technologies for photovoltaic applications.
Trident Solar's first new product is the 256Jet-S inkjet printhead. Available worldwide, the 256Jet-S features a 256-nozzle printhead with durable, serviceable design and rugged stainless-steel construction. The product's design allows for non-contact printing of a wide variety of acid and alkaline etchants and conductive metals for direct-write, printable solar photovoltaic production applications, the company says.
According to Trident, inkjet printing provides several advantages to photovoltaic production processes. Lines or holes of 50 microns in width by 5-10 microns in depth can be produced without the damage and defects associated with lasers.
In addition, whereas previously, agglomeration of conductive materials during the deposition process meant that printhead nozzles would clog and printheads needed to be discarded and replaced, the serviceable nozzle plate of the 256Jet-S can simply be removed, cleaned and reassembled.
Trident says the 256Jet-S printhead can last up to three years, a period about eight times longer than alternative inkjet printheads, which may need to be replaced as often as every four months. The rugged industrial design gives the 256Jet-S printhead a lifespan of 90 billion firings.
Trident: (203) 740-9333
SOURCE: Trident
